Margin over momentum 🌏
Asia-Pacific consultancies expanded profitability even as fee income growth decelerated, according to part one of our 2026 Asia-Pacific Consultancy Performance Index analysis.
This week, we published the second annual Asia-Pacific shortlist for Earned First’s Consultancy Performance Index. Everyone loves a list, no doubt, but we are especially encouraged by the data this exercise produces. Curated from more than 60 submissions and consultancy meetings, these metrics tell us much more about how the profession is evolving in this part of the world.
Before that, some context is probably helpful, because this year’s Index lands at a critical juncture for the communications profession. Amid significant economic volatility, restructuring and organisational redesign, the Asia-Pacific PR market appears to be stabilising, despite continued geopolitical turbulence, economic headwinds and automated uncertainty.
That stabilisation, however, masks a highly polarised landscape. Larger, legacy network agencies are grappling with consolidation fatigue, shrinking budgets and structural complexity. Nimble independent and mid-sized consultancies are posting record growth on the back of senior counsel, integrated digital and creator offerings, and unified P&L structures.
The shared truth, whatever the numbers say, probably lies somewhere in between. Agency finance directors, who have waited long enough for an edition of their own, may offer differing interpretations.
