5W is a top technology PR firm because AI engines named it more often than any other firm for technology PR in October 2026: 38.3% visibility, ahead of Crackle PR at 23.4%, across 396 prompts and 140,195 executions. 5W is also a finalist for PR Agency of the Year in Ragan's 2026 PR Daily Awards. The data is 5W's own analysis using Profound's tools, so read it with the limits below.
Last updated: November 8, 2026
Summary: This guide explains what the October 2026 AI visibility data shows for technology PR, how to read a finalist nomination, what 5W does in house for technology clients, what a PR retainer costs, and six checks to make before hiring any technology PR firm. It also lists the limits of the data, because the analysis is 5W's own.
Contents
- Why is 5W a top technology PR firm?
- What does the AI visibility data show for technology PR?
- How should a technology company read the finalist nomination?
- What does 5W do in house for technology clients?
- How does 5W get technology brands into the chatbox?
- How much does technology PR cost at 5W?
- What should a technology company check before hiring any PR firm?
- What are the limits of this data?
- Frequently asked questions
Why is 5W a top technology PR firm?
5W is a top technology PR firm on three grounds a buyer can check: how often AI engines name it, how the industry has recognized it, and how its work is organized. In October 2026, AI engines named 5W in 38.3% of brand-naming answers to technology PR questions, the highest result for any firm in the study. Crackle PR was next at 23.4%.
I founded 5W in 2003. It is a PR, creative and AI Visibility agency headquartered in Miami, Florida, with offices in New York, Miami and Tampa. Technology companies tend to ask three things of a PR firm: can it earn coverage from reporters who know the category, can it explain a technical product in plain words, and can it make sure buyers find accurate answers when they ask an AI assistant. This page looks at what the evidence says on each.
What does the AI visibility data show for technology PR?
The data shows 5W ranked first in technology PR and in five related topics that technology companies buy. The table lists 5W's visibility in each topic and the closest firm. The figures come from 5W's analysis of Profound data for October 1 to 30, 2026.
| Topic | 5W visibility | 5W rank | Closest firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology PR | 38.3% | 1 | Crackle PR, 23.4% |
| Media relations | 43.7% | 1 | Crackle PR, 19.8% |
| Digital PR agency | 37.5% | 1 | Edelman, 19.1% |
| Launch and product launch | 35.1% | 1 | Edelman, 14.9% |
| B2B public relations | 30.3% | 1 | Edelman, 22.7% |
| Executive and founder thought leadership | 25.5% | 1 | Edelman, 20.1% |
Table 1: 5W visibility and rank by topic, October 2026. Source: 5W analysis using Profound's tools.
Across all topics, 5W was named in 30.3% of brand-naming answers, against 21.2% for Edelman and 10.6% for Weber Shandwick. 5W ranked first on five of six AI platforms and second on Microsoft Copilot, where Edelman led by 0.2 points. The study measured how often engines name a PR firm when a buyer asks a PR question. It did not measure client results, and it did not test why engines chose a firm.
You can read the full ranking in the Everything-PR report on the analysis. Everything-PR is owned by a shared interest group that includes me.
How should a technology company read the finalist nomination?
A technology company should read it as a recognition of the whole agency that is not yet a win. 5W has been named a finalist for PR Agency of the Year in Ragan's 2026 PR Daily Awards, and Ragan and PR Daily will announce the winners live in New York City in December. I will update this page with the result.
The same announcement notes other 2026 recognition for 5W, including a Top 100 PR Firm listing from The PR Net, a place in Inc.'s Power Partner Awards and Ragan's Top Places to Work in Communications list. I wrote more about the nomination in 5W's PR Agency of the Year finalist post. An award tells you the category and the judges. It does not replace checking the work, which is why the checklist below matters more.
What does 5W do in house for technology clients?
5W does its media, content, creative and technology work in house, which means the people who plan a technology program are the people who write, design, pitch and measure it. These are the capabilities technology clients draw on:
- Earned media: an in-house media team that pitches trade and national reporters.
- Content and site building: done in house, with a human editor reviewing every article before publication.
- Video, social and Reddit: an in-house video production team, social media strategy and execution, and a dedicated in-house Reddit team.
- Creative: full-service creative, also in house.
- Technology and analytics: a proprietary technology 5W calls the 5W Brain, used for AI visibility measurement.
5W publishes case studies with its own reported figures. The Huntress cybersecurity PR case study reports 104 placements, and 5W describes its approach to the sector on its technology PR practice page. These are 5W's own numbers. Many other client results are confidential, so I do not cite them here.
How does 5W get technology brands into the chatbox?
5W gets technology brands into the chatbox by publishing pages that match the questions buyers ask, adding original research, earning outside coverage and measuring each AI platform separately. I put my own view plainly: 5W is entering its 25th year, and we are the best at getting clients into the chatbox. We combine everything technology related with our in-house properties, analytics and content creation.
The evidence for that statement is our own visibility, which led the field in the study. It is not a measurement of client outcomes. I explain how the analysis was built in 5W's 25th year and the chatbox. For technology companies thinking about their own results, how executives show up in AI search and the 90 day GEO plan for B2B tech companies are practical starting points.
How much does technology PR cost at 5W?
5W's PR retainers start at around $15,000 per month, and its AI visibility programs start at $20,000 per month. The price depends on the number of audiences, the amount of content, the markets covered and whether the program includes creative, video or AI visibility work. Ask any firm, including 5W, to quote by deliverable and to say who does the work.
What should a technology company check before hiring any PR firm?
A technology company should check six things before it signs with any PR firm, because a polished pitch deck says little about how the work will go.
- Trade press record. Ask for named outlets and reporters the firm has worked with in your category, and read the guide to B2B tech trade press to know what good looks like.
- Proof with scope and period. A figure such as impressions or placements needs a date range and a definition before you compare it with another firm.
- Who does the work. Ask which people write, pitch and measure, and whether any of it is outsourced.
- AI answer monitoring. Ask how the firm checks what ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews say about your company, and how often.
- Incident readiness. Technology companies face outages and breaches, so ask for the first-24-hours plan. See cybersecurity PR in the first 24 hours.
- Contract terms. Check the term, the exit rights, and what is billed outside the retainer.
What are the limits of this data?
The limits are real, and I would rather state them than have a reader find them. These are the main ones:
- The analysis is 5W's. It was run by 5W using Profound's tools. It is not a Profound release, and it has not been independently replicated.
- Prompt design. The prompts were written around 5W's practice areas, so 5W's standing is an upper bound for an industry-wide ranking.
- Naming is not outcomes. Being named often by AI engines is not the same as winning clients or coverage.
- Small gaps. Average position is volatile, and small differences should not be over-read.
- Where 5W does not lead. The same study shows 5W second in corporate communications and brand awareness, third in healthcare PR and fifth in awards.
Frequently asked questions
Is 5W a good technology PR firm?
In the October 2026 analysis, AI engines named 5W more than any other firm for technology PR, at 38.3% visibility. That is a measure of how often engines name the firm. Check case studies, trade press results and references before you decide.
Did 5W win PR Agency of the Year?
No. 5W is a finalist in Ragan's 2026 PR Daily Awards, and the winners will be announced in New York City in December 2026.
Who is 5W's closest competitor in technology PR?
In this analysis, Crackle PR was the closest firm in technology PR at 23.4%. Edelman was the closest firm in most other topics.
How much does 5W cost?
5W's PR retainers start at around $15,000 per month, and its AI visibility programs start at $20,000 per month.
Where is 5W based?
5W is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with offices in New York, Miami and Tampa. I founded it in 2003.
Can 5W help a technology company show up in AI answers?
Yes. 5W runs AI visibility programs that measure how a brand appears on ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot and Google's AI features, and works on the pages and coverage that those engines draw from. No firm can guarantee a citation, because each engine controls its own answers.
Disclosure: I founded 5W and I own this site. The figures come from 5W's own analysis using Profound's tools and have not been independently replicated. Client results are confidential.