# Murphy O'Brien

> Murphy O'Brien is an independent Beverly Hills public relations and social media agency founded in 1989 by Karen Murphy O'Brien and Brett O'Brien. It sells monthly-retainer communications work - media relations, partnerships, events, social strategy and influencer marketing - mainly to luxury travel, hospitality, real estate and lifestyle brands. Its distinguishing asset is a 35-plus-year network in those sectors, paired with campaign ideas built to produce measurable attention rather than generic publicity.

- **Founded:** 1989
- **Headquarters:** Beverly Hills, United States
- **Founders:** Karen Murphy O'Brien (Founder & CEO), Brett O'Brien (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** 33 U.S. employees reported in the Los Angeles Business Journal's 2025 Best Places to Work list; other databases vary.
- **Products:** Media Relations, Events & Partnerships, Digital & Social, Influencer Marketing
- **Notable:** Named to Forbes' inaugural list of America's Best PR Agencies for 2021., Named an Inc. Best Workplace in 2024, 2025 and 2026., Won PR Daily's 2013 Grand Prize for Best PR Campaign of the Year for Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa in Nicaragua.

## Products & services

- **Media Relations** — Strategic messaging, media relationships, tours and desk-sides, campaign timelines, media training, crisis communications and awards programs.
- **Events & Partnerships** — Creative concepts, agency collaborations, sponsorships, co-branded events and media, brand or celebrity partnerships.
- **Digital & Social** — Channel strategy, content creation, platform and competitor audits, community management, growth, listening, paid social and analytics.
- **Influencer Marketing** — Campaign strategy, influencer selection, relationship management, creative briefs, contracts, disclosure and performance analysis.

## Achievements

- Named to Forbes' inaugural list of America's Best PR Agencies for 2021.
- Named an Inc. Best Workplace in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
- Won PR Daily's 2013 Grand Prize for Best PR Campaign of the Year for Mukul Beach, Golf & Spa in Nicaragua.
- Won Bulldog Awards' Gold Small Agency of the Year in 2016 and Gold Small Agency of the Year in 2017.
- Ranked fifth among the Los Angeles Business Journal's best small companies to work for in 2024 and ninth in 2025.
- Won 2026 Hermes Creative Awards including Platinum recognition for Hard Rock Hotel Tejon and Corinthia Rome campaigns.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Named to Inc.'s 2026 Best Workplaces list; also announced Hermes wins for Hard Rock Hotel Tejon and Corinthia Rome and new client additions.
- **2025-08** — Ranked ninth on the Los Angeles Business Journal's 2025 list of best small companies to work for; the listing reported 33 U.S. employees.
- **2025** — The PR Net 100 highlighted the agency's SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico launch and a new-client group including Corinthia Hotels, Arizona Biltmore, La Bahia and Firefly.
- **2024-08** — Ranked fifth among the Los Angeles Business Journal's best small companies to work for.

## Links

- Website: https://www.murphyobrien.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/murphyobrien/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/MurphyOBrienInc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murphyobrien/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MurphyOBrienInc/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/murphy-obrien
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-16