The top 14 PR pros and publicists for YouTube creators, Instagram influencers, and other digital stars

Paul Panday; Kat Jones; Rick Bhatia; Alexandra Duff

Paul Panday, Kat Jones, Alec Huerta, and Alexandra Duff.

• With the rise of YouTube and Instagram influencers, top public relations firms have developed digital departments and now work with popular creators like David Dobrik and Emma Chamberlain.
• Business Insider is recognizing the leading PR agents in the influencer and creator industry, who stand out in how they respond to news events and help clients jump on social trends.
• We chose these 14 power players based on factors like their roles, responsibilities, and impact on their clients and the influencer space broadly.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

From giving away Teslas and Lamborghinis to surprising fans with Justin Bieber, YouTube star David Dobrik is one of the internet's most talked-about creators.

Dobrik is a powerhouse digital creator with 16 million subscribers on YouTube alone. But even off the platform, he is a popular face.

Dobrik has appeared on several notable talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Live with Kelly & Ryan. And in 2019, alongside traditional celebrities, Dobrik hosted the Teen Choice Awards and presented at the American Music Awards.

To score these traditional media appearances on television or in magazines, digital stars like Dobrik often turn to public relations firms.

In Dobrik's case, these opportunities were secured his publicist, Megan Smith, who is an account executive at Metro Public Relations. Smith works to help her digital-focused clients build brand awareness through features in a range of outlets from print to digital to broadcast.

Smith began working for Dobrik around December 2018, she told Business Insider, and in the beginning, the strategy was all about what red carpet event or presenting gig she could place him at to gain exposure.

"It's much more fluid than traditional because you can really do press year-round," Smith said. "When I spoke to the bookers [at The Tonight Show], they wanted to know what we would talk about, and I told them honestly, let's talk the week of because he'll probably have some crazy video out that they can discuss."

Traditional celebrities on TV or in movies typically promote a new project in a press event. But for digital clients, the promotion may not be for something so concrete, and the strategy can be very different, she said. Her job is to decide when the right time is to pitch and what her client will promote.

Like Dobrik, many other top social-media creators are represented by PR agencies.

For interviews and events, YouTube star Emma Chamberlain (8.6 million subscribers) is represented by Align Public Relations, which recently worked to place her on the January cover of Cosmopolitan.

Align, Metro PR, and other power players in PR respond quickly to news events, help clients jump on social trends, and stand out for how they manage clients' crises.

After highlighting the top talent managers and the top talent agents in the YouTube influencer space, Business Insider is now putting a spotlight on the top PR agents and publicists in the industry. In our inaugural list, we share the top 14 agents in the influencer and creator business who represent creators across YouTube, Instagram, and other social-media platforms.

To form this list, Business Insider relied on a mix of our own reporting, nominations from readers, and industry experts to narrow down the finalists. We chose them based on factors like their roles, responsibilities, and impact on their clients and the influencer space broadly.

The 14 PR agents are listed in alphabetical order by agency:

Send tips on the influencer industry to aperelli@businessinsider.com and dwhateley@businessinsider.com.