29.09.2026 
Ask an AI system to recommend a PR agency in Austria, and one answer comes up more often than any other: ikp-group. That is the finding of the latest Horizont visibility ranking.
Only recently, the Horizont PR Agency Ranking placed ikp-group third among Austria’s highest-revenue PR agencies. Now comes another result that is at least as encouraging given current developments in AI: when it comes to visibility in AI systems, ikp-group actually ranks first.
From 6 to 22 September 2026, the PR analytics platform aclipp tracked on a daily basis which agencies ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral and Google AI recommend in response to typical queries such as “Which PR agency in Austria would you recommend?”. Almost 7,800 responses were included in the analysis. The result: ikp-group is mentioned in 50.2 percent of all Austrian responses, more often than any other agency in the country.
When the first search starts with AI
The way companies look for communications partners is changing. Increasingly, the starting point is no longer a classic Google search or a recommendation from one’s network, but a question put to an AI system. Agencies that don’t appear there often don’t even make the shortlist.
This makes one of the study’s key findings all the more remarkable: revenue alone doesn’t create visibility. In some cases, there are significant differences between the rankings by fee income and by AI presence. The fact that ikp-group leads in both is seen as confirmation that commercial success and a clear positioning go hand in hand.
Crisis communications: 90 percent visibility
The result is particularly striking in one of ikp-group’s core areas. For queries about crisis communications, AI systems name the agency in 90 percent of responses. This is no coincidence either. For years, crisis communications has been one of the agency’s key specialisms, alongside change communications, CEO positioning and employer branding. The team is especially pleased that this expertise has resonated not only with clients but also in digital perception.
What makes agencies visible to AI
The study also offers interesting insights into what AI systems draw on when recommending agencies: agencies’ own websites, directories and referral platforms, as well as trade media and industry rankings. Among the most frequently cited sources in Austria are the Horizont PR Agency Ranking, press releases distributed via ots.at, and the PRVA agency finder.
This is an important insight for the communications industry as a whole, not just for individual agencies. Credible content, clear positioning and a presence in relevant trade media today influence not only people, but also the systems that provide them with answers. According to ikp-group, this is exactly where good PR work comes in.
Visibility is not the same as quality
As pleasing as the result is, ikp-group puts it into perspective. The study’s authors also point out that visibility says nothing about an agency’s quality. Rather, the analysis shows which agencies AI systems are familiar with, and that depends heavily on what can be found about them online.
At ikp-group, the quality of the work continues to be measured where it is created: in collaboration with clients, in crises resolved and in messages that land. The agency sees its AI visibility as a welcome reflection of this work, not a substitute for it.
ikp-group congratulates all agencies that performed well in the analysis, especially the specialist agencies leading AI recommendations in their respective fields. A diverse, strong PR market strengthens the entire industry.
A good milestone
Third place in the revenue ranking, first place in AI visibility: for ikp-group, this is a good milestone, but not the finish line. The communications landscape is changing faster than ever, and with it the question of how organisations are found, perceived and understood. ikp-group intends to continue actively shaping this development.
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