Short answer
The New Orleans metro area had 123 advertising, PR and related agency establishments in 2023, employing 979 people on a $75.1 million payroll (Census County Business Patterns). Orleans Parish had 74 and Jefferson Parish 46. 53 were advertising agencies and 21 PR agencies, and 84 had fewer than five employees. To hire one, match the firm to the job, check its Louisiana registration, keep your accounts in your own name, and call references you find yourself.
- 123 agency establishments in the New Orleans metro employ 979 people, 0.32% of the 38,864 in the US.
- 84 of the 123 have one to four employees, and only 2 have 50 or more.
- Orleans Parish has 74 of the offices and 439 of the jobs; Jefferson Parish has 46.
- Advertising agencies here average 6 employees per office and $88,700 in pay per employee.
On this page
This page is for New Orleans businesses, hotels, nonprofits and institutions hiring a marketing agency, people researching the local market, and vendors that sell to agencies.
How big the market is
| Measure (2023) | New Orleans metro |
|---|---|
| Establishments | 123 |
| Employees | 979 |
| Annual payroll | $75,130,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 8.0 |
| Average annual pay | $76,742 |
| Share of US establishments | 0.32% of 38,864 |
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, for the New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metro Area (CBSA 35380) and NAICS 5418, Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services. CBP counts establishments with paid employees, not companies, and leaves out the self-employed, so freelance designers, writers and producers aren't counted. The employment and payroll totals carry a moderate noise flag (the confidentiality noise moved them by 2% to 5%).
Parishes and size
| Parish | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Orleans Parish, Louisiana | 74 | 439 |
| Jefferson Parish, Louisiana | 46 | Not reported (high-noise figure) |
Jefferson Parish's employment was published but flagged as high-noise: the noise added for confidentiality changed it by 5% or more. The metro's other parishes hold the remaining 3 establishments.
By size, 84 establishments have one to four employees, 18 have five to nine, 13 have 10 to 19 and 6 have 20 to 49. The Census Bureau doesn't publish any class above 50 here, because it drops cells with fewer than three establishments. The total shows that 2 establishments have 50 or more employees; it doesn't say how many more. For the same reason, the 20 to 99 and 100-or-more bands aren't published.
What kinds of agencies
Advertising agencies (541810) are the largest group: 53 establishments, 320 employees, about 6 per office, with average pay of $88,700 (our calculation). Next are 32 other advertising services firms (541890), such as promotional products and demonstrations, with 162 employees, and 21 PR agencies (541820), whose employment is high-noise. There are 8 display advertising firms (541850), 3 direct mail firms (541860) and 3 advertising distribution businesses (541870). The remaining 3 establishments are in codes the Census Bureau doesn't publish separately for this metro.
Outside 5418, CBP counts 70 marketing consultancies (541613) and 33 graphic design studios (541430). See the NAICS code for marketing for which code fits which kind of firm.
Hiring well in a small market
With most firms under ten people, think in terms of the job, not the agency size:
- Write a one-page brief first. The goal and the date it matters by, the audience, the channels you think you need, a budget range and who approves the work. Send the same brief to every firm so the answers compare.
- Split strategy from execution. A small local agency may be ideal for creative, social and local media, with a specialist (local or remote) for paid search or technical SEO. Ask each firm what it does in house.
- Find your own references. In a market this size, you can usually find a former client of any agency through your own network. Ask what went well and what didn't.
- Ask about capacity in your busy season. If your business peaks around the city's events calendar, ask how the agency staffs other clients' peaks at the same time.
- Put ownership in writing. Google's advertiser guide says an agency "must set up a separate Ads account for you"; keep Admin access. On Meta, keep the ad account in your own business portfolio and add the agency as a partner. Copyright in commissioned work stays with whoever created it unless the work fits one of the nine categories in the Copyright Office's Circular 30 and both sides sign, so ask for a written assignment of the final work.
- Agree a short notice period. Stagwell's 10-K says its contracts "typically provide for termination by either party within 30 to 90 days," a reasonable benchmark for a small firm too.
There are no SEC-listed companies in the advertising SIC codes (7310 to 7319) headquartered in the metro, and the holding companies' 10-Ks don't list New Orleans offices.
Selling to New Orleans agencies
The pool is small: 123 establishments, 115 of them under 20 employees. Sell as you would to small businesses (see how to sell to small businesses): a monthly price, a short trial and an owner who decides. If your offer needs volume, treat New Orleans as part of a wider Gulf South territory rather than a market on its own.
Illustrative example. The company and figures are invented.
Crewcall (crewcall.example) books freelance photographers and video crews for agencies at a 12% fee per booking. Its targets are the 53 advertising agencies and 32 other advertising services firms, 85 in all. If an illustrative half book outside crews at least monthly, about 42 fit. If each books an illustrative $4,000 of crew time a month, a 12% fee is $480 per agency a month, or about $241,920 a year across all 42. The opener references a recent shoot the agency posted and offers a crew for its next one. Finding which agencies shoot often means checking each firm's recent work, the research Bebop does for each account in a list.
Where to check New Orleans agencies
| Source | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Louisiana Secretary of State business filings search | Confirm an agency's legal name, status and registered agent |
| City of New Orleans One Stop | The city's permitting and licensing portal |
| GNO, Inc. | The regional economic development organization for Greater New Orleans |
| New Orleans Chamber of Commerce | The local chamber, for members and events |
Next step: if no local firm fits, widen the search with the largest advertising agencies and how to build your own list.
Sources
- County Business Patterns (CBP), 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- County Business Patterns methodology, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- North American Industry Classification System, 2022, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Advertiser guide: Working with third parties, Google Advertising Policies Help, accessed 30 October 2026
- Give a partner access to business assets in your business portfolio, Meta Business Help Centre, accessed 30 October 2026
- Circular 30: Works Made for Hire, US Copyright Office, revised August 2024
- Stagwell Inc. Form 10-K for 2025, Stagwell, via SEC EDGAR, 13 March 2026
- Search for Louisiana Business Filings, Louisiana Secretary of State, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many marketing agencies are in New Orleans?
County Business Patterns counted 123 advertising, PR and related agency establishments with paid employees in the New Orleans metro area in 2023, employing 979 people. Orleans Parish had 74 and Jefferson Parish 46. The metro also had 70 marketing consultancies, counted separately. Freelancers without employees aren't included in either figure.
Are there large marketing agencies in New Orleans?
Only a few. In 2023, 84 of the metro's 123 agency establishments had one to four employees and 115 had fewer than 20. The Census Bureau's figures show 2 establishments with 50 or more employees but don't publish their exact size class. For large national campaigns, consider pairing a local agency with a specialist or a larger firm elsewhere.
How do I check a Louisiana marketing agency's registration?
Search the firm's name on the Louisiana Secretary of State's business filings search, which shows its legal name, status and registered agent. Make sure the legal name on your contract matches. Ask the agency for references you can verify and a sample of its monthly reporting, and confirm your ad, analytics and social accounts will stay in your company's name.
How much do marketing agencies charge in New Orleans?
No public source publishes New Orleans agency rates. The cost base is public: agency staff in the metro averaged $76,742 in pay in 2023, and advertising agency staff $88,700, before benefits, rent and margin. Expect fixed project fees, hourly rates or monthly retainers, plus media and production costs. Ask two or three firms to price the same written brief.