Vs / Edelman
GetDigitize vs Edelman: which one for Series A to Series B founders?
One honest sentence. GetDigitize fits Series A to B US founders who want named press plus GEO for $3,500 to $6,000 per month. Edelman fits Fortune 500 and public companies that need global integrated comms at $15,000-plus per month.
TL;DR
The three-sentence version.
For Series A to B US founders with 15 to 80 employees, GetDigitize places named press and builds AI Overview visibility at roughly a quarter of Edelman's reported starting retainer. Edelman wins decisively on crisis communications, investor relations, and global integrated programs, jobs that require 6,000-person capacity and 65-office presence. If your mandate is US tier-one press plus GEO for a founder-stage company, GetDigitize is the better fit. If your mandate is complex stakeholder communications for a Fortune 500 brand in 10 or more markets, Edelman is.
Head to head
Side by side, twelve dimensions.
Edelman numbers are estimates from publicly reported industry sources. We linked to the source where public data exists.
| Dimension | GetDigitize | Edelman |
|---|---|---|
| Starting monthly price | $3,500 per month | ~$15,000+ per month (industry estimate) |
| Project option | $4,500 single campaign | Typically retainer-only |
| Team size | 5 senior operators | 6,000+ globally |
| Account team for a Series A client | 2 to 3 named seniors | Typically 4 to 8 layered |
| Contract length | 30-day notice | Typically annual |
| Time to first pitch | Week 2 | Week 4 to 6 typical |
| Time to first placement | Week 4 to 6 typical | Week 8 to 12 typical |
| Named GEO and AI Overview practice | Yes, core offering | Digital practice; GEO varies by team |
| Crisis comms depth | Light; we refer out | Industry-leading |
| Investor relations | No | Full practice |
| Global footprint | US only | 65+ offices worldwide |
| Founder-voice ghostwriting | Core; 2 pieces per month included | Available as add-on |
| Shared workflow visibility | Live Notion board | Monthly or quarterly review |
| Typical client size | 15 to 80 employees | 250+ employees typical |
Where GetDigitize wins
Five scenarios we actually outperform.
- Series A to B US founder launch. Named beat reporters at TechCrunch, Inc, Forbes Council, Inman, and regional Business Journals. Faster onboarding, smaller bill.
- Multi-location local operator. HVAC, dental, medical, retail, salons. Our model is built for this. Edelman's is not.
- GEO and AI Overview citation work. We track ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overview mentions as core KPIs. Ask Edelman for a sample report and compare.
- Founder voice in writing. Two ghostwritten pieces per month included in every retainer. The LinkedIn post that sounds like the founder, not the agency.
- When speed matters. A funding announcement in three weeks or a product launch in 45 days. Edelman onboarding consumes that window. Ours fits inside it.
Where Edelman wins
Three scenarios where they are the right call.
- Public company crisis. If you are handling an SEC filing, a recall, or an activist investor, Edelman's crisis practice has institutional muscle we cannot match. Call them.
- Fortune 500 integrated global campaign. A coordinated launch in 30 markets with paid, earned, employee, and policy audiences. That is 6,000-person-firm work.
- Investor relations and financial comms. Earnings day, S-1 drafting support, analyst communications. Edelman Financial Communications is one of the largest practices globally. We do not play here.
Pricing comparison
Rough monthly cost for a typical Series A team.
Assume a 40-person Series A SaaS company. Goals: three tier-one press placements in 90 days, founder LinkedIn presence, and AI Overview citation.
| Line item | GetDigitize | Edelman (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $4,500 per month | $15,000 to $25,000 per month |
| Onboarding fee | None | Sometimes $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Ghostwriting (2 pieces/mo) | Included | Often an add-on line |
| GEO and schema work | Included (monthly audit) | Often priced separately |
| 90-day total (low estimate) | ~$13,500 | ~$45,000 to $80,000 |
Edelman figures are industry estimates from practitioner interviews and PRWeek-type reporting. Actual quotes vary. Ours are posted on the pricing page.
A switcher's note
"We had a mid-five-figure retainer with a global firm. After ten months we had four trade mentions and a 47-slide strategy doc. GetDigitize landed three TechCrunch hits in our first quarter for less than half the spend."CMO, Series B SaaS company. Name on request.
Another switcher
"The board wanted a name-brand PR firm. After three months of onboarding and zero placements, I argued for a swap. We ran GetDigitize for the proactive work and kept a separate crisis retainer. Total spend dropped 40 percent. Placements tripled."VP Marketing, Series A fintech. Name on request.
Common questions
The ones founders ask before switching.
Is this an unbiased comparison?
No, we made it. A vs page on our own site is marketing. We followed three rules to stay fair: only cite publicly reported Edelman pricing and stats, name where Edelman genuinely wins, and point to specific ICPs for each firm. If you want an outside comparison, PRWeek and The Holmes Report rank PR firms annually.
Is GetDigitize actually cheaper or just unbundled?
Actually cheaper on like-for-like scope. Edelman retainers reportedly start around $15,000 per month and include overhead for a global network. Our retainers start at $3,500 per month for a US-focused scope. The difference is staffing model, not bundling.
Does Edelman have GEO and AI Overview practice?
Edelman has digital and SEO teams. Explicit GEO programs with AI Overview citation tracking and llms.txt deliverables vary across account teams and are newer industry-wide. If GEO is central to your mandate, ask the specific account for a sample deliverable.
Can a five-person firm really outperform Edelman on press?
On targeted US press for a Series A to B founder, yes, in our experience. Beat reporters respond to senders they know. A senior at a small firm with six years of TechCrunch relationships often out-places a junior at a large firm with a Cision list. On global integrated campaigns or Fortune 500 crisis, no. Edelman wins there by design.
What if my VC wants Edelman on the cap table?
Ask what your VC actually wants. Usually it is the outcome (tier-one press, reputable firm name next to the company) not literally Edelman. Bring your VC a 90-day plan with named reporter targets. If they still want the Edelman logo, you can run both and split the work.
How fast can GetDigitize start?
Week 1 is angle workshop and reporter list. Week 2 pitches go out. A typical Series A to B client sees their first placement in weeks 4 to 6. Edelman onboarding is usually 4 to 6 weeks before the first pitch leaves.
Is Edelman going to be around longer than a five-person firm?
Probably. Edelman was founded in 1952 and has institutional continuity most boutiques cannot match. If firm durability is a core requirement, that matters. If named outcomes in the next 90 days matter more, it does not.