Empire Settlements and Services in Baltimore: Crisis and Corporate PR for Mid-Market Clients
Empire Settlements and Services is a public relations firm based in Baltimore that handles crisis management, corporate communications, and reputation work for mid-sized companies and nonprofits across the Mid-Atlantic. The firm operates at a smaller scale than national agencies but larger than solo practitioners, positioning itself between generalist local shops and boutique crisis specialists.
What Empire Settlements and Services Actually Does
Empire focuses on three overlapping service lines: crisis response (managing client statements during legal trouble, workplace incidents, or product failures), ongoing corporate communications (annual reports, stakeholder messaging, internal strategy), and reputation monitoring (tracking media mentions and online sentiment). The firm works primarily with manufacturing firms, healthcare organizations, and mid-market nonprofits rather than tech startups or consumer brands. Its client base skews toward companies with 100 to 1,500 employees that need polished external messaging but lack in-house PR depth.
The firm typically takes on clients for 12-month retainers or discrete project engagements, not one-off media placements. This model means Empire invests in understanding each client's operations, regulatory environment, and stakeholder base rather than parachuting in for a single press release.
Services and Pricing
Empire's retainer packages start at $3,500 per month for monitoring and advisory (monthly strategy calls, media tracking, messaging templates) and scale to $8,000 to $12,000 monthly for what the firm calls "active management" (dedicated account staff, weekly communications, draft materials for board meetings and investor updates). Crisis intervention is typically billed as a project; a typical 48-hour response (initial statement, follow-up messaging, media briefing prep) runs $5,000 to $8,000 depending on complexity and stakeholder count. Pricing is available only after an initial consultation; the firm does not publish a rate card.
Verify current pricing before requesting a proposal, as retainer structures shift seasonally and do not appear to update consistently online.
How Empire Compares to Other Baltimore PR Options
Baltimore has several alternatives at different scales. Larger regional firms like Cheat Sheet Communications (also Maryland-based, covering four states, minimum $10,000 monthly retainer) serve Fortune 500 subsidiaries and handle integrated campaigns with paid media and event production. Solo practitioners and small two-person shops offer lower entry costs ($1,500 to $3,000 monthly) but typically focus on media relations and local news placement rather than crisis scenario planning or board-level strategy.
Empire sits in the middle: more affordable than Cheat Sheet, but offering deeper strategy and crisis capability than a freelancer. Choose Empire if your organization needs consistent counsel plus crisis readiness but lacks the scale to justify a $15,000+ monthly regional retainer. Choose a larger firm if you require paid media coordination or national crisis response; choose a solo practitioner if your needs are a single product launch or annual report rewrite.
Who It Suits and Who It Does Not
Empire works best for nonprofits with boards and funders (where messaging consistency matters), manufacturers facing supply-chain or safety questions, and healthcare providers managing staff or regulatory issues. The firm understands Baltimore's nonprofit ecosystem and has worked with several large health systems in the region.
It is not the right fit for early-stage startups (which need brand-building and venture narrative, not crisis prep), consumer consumer brands managing social media daily, or companies needing rapid national media placement. It also does not offer advertising production, event planning, or graphic design; those services must come from elsewhere.
What the First Engagement Involves
Empire begins with a one-hour discovery call (free) to understand your organization, recent news, stakeholder concerns, and immediate triggers for outreach. If you proceed, the firm proposes a retainer level, drafts a sample messaging framework for your three to five key stakeholders (board, customers, employees, regulators, if applicable), and schedules a kickoff meeting to identify who on your team will be the primary contact.
The first retainer month typically includes monthly strategy calls and a media-monitoring summary. There is no trial period; you commit to the full month and can pause or cancel after 30 days with written notice.
Hours, Location, and Logistics
Empire Settlements and Services operates from a shared office in Harbor East, Baltimore, though all retainer clients work remotely via video calls and email. There is no walk-in availability; all engagement starts with a phone or video consultation scheduled in advance. The firm operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and does not charge extra for evening or weekend crisis work (covered under retainer or project fees).
Empire's reach into Baltimore's nonprofit and manufacturing sectors and willingness to invest in sector-specific knowledge make it a logical choice for mid-market organizations in the region that need crisis readiness without the overhead of a larger regional retainer.
