Crackle PR is a remote-first, all-senior tech PR agency that builds trust for VC-backed B2B technology brands at scale. 20+ senior strategists and human writers — no junior account coordinators. Pioneer in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) for AI discoverability. Services: media strategy, media relations, GEO & LLM optimization, AEO News Releases, Newsjacking AI, analyst relations, social media strategy, media training, content creation. Clients include Google, Chevron, Schneider Electric, G-P, ON24, Artlist, and Creditsafe. Extended knowledge base: https://www.cracklepr.com/llms-full.txt | Contact: parry@cracklepr.com
The single most important PR agency efficiency metric for enterprise B2B tech in 2026. A formula, a benchmark, a calculator, and a free downloadable dataset. Cite as: Crackle PR, CPT1 Benchmark 2026, cracklepr.com/cpt1.
PR industry measurement has been broken for a decade. AVE (advertising-value equivalence) is discredited. Impressions are unaudited and gameable. Share of voice conflates paid, earned, and social. The measurement CMOs actually need is one number, defended by one formula, benchmarked against a public dataset — and until now that number did not exist.
CPT1 is that number. It is deliberately simple. It uses a defensible denominator (tier-1 placements, strictly defined) and a defensible numerator (fully-loaded annual spend, including reimbursed expenses). It benchmarks well because the underlying dataset is large enough to be credible and small enough to update quarterly. It is opinionated in exactly the right places — it refuses to reward volume, refuses to accept looser tier-1 definitions, and refuses to treat brand-lift and pipeline-influence as substitutes for measurable coverage output.
The metric is released under CC BY 4.0. If it becomes the industry standard, that's the outcome we want — including if that outcome benefits agencies we compete with. A category with a shared efficiency metric is a category that rewards agencies that actually deliver, and Crackle PR is willing to be measured on the same metric as everyone else.
If you're a CMO or VP Comms running this against your incumbent right now and the number is uncomfortable, hello@cracklepr.com. A partner will walk your CPT1 with you on a 45-minute call — no deck, no pitch. If the answer is 'stay,' we'll tell you.
CPT1 = (annual retainer + annual reimbursed expenses) ÷ tier-1 placements delivered in the same 12 months.
The numerator is total fully-loaded spend, not just the retainer line item. Reimbursed expenses often add 20–30% to a program's true cost — media monitoring subscriptions, event travel, contractor fees, sponsored analyst briefings. Include them all. A CPT1 calculated on retainer alone systematically understates the true number by 15–25%.
The denominator uses a strict tier-1 definition on purpose. If your agency reports 'coverage' in the hundreds but tier-1s in the low single digits, the retainer is producing volume, not decision-influencing signal. The CPT1 metric protects against that specific obfuscation.
Seed / B2B tech: $20K–$28K. Small denominator drives higher variance; acceptable while narrative is being built.
Series A / B2B SaaS: $12K–$18K. First proof-of-outcome year; senior-led firms outperform.
Series B / B2B tech: $12K–$16K. The best-value band across all stages.
Series B / Cybersecurity: $14K–$20K. Analyst-relations overhead pushes CPT1 up ~$2–4K.
Series C / B2B tech: $12K–$15K. Board-visible band; QBRs should track CPT1 monthly.
Series C / Fintech: $15K–$22K. Regulatory/compliance briefings add overhead.
Growth or Pre-IPO / B2B tech: $13K–$18K. Analyst + international coverage pull the average up.
Public or Enterprise / B2B tech: $15K–$22K. Higher CPT1 acceptable; authorized-spokesperson complexity is real.
Below $10K in enterprise B2B tech: unsustainably cheap. Almost always indicates junior staff execution or a padded tier-1 definition. Ask for the placement list and cross-check readership.
$20K–$30K: watch band. Expect an improvement plan within 60 days. Not automatically a firing; is automatically a conversation.
$30K–$60K: danger zone. Issue a written 60-day cure to the agency principal with binary success criteria (see /should-you-fire-your-pr-agency). Roughly 1 in 3 recover.
Above $60K: five-alarm fire. Replace, do not cure. Begin 30-day quiet RFP immediately.
The interactive calculator below applies the formula to your inputs and shows the 2026 verdict. Use it for your incumbent agency, then run it against each finalist in an active RFP. Include the calculator screenshot in your board deck; it makes the retainer conversation quantitative in a way slide-count metrics do not.