This morning, Prolific North published its latest Top 50 PR Companies rankings – and this is the tenth year that Mustard and Prolific North have collaborated on this initiative.
The list is compiled based on key financial metrics such as balance sheet funds, turnover, growth and number of employees. All data is verified against Companies House, but we encourage agencies to provide their own data. A huge thank you to everyone who provided us with information this year.
The definition of what constitutes “success” (or in this instance the definition of “Top”) within business is a debate that will never by fully agreed upon. Importantly however, the calculations used in our rankings have remained consistent over the years, whereby the size of an organisation is recognised by scores related to things like turnover and headcount. Alongside this, points are accrued recognising metrics like year-on-year growth. So, this means it is not guaranteed that the “biggest” agency will be #1.
Instead, it’s a list that is more reflective of both the relative size, success and trajectory of each agency. If an agency has gone DOWN in the rankings, it does not mean they have “got worse”, nor does it mean their size or value has diminished. It rewards those that have had the most stellar years, as well as featuring all of the well establish agency brands.
So looking at some of the highlights from the 2022 rankings:
- Tangerine Communications has climbed to top-spot, now ranked as the Top PR agency in North England, overtaking Citypress, which previously held the number one position for eight consecutive years. Citypress has moved down into second position, with Newcastle’s Remarketing up into the third position.
- Manchester agencies dominate the top of the list, with 5 of the top 6, including Brazen who have climbed from 17th to 4th.
- There are four new entrants joining the Top 50 list this year. The highest new entry is JBH, who joined the list in 15th position, and other new entries include Pace (17th), We are Indigo (42nd) and Recognition PR (44th).
- Other significant climbers in the rankings include Brazen and Scott Partnership (up from 49th to 29th) as well as Active Profile (up 15 places to 19th), The Big Bamboo Agency (up 10 to 26th) and Skout (up 11 to 31st).
See below for full rankings:
2022 | 2021 | Company Name | North of England Office | Ownership | Clients 2022 |
1 | 4 | Tangerine Communications | Manchester | Private | Specsavers, Dunelm, Tinder, Wavin, Topcon |
2 | 1 | Citypress | Manchester | Private | Aldi, Coca-Cola, Lloyds Banking Group, Pets at Home, British Land |
3 | 5 | Ramarketing | Newcastle upon Tyne | Private | Metrics Contract Services, Recipharm, Andelyn Biosciences, Corden Pharma, BioAgiltyx |
4 | 17 | Brazen PR | Manchester | Private | Wilko, Greene King, Dr Oetker, Showcase Cinemas, Silentnight |
5 | 3 | Weber Shandwick | Manchester | Interpublic Group of Companies | Iceland Foods, Nespresso, Abbott Labs, Princes Foods, Moto |
6 | 2 | BDB | Manchester | Private | Certas Energy, DSM, IFF, Lonza, Roquette |
7 | 6 | Social | Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester | Private | Extra MSA, Mace, GC Business Growth Hub, Triple Point REIT, Ocean Media Group |
8 | 8 | Hatch | Leeds | Private | Spectrum, Nationwide Building Society, RLWC, Hisense, Sportsbreaks |
9 | 14 | Prohibition PR | Leeds | Private | C4 Energy, Interflora, EQUANS, Oxford University, Black Sheep Brewery |
10 | 15 | Counter Context | Sheffield | Private | Anglian Water, Equinor, Bradford Council, FEC, Henry Boot Construction |
11 | 7 | iseepr | Leeds | Private | Visa International, EMVCo, GlobalPlatform, Trusted Connectivity Alliance, GLEIF |
12 | 13 | Democracy | Manchester | Private | Akzo Nobel, Tequila Rose, Fray Bentos, Eisberg, East Lancashire Railway |
13 | 9 | Carousel PR | Manchester | Private | Bissel, Selfridges, MGA Entertainment, Cotton Traders, MODA |
14 | 18 | Influential | Liverpool | Private | Morgan Sindall, Camelot, Merlln, Grant Thornton, U & I |
15 | New entry | JBH | Manchester | Private | Tails, BPP, Preply, Delamere, Select Car Leasing |
16 | 10 | Red Havas | Manchester | Havas Group | TalkTalk, Kellogg’s, Collection Cosmetics, United Utilities, Manpower |
17 | New entry | Pace | Hull | Private | Reckitt, MacRebur, Bio-D, Beal Homes, Victory Leisure Homes |
18 | 26 | No Brainer | Cheshire | Private | HomeServe, MBNA, Cash Converters, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Eureka! Science + Discovery |
19 | 34 | Active Profile | Manchester | Private | Tech Data, Muse Developments, igloo, Energy Innovation Centre, Avison Young |
20 | 11 | Finn Communications | Leeds | Private | Clipper Tea, Cadbury Ice Cream, V.I.Pee, John West |
21 | 16 | Lucre | Leeds | Private | ScS, Bosch, Tomy, Mira, Kodak |
22 | 29 | Scriba PR | Huddersfield | Private | UNTHA, Vapour, Natural HR, BeFibre, OT Group |
23 | 25 | Umpf | Leeds | Private | Cafédirect, Cook’s Club, Harrison Spinks, Keepmoat Homes, Landsec |
24 | 24 | Harris Creative | Leeds | Private | Novus Property Solutions, CMO Group PLC, CTD Architectural Tiles, Senior Architectural Systems, M-AR Offsite |
25 | 19 | PR Agency One | Manchester | Private | One4all (Gift Voucher Shop), Decathlon, M Three Corporate Consulting, Claro (CTF Technologies), Myrkl (Défaire Medical) |
26 | 36 | The Big Bamboo Agency | Harrogate | Private | HE Simm Group, Greif, Cloud Nine Hair, Escapism Bar Group, Harmonic |
27 | 32 | Definition Agency | Leeds | Definition Group | ABB, Cielo, Benenden Health, Xero, Walker Morris |
28 | 23 | Intelligent Conversation | Manchester | Private | Materialise NV, Synectics plc, Norican Group, United Utilities, EMIS Group plc |
29 | 49 | Scott Partnership | Cheshire | Private | Agilent, SGD Pharma, MobilIon Systems, Paradigm4, DuPont Pharma |
30 | 20 | Corporate Culture | Liverpool | Private | DSM, Marshalls, Avanti West Coast, NHS Essex, Network Rail |
31 | 42 | Skout | Macclesfield | Private | Miele, Vertex Inc, Pirtek, Assent Building Control, 100% Group |
32 | 21 | Sky Parlour | Manchester | Private | EPA, PXP Financial, ingenico group, GRIN, Chargebacks 911 |
33 | 22 | DTW | Guisborough | Private | EMOVIS, BACP, Legal Choices, FCA, Law Society |
34 | 30 | Context Public Relations | Macclesfield | Private | Check Point Software Technologies, Keysight Technologies, Ingram Micro UK, Simul8, Emporix |
35 | 35 | MCG PR | Leeds | Private | Fredenberg (Vileda and Marigold), University of Leeds |
36 | 43 | Brand8 PR | Leeds | Private | Amscan International, Avant Homes, Chancerygate, SportsShoes.com, Victoria Plum |
37 | 33 | Truth PR | Manchester | Private | Furness Building Society, Printworks, FI Real Estate Management, Countryside, University Academy 92 |
38 | 31 | HRM | Sheffield | Private | NHS, B Braun, Drive Motor Retail, BHP, Street Group |
39 | 48 | Refresh PR | Manchester | Private | LG, Culture Shift, Heating Installer Awards, Aqua Pura, Etex |
40 | 38 | Smoking Gun | Manchester | Private | NHS, Eurocamp, Interflora, Munchkin, Becky, Adlington, Swim Stars |
41 | 46 | MTJ PR | Salford | Private | AG Barr, Quorn Foods, Typhoo Tea, Kepak, Florette |
42 | New entry | We are Indigo | Manchester | Private | The Warehouse Project, MAF Ibiza, SH Hotels and Resort, The Entourage Group, Melia Hotel Group |
43 | 28 | Kenyons | Liverpool | Private | YUSS, Everton FC, Hounslow council, British Council, Liverpool Health Partners |
44 | New entry | Recognition PR | Darlington | Private | Atkins, Bannatyne Group, Deloitte, MCM Group, Newsquest |
45 | 37 | Mason Williams | Manchester | Private | Moser, Weber, Loctite, Australasia, Molang |
46 | 41 | Allott & Associates | Knaresborough | Private | MPE, OxAir, GEA, Force24, Onward Holdings |
47 | 39 | Roland Dransfield | Manchester | Private | ask, Crowne Plaza, Schroders, D&D London, L&G |
48 | 59 | Down at the Social | Manchester | Private | MEDAHUMAN, Zymurgorium, Chopstix, Beartown, Native |
49 | 47 | Faith PR | Huddersfield | Private | The Sleep Charity, Propack Direct Mail, Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, World Kinect Energy Services, BioScapes (part of the Rolawn Group) |
50 | 50 | Harvey and Hugo | Darlington | Private | Northern Gas Networks, PD Ports, White Digital, Ideal Bathrooms, Kinnery |