The Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies 2017

Welcome to the 2017 edition of the Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies, the definitive list of the North’s leading PR agencies.

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This initiative is published in association with our partners, Pitch Consultants, and follows our other sector-defining research features including the Top 50 Digital Agencies, Top 50 Integrated Agencies, Top 100 eCommerce Companies and the Top 100 Brands.

Mustard Research, one of the UK’s leading independent research companies, has once again sorted through the data with its usual rigour and indefatigability.

The ranking is anchored on financial information taken from Companies House, as well as financial reporting company fame BVD, and also draws upon data submitted and verified by the agencies themselves including additional financials, headcount, client information and – where appropriate – confidential private background information.

We started with an initial longlist of over 200 PR agencies to be based in or have offices in the North, and we then drilled down in more depth on the accounts of around 120 agencies.

These were ultimately whittled down to the 50 in the ranking below.

Citypress stays in front

Once again – for the third year running – Manchester agency Citypress takes the top spot, with Tangerine holding its position in second place.

Mancunian agencies make up the top three, but this time it’s Weber Shandwick who come in at three, stepping up a place from last year.

At no 4, Finn retains its place as the leading Yorkshire-based agency, with Beattie (at no 8) and Lucre (14) the only other agencies in the top 15 with Yorkshire presences.

The prize for highest riser undoubtedly goes to Preston agency Forepoint, who surge 49 places up the list to number 10.

Honourable mentions should also go to PR Agency One, who move from 22 to 13, RMS PR (35 to 20), Social Communications (40 to 25) and Glossop’s Fig Creative (87 to 29).

We did not give agencies the option of being included or not. This does mean however that sometimes larger, or indeed, smaller agencies, can have unusual years which can inflate or hurt their performance in a given year.

And once again, integrated or digital agencies with significant PR operations such as Amaze and McCann’s have not been included because this ranking is dictated by the agencies’ prime offering: PR and comms.

Finally, many thanks to all the agencies who have so helpfully supplied us with information and data, as well as responding to our questions where required.

The Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies 2017

in association with Pitch Consultants