The 2025 PR Agency Review with W Communications founder Warren Johnson

It’s my twice yearly chat with W Communications founder and CEO Warren Johnson and today it’s our 2025 PR Agency Review of the Year.Warren founded W Communications in 2009. It now has global revenues of £25 m and a headcount of 200, with 140 in London and 60 across the rest of the world.Over the next half hour or so Warren and I will discuss the ups and downs of PR agency life over the last 12 months.Before that, the breaking news is that the PRmoment Awards final entry deadline is Friday 23 January. Don’t miss the opportunity to create proof points of the quality of your agency’s work.Also, check out the speaker programme for our latest PR Masterclass: The Intersection of PR and GEO. It’s another stellar line-up.SummaryWarren Johnson rated the PR agency market happiness index for Q1 as "three out of five" due to economic unease, but Q2 improved for W Communications due to diversification and a trend towards "silliness and frivolousness," while they rated Q4 as challenging due to "speurious pitches" and negative sentiment following a "disastrous budget." The discussion also highlighted the strength of corporate and B2B sectors, the volatility of consumer PR, the necessity of innovation and entrepreneurial agency behavior, and the positive impact of fractional hiring which benefits agencies by providing "phenomenally experienced ex clients." Warren predicts that 2026 will be "a real game of two halves," favouring innovative agencies, and expressed skepticism about AI's current efficiency in PR, suggesting it will allow experienced humans to do "even more work" while acting as a "real time bomb" by hindering junior development.DetailsPR Agency Happiness Index (Q1 and Q2) Ben Smith asked Warren Johnson for a hypothetical happiness index of the PR agency market at large, starting with Q1, which Johnson rated as "three out of five," characterizing it as uneasy and jittery due to negative sentiment in the wider economy. Ben Smith recalled starting 2025 positively, though political and geopolitical uncertainty soon challenged that outlook. Warren Johnson suggested that this constant disruption has become the "new normal". For Q2, Johnson noted that W Communications felt "quite good" due to heavy diversification, including spinning off their restaurant business, Chomp, and growing their influencer business, which was showing better monetisation. This period also coincided with a push in pop culture toward "silliness and frivolousness" to escape depressing global issues.Sectoral Performance and Innovation The discussion shifted to the performance of corporate, consumer, and B2B PR sectors in H1. Warren Johnson highlighted that corporate shops are having a moment, with some valuations moving them toward management consultancy models. B2B is thriving, supported by the ascendancy of LinkedIn and technology powered by AI. Consumer PR, however, is more volatile, experiencing good highs but also lows around the budget. Johnson stated that innovation is critical, as they experienced their best trading quarter ever in Q3, driven by diversification into specialized services like influencer and experiential marketing. They emphasized that agencies must be entrepreneurial and reward innovation, suggesting that clients post-COVID have increased their appetite to buy more from agencies.PR Agency Happiness Index (Q3 and Q4) and Economic Climate W Communications experienced their best trading quarter ever in Q3, predominantly driven by consumer work and specialized services due to extensive innovation. Warren Johnson noted that things started to slow down approaching the budget. Q4 was generally challenging due to "speurious pitches."

In the fifth episode of the season, Dean Connelly, founder of Latte Recruitment and Elizabeth Giles are joined by Emma Ewing, founder of Big Fish Training about resilience over the holidays. Ewing, who has previously worked with PRmoment on resilience has a unique insight as she brings her resilience expertise but also her vast knowledge of the PR sector, having provided coaching and training to PR leaders. This podcast runs through tips and advice for staying resilient during the hardest times of the year: December and January.Many thanks to our podcast sponsors the PRCA

This PR Talent Trends Year in Review podcast discusses the Public Relations (PR) job market and talent trends of 2025. The host is PRmoment founder Ben Smith and he's speaking with Dean Connelly, founder and PR recruitment director at Latte.The early entry deadline for the 2026 PRmoment Awards is on Friday, December 19th. The final entry deadline is on 23rd January.If you want more information about the best jobs available in UK PR do subscribe for free to PRmoment's weekly Top 10 PR Job updates. Finally, it's worth checking out PRmoment's new PR Masterclass: "The intersection of PR and GEO event.Key points from the discussion:Job Availability: There was a slight uptick in PR jobs in 2025 compared to 2024, specifically a 6% increase, according to Latte's data. However, this figure is still significantly down (17% less) compared to 2022, which suggests the "COVID boom" has flattened out. The years 2024 and 2025 have been "the toughest" in the last five years.Client Hiring Trends: In 2022, Latte had seven fewer clients but 17% more jobs were released than in 2025, indicating that agencies and brands were hiring at a rapid rate and more often at that time. Recruitment Levels: More roles were hired at the Account Executive (AE) and Senior Account Executive (SAE) level, making up 30% of the vacancies seen this year. 23% of the roles were at the Account Director (AD) and Senior Account Director (SAD) level.Consumer PR Senior Talent: It was a "tough year" for consumer senior-level talent but at more junior levels there are recruitment demand still outweighs supply.In-House Market: The in-house market seems to be a "slower market". Salaries: Pay increases have been relatively low for the past 12 months, which is "welcome news for business owners". Talent is no longer coming in with "ridiculous requests," and the frequency of needing to manage salary expectations in a conversation has "really dropped," likely driven by the softening job market.AI in PR Jobs: Job specifications are changing to reflect the increasing nature of AI, but not as widespread as one might think. The second half of the year saw more conversations around agencies testing candidates' AI skills and ability to prompt. Some small-to-midsize agencies have hired AI specialists whose job is to work on prompting and building a platform.Redundancies: The frequency of redundancies is about the same as last year, but bold headlines "creates fear". There is still a gap between available jobs and available talent, and good agency talent is "still getting snapped up pretty quickly". The market is more difficult for those who are in-house and want to stay in-house, as those roles are more competitive if they are for a "good brand".

Welcome to our review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here, we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in 2025Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.Andrew also runs the advisory firm Andrew Bloch & Associates.Before we start, you can now enter the PRmoment Awards. The early entry deadline is 19th December. The final entry deadline is 23rd January.Also, check out the speaker programme for our latest PR Masterclass: The Intersection of PR and GEO. It’s another stellar line-up.Here's a summary of what Andrew and PRmoment discussed:Andrew’s summary of the PR pitch scene in 2025“A tricky year for many agencies - stagnant economy, long lead times, rising costs, slow decision making, short in client demands and move from retainers to projects.Trading has been challenging but moving in top 2026 with cautious optimism.But. A bit of a tale of 2 agencies.  On one side - agencies taking initiative - embracing AI into workflow, refreshing proposition, energetic, sharpening their brand and their offering.  On the other, agencies standing still, leaning on past reputation and senior expertise without moving forward.  These are the ones finding it tough - complaining about pipeline and ghosting.  The ones that have adapted are picking up major wins - the industry feels split between the modern agencies and the ones getting left behind.PR has a huge opportunity. Attention grabbing is more important than ever. The role of earned media role in this is more important than ever.  PR can and should be at the centre of conversations.  GEO provides a massive opp both in terms of search visibility and rep management.”Listen to the pod for all this years biggest pitch wins and deals.

Welcome to the PRmoment Podcast. In today's show we’re doing something a little different. We’re talking about PR superpowers.You may have seen the Legends of Frank series that Frank has been running this year, to celebrate its 25th birthday,The Q&A style interviews with each Legend has been fun and informative. But today, as we reach the end of the year, I'm talking to GG to get a deeper dive into some of these Legends to identify the 10 most important PR Super Powers.I want to find out why they are legends, what is their superpower, what was behind their success at Frank, and their careers since.Before we start, you can now enter the PRmoment Awards. The early entry deadline is 19th December so do take a look at this year's categories and if you enter a few by 19th December, you’ll save yourself a few quid.Here’s a summary of what Graham andYou must have had some fun putting this Legends at Frank series together?Did many people get upset with them for not including them as a legend?Graham talk us through his top 10 PR super powers:"The skill to be able to talk a client into doing anything" - Bianca Lee Chang"Pub quiz team captain" - Jay Sorrels"Chutzpah, cheek, and able to talk people into anything" - Lucy McGettigan"Creativity and tattoo advice" - Graeme Anthony"Chasing down a new biz lead, never knew when he was beaten" - Flying Frank (the greyhound)"The master of puns"- Greg Double"Trying something new, being experimental, taking risks" - Sophie Raine"Doing the right thing all the time" - David Fraser"Swottiest PR" - Gemma Moroney"Pitch genius" - Frankie Cory (also Lucy Hart)"Client bravery" - Gavin Lewis"A network of contacts is crucial" - Andrew BlochGraham and Ben talk about the importance of friendship at work.Graham on how to foster a culture of fun at work.

Welcome to the News Review on the PRmoment podcast. In this weekly show I’m joined by Angie Moxham, and Mark BorkowskiThis is the PR News Review where we look at the biggest news stories of the week from a PR perspective and this week we’re talking about rage bait.This week rage bait was named Oxford University Press' Word of the Year for 2025.Before we start, you can now enter the PRmoment Awards. The early entry deadline is 19th December so do take a look at this year's categories and if you enter a few by 19th December, you’ll save yourself a few quid.  Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.

Welcome to the PRmoment podcast. Today we’re chatting to Laura Burch, founder and managing partner at Work & Class and Roxy Kalha, founder and managing partner at The Heard about the challenges of founding a PR agency as a women.Laura launched Work & Glass in 2024 and Roxy launched The Heard in 2023. Before we start, the final date to get your early entries in for The PRmoment Awards is December 16th. All the info you’ll need, including a list of the categories is on the awards microsite.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Here is a summary of what Roxy and Laura discussed with PRmoment founder Ben Smith:Is it harder as a female founder in PR?Roxy and Laura both give a shout out to The Lonely Female Founders Club.What are the hardest parts of being a female founder?Why does Roxy dislike the term imposter syndrome?Who are Laura and Roxy’s female PR founder role models?What are the biggest barriers to women launching a PR agency?Which behaviours reduce the confidence of female employees? Described by Roxy and Laura  as “death by a thousand cuts.”What were the catalysts that made Roxy and Laura decide to launch their own businesses?What are the variables that can help more female founders launch more PR firms?

Welcome to our review of PR pitches and mergers and acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here we discuss the biggest pitch wins, mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in November 2025.Andrew is the lead consultant PR, social, content and influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.Andrew also runs the advisory firm Andrew Bloch & Associates.Don't forget The PRmoment Award's early bird entry deadline, on 19 December Market OverviewNovember has been a very buoyant month.The market has seen great wins and has been extremely busy on the M&A front, which is probably expected since people were trying to complete deals before the budget announcement.It is an important time of year for pitches, as agencies line up new business for the following year and clients aim to get everything in place for 2026.PITCHESWarburtons appoints Burson The UK’s biggest bakery appoints Burson to handle its brand and consumer communications, focusing on building its heritage and innovation narratives ahead of the company's 150th anniversary. Burson will also manage the corporate news agenda.BAKERY79 appoints Stakked The modern food-to-go concept, established by Park Garage Group, has hired Stakked for PR support. The campaign will focus on building consumer awareness and driving uptake as Bakery79 rapidly converts forecourt concessions as part of its acceleration into the UK food-to-go market.Astrid & Miyu appoints Aisle 8 The jewellery brand, which operates 20 UK stores alongside sites in New York and LA, selects Aisle 8 (a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle specialist) to elevate its brand image and media profile.Bodyform appoints Earnies The menstrual care brand, part of the Essity portfolio, has appointed Earnies to deliver a major awareness campaign highlighting the impact and challenges associated with heavy periods.Tonys Chocolonely appoints Shook and Here Be Dragons Tony's has appointed Shook and Here Be Dragons for a creative project celebrating the chunky nature of its chocolate bars. The campaign involves using high-profile talent, like 'The World’s Strongest Footballer', as well as a PR stunt marking the standardization of the brand’s signature red colour.WaterAid appoints Mischief The global water charity has selected Mischief to deliver its festive campaign and winter appeal. The project focuses on raising awareness and funds to support WaterAid’s mission to help communities access clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene.Baller League appoints SoapBox The 6-a-side football league has hired SoapBox, a sport communications specialist, to handle its PR, event management, and press office function.Meta appoints John Doe Meta has expanded John Doe’s brief to include creative communications for its wearables products, covering AI glasses, VR headsets, and other emerging technology from the Meta Wearables portfolio.The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism appoints W The Department of Tourism has awarded W a five-year contract for UK and European PR and communications. The agency will execute a strategic program covering media relations, influencer partnerships, and event activations to position the destination as a leading Caribbean holiday choice.Samsung appoints Ogilvy Samsung has expanded Ogilvy’s remit to handle the brand’s UK social and influencer work. This appointment builds on Ogilvy’s existing relationship with Samsung, which includes B2B responsibilities across Europe.BMW Group appoints Kindred Kindred has been appointed to develop the creative communications strategy for both the BMW and Mini brands. The brief focuses o

Welcome to the News Review on the PRmoment podcast. In this weekly show I’m joined by Angie Moxham, and Mark Borkowski.This is the PR New Review where we look at the biggest news stories of the week from a PR perspective and this week we’re talking about the budget, the Labour government continuing dreadful communications and the resulting loss of trust from the electorate.Before we start, you can now enter the PRmoment Awards. The early entry deadline is 19th December so do take a look at this year's categories and if you enter a few by 19th December, you’ll save yourself a few quid.  Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.

Welcome to the News Review on the PRmoment podcast.If you're enjoying these shows don't forget to subscribe; we published at least one new podcast every week.In this episode it's our weekly New Review feature where we discuss the most interesting topics that we've seen in the media each week and I'll be doing that alongside my good friends Angie Moxham and mark Borkowski.It's pretty much your final chance to get your ticket to PR Masterclass: The Agency Growth Forum which is next Wednesday 26th November.A few tickets are still available - both face-to-face and virtual.In this week's news review we talk about the UK Government Communications, the lack of trust in politics and the seismic changes we're currently seeing in the structure of the media.