How PR agencies are handling their finances (Beyond the Noise – the PRWeek podcast)
Moore Kingston Smith Partner and Head of Media, Esther Carder, recently featured on Beyond the Noise, PRWeek’s podcast series, as part of an in-depth discussion on the financial health of the UK’s largest communications agencies. The episode explored early findings from PRWeek’s new Companies House Files project, which analyses five years of financial data from the UK’s top 50 comms agencies to uncover key industry trends.
Esther joined PRWeek Editor John Harrington and Data Editor Ellie Lewis to discuss what the data reveals about agency finances, including wage inflation, headcount pressures, profitability and leadership pay. The conversation highlighted the lasting impact of post-COVID inflation, rising staff cost ratios and the growing importance of proactive resource management.
The discussion also explored how agencies are adapting to a rapidly changing landscape, with increased investment in new capabilities such as social, influencer marketing and AI. The panel considered the difficult decisions agencies are making to balance growth with profitability, emphasising the need to sharpen value propositions, rethink outdated pricing models and focus on sustainable, profitable growth rather than growth at all costs.
The episode underlined the increasing polarisation within the sector, with specialist agencies often outperforming more generalist peers, and reinforced why standing still is no longer an option for agency leaders.
