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 March 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.

Before we start, do check out the homepage of PRmoment. We’re entering our pre summer golden events period and there is a LOT going on. We’ve got webinars, lunches, networking and face to face conferences and events.

Everything is on the PR Calendar which you can access from the homepage of PRmoment but do check out our next webinars:

In an Era of Global Doubt: How can Brand Communications be Optimistic? This webinar is on 29th April. This webinar is free to attend.

Also check out this Creative Moment Creative Campaign Case Studies webinar on 30th April, tickets are £35 + vat

Also, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.

Here’s a summary of what Andrew and PRmoment founder Ben Smith discussed:

PITCH WINS

• Papa Johns appoints The Romans – culture-first PR and social retained account; 6-figure brief to elevate brand creativity.
• Café Direct appoints Tin Man – UK PR and social for ethical coffee brand, Tin Man further expands its food division.
• Horlicks appoints Tangerine – Influencer and social brief for Kids Chocoland, targeting parents.
• Uber Boats appoints PC Agency – Global brief to promote London river bus service, including electric ferry launch.
• Sudocrem appoints Brazen – Extended PR, influencer, and social content to broaden audience reach.
• Stock Spirits Group appoints The Remarkables – EU brief for product launches, international expansion and ESG commitments.
• MGM+ appoints Academy – UK/EU retained agency for streaming platform's brand and content campaigns.
• Verify Me appoints Academy – Age verification tech provider; brief includes US and Europe expansion.
• O&CC appoints Brandnation – Integrated PR, influencer, marketing, and creative brief for retail brands.
• Segway Navimow appoints Sprekley PR – Launch of X3 robotic lawnmower with Paris event and product reviews.
• Molton Brown appoints PC Agency – Hotel amenities PR to increase hotel placements, B2B and B2C focus.
• Tristan Capital Partners appoints Duet London – Launch of Sicilian Ave in London as dining and social destination.
• Health Shield Friendly Society appoints Midnight – B2B brief to position as leading employee health benefits provider.
• SunLife appoints Third City – Raise awareness of financial services and promote new brand image.
• Love Finance appoints WPR – Paid social creative across TikTok and Meta for brand awareness and lead gen.
• The Brain Tumour Charity appoints Evergreen PR – GP education campaign to support faster brain tumour diagnosis.
• Capgemini appoints Fleishman Hillard – Global comms agency for integrated support and brand reputation management.
• Serco appoints MHP – Strategic and corporate comms brief for outsourcing company working with governments.
• Experience Oman appoints Finn Partners – PR and marketing to enhance awareness of Oman's tourism.

M&A activity

• Together Group acquired experiential tech agencies, Imerza and Visualisation One – expanding service lines in the luxury market with VR and game-engine tech.
• Sauce Communications buys a majority stake in The M Collective – creating The Sauce Collective, a luxury lifestyle PR and digital agency with 50 FTEs.
• Finn Partners acquired Rice Communications (Singapore) – bolstering presence in Asia Pacific with expertise in travel, tech, and corporate sectors.
• Touch Associates acquired by Impact XM/Riverside – a transatlantic deal creating a global powerhouse for experiential marketing.
• Publicis acquires Lotame – extending data capabilities and AI use with a US-based data and identity firm, targeting 4bn unique profiles.
• The Hoffman Agency acquires CCGroup – trebling UK business size with a London tech B2B specialist, expanding global reach for multi-market briefs.