Welcome to our April 2024 Review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch, where we will discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers and acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in April 2024.

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 launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020.

Before we start, a plug for our new subscription training service for senior folks within agencies' PRmoment Leaders. The line-up of speakers for the first semester is now complete, and even if I say it myself - it’s almost perfect! Do take a look at this semester-based career development programme, details are on the homepage of PRmoment.

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

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

2 mins April’s PR pitch update:

“The volume of briefs has significantly increased in the last month.”

“If the tide hasn’t quite turned, it's turning.”

 Hovis appoints Clarion.

Brixton Brewery (Heineken) appoints Fanclub.

 Brompton Bikes appoints The Romans.

 19 Crimes - part of Treasury Wine Estates Portfolio appoints Manifest. 

 Scottish Widows Life Insurance and Pensions provider appoints Team Spirit -and The Agency Partnership.

The Macallan appoints Havas Red.

William + Grant appoints Exposure.

 HM Treasury appoints Teneo and Lexington 

Renault appoints Ready 10

Motorway appoints Fight or Flight - 

Shark Ninja  appoints Burson - 

Tinder appoints The Academy

 Carlsberg appoints Hope&Glory

“One of the biggest briefs out there in consumer PR.”

EA appoints Premier

 Hootsuite appoints Words + Pixels

“A game-changing account for Words+Pixels, potentially,”

 Cancer Research appoints Shook 

 April’s M&A update

Accenture buys Unlimited

WPP announced that leading global investment firm KKR has made a growth investment in FGS Global

 Together Group (owner of Purple) buys Frame Publicity

Cavendish - expand into NI and ROI with the acquisition of MCE