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PRmoment PodcastAuthor: PRmoment
The PRmoment Podcast is a series of life story style interviews with some of the leading lights of UK PR. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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August 2026: PR Pitches, Mergers and Acquisitions
Tuesday, 11 August, 2026
The August edition of the PRmoment podcast’s UK pitches, mergers and acquisitions round‑up is steeped in cautious‑no‑more optimism. Host Ben Smith is joined, as ever, by AAR lead consultant and PCB Partners deal‑maker Andrew Bloch, who declares that the market mood has decisively shifted. Don't forget to get your tickets for the Creative Moment Awards, coming up in September.Bloch reports that the usual summer slowdown never arrived. Instead, he describes “the busiest summer I’ve ever, ever seen, despite everyone being on holiday” [0:02:01], with frenetic activity on both the pitch and M&A fronts. September, he predicts, “is going to go nuts” as agencies head into a packed autumn new‑business season.Here are some highlights from this week's show:[0:01:27] Andrew Bloch: “I’m going to drop the cautious today. I think everyone is feeling pretty buoyant and optimistic… the last couple of months have been a much‑needed shot in the arm for a lot of firms heading into the second half of the year.” [0:02:01] Andrew Bloch: “There’s just a feeling of, we’ve just got to get on with stuff… the summer’s busy. It’s the busiest summer I’ve ever, ever seen, despite everyone being on holiday!”[0:03:38] Andrew Bloch: “The smartest firms on the market are moving quick to buy in AI capabilities, rather than building it at a slower pace.”[0:03:38] Andrew Bloch: “We’re seeing global network expansion firmly back on the agenda – a lot of American firms using bolt‑on acquisitions to stake out positions in markets they can’t afford to ignore.”[0:05:38] Andrew Bloch: “Hugo Boss has appointed M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment on more or less a global brief… it really touches on their sweet spot of understanding culture, sport and entertainment.”[0:09:10] Andrew Bloch: “Sky Sports have added Spike to their roster to create culturally driven activations designed to connect with sports fans beyond live broadcasts.”[0:13:59] Andrew Bloch: “I’m of the firm belief that when done well, PR is the best discipline to run influencer campaigns because they understand storytelling.”[0:19:02] Andrew Bloch: “The National Lottery Community Fund’s £3 million AI fund is designed to make sure marginalised groups aren’t left behind by rapid advances in technology.”[0:20:14] Andrew Bloch: “The travel industry is grappling hard and fast to work out how to capitalise on changes in search and protect themselves from declines in traditional SEO.”[0:30:41] Andrew Bloch: “AI is an integral part of how any modern comms firm has to create value for clients… it’s not a conversation that’s ever going to go away.”On the deals side, three structural themes dominate. First, EOTs continue to entrench themselves as a mainstream exit route for founders. Eulogy and Field Consulting are the latest to go down the employee‑ownership path, joining a growing list that includes Citypress, Brands2Life and W. The tax regime has tightened but remains attractive. “The current capital gains tax on an EOT is 12%… they remain a very viable option, with lots of pros – not to say there aren’t cons as well” [0:26:17].Second, AI has moved firmly from buzzword to board‑level requirement. “The smartest firms on the market are moving quick to buy in AI capabilities, rather than building it at a slower pace” [0:03:38], says Bloch.Parity’s acquisition of AI advisory firm Enigma is the standout example, aimed at helping clients become “AI‑native” and future‑proofing the group’s own proposition. More broadly, he argues, “AI is an integral part of how any modern comms firm has to create value for clients… it’s not a conversation that’s ever going to go away” [0:30:41].Third, global network expansion is back in fashion, particularly for US‑headquartered groups. “We’re seeing global network expansion firmly back on the agenda – a lot of American firms using bolt‑on acquisitions to stake out positions in markets they can’t afford to ignore” [0:03:38]. Finn Partners’ buy of Australian corporate shop Honner and FGS’s Washington DC acquisition of Rich Foley & Anderson are cast as emblematic of this land‑grab in financial and public affairs work.On the pitch front, the episode reads like a roll‑call of heavyweight consumer and corporate briefs. Hugo Boss hands a multi‑market mandate to M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, a win Bloch says “really touches on their sweet spot of understanding culture, sport and entertainment” [0:05:38]. Adobe’s UK and EMEA comms move to Burson in what Bloch calls “a whopper of a win” [0:07:47], stretching across corporate reputation, AI storytelling, creator comms and hub‑agency coordination.Influencer and social briefs are another clear through‑line. Mischief’s Matalan win underlines Bloch’s conviction that, “when done well, PR is the best discipline to run influencer campaigns because they understand storytelling” [0:13:59].Uncovered’s social mandate for Weetabix and Alpen, and Milk & Honey’s work on the National Lottery Community Fund’s £3m AI fund – “designed to make sure marginalised groups aren’t left behind by rapid advances in technology” [0:19:02] – round out a month that suggests UK PR is not just busy, but structurally evolving around AI, ownership models and genuinely integrated campaigning.
