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Public Relations Companies in Derby: 28 Active Firms (2026)
Public relations companies plan media relations, stakeholder communications and reputation campaigns for organisations in Derby and its surrounding area.
Buying demand in Derby tends to sit with owner-managed business-to-business firms, local public-sector bodies and third-sector organisations that need external press-office capacity rather than a large agency roster. The main buying centres are senior management, marketing teams and communications leads, with briefs covering reputation management, media handling, crisis support, stakeholder engagement and content-led campaigns. Engagements are typically retained account management or discrete projects, often sized for independent consultancies serving regional clients while taking on UK-wide press activity where the subject matter warrants it.
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Derby has 28 actively trading public relations companies in this list, which points to a compact local agency base rather than a market with many larger agencies. Reported headcount totals 48 people, so the employment footprint is modest and weighted towards small consultancies. None reports turnover above £5M, while 5 have been incorporated since 2022, suggesting a sector made up of long-running micro-agencies alongside a small recent formation layer.
UK PR agencies are not generally licensed in the way that financial-services or utilities firms are, so market structure is shaped more by client procurement, conflicts policies and self-regulatory standards than by entry permits. PRCA members must comply with its Code of Conduct, and members undertaking professional lobbying are also subject to its Code for Professional Lobbying and declaration requirements on the Professional Lobbying Register. Consultant lobbying has a statutory layer through the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, with registration overseen by the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.
The Derby cohort appears likely to remain consultancy-led, with owner-manager agencies carrying local retainers and specialist projects rather than building large national networks. Demand tends to follow the communications needs of regional employers, public bodies and charities: media response, reputation work, campaign planning and stakeholder handling. Scale-up scarcity may keep acquisition activity selective, with buyers more interested in client books and sector expertise than broad headcount. Compliance pressure is also likely to sit around lobbying transparency, conflicts management and procurement evidence, rather than a licensing regime.
28
Active firms
2026
5
New incorporations
Since 2022
0
Above £5M turnover
Derby cohort
Key facts
17% of the cohort was incorporated since 2022 (5 firms), so a sizeable share is in its first few filing cycles.
UK PR agencies are not generally licensed in the way financial services or utilities firms are; sector bodies set much of the professional standards framework.
The PRCA requires members to follow its Code of Conduct, with lobbying work also covered by a Code for Professional Lobbying and declaration requirements on its Professional Lobbying Register.
Consultant lobbying falls under Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014, including a prohibition on consultant lobbying unless registered.
Public relations and communication activities employed 35,663 people in the UK in 2025.
Aggregate annual revenue for the UK’s top 150 agencies was about £2 billion in calendar year 2023.
Top Derby Public Relations companies
Penguin PR Ltd
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides public relations and marketing communications services, including press release writing, media liaison, digital communications, social media campaigns, content creation, event management,…
Serves businesses, organisations, charities and schools, mainly in Derby and the Midlands, with PR and marketing communications needs.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 7% CAGR over 4y
Location
BALLS 2 MARKETING LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides marketing and communications services including public relations, digital marketing, branding and creative design, marketing strategy, social media management, and event support, producing…
Serves B2B and B2C organisations in glass and glazing, construction, property, building products, home improvements, sustainability and lifestyle sectors, with clients in the East Midlands and across…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -2% CAGR over 4y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides public relations and reputation management services, including communications strategy, media relations, campaign development, brand perception analysis, and monitoring of media and…
Serves B2B brands and organisations, from start-ups to household names, targeting leaders, marketing and communications teams concerned with customers, stakeholders and industry audiences.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · 0% CAGR over 3y
Location
BROOKES & SOWERBY LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides B2B public relations and marketing communications services. Activities include media relations, branding, website development, advertising, email and social media campaigns, video…
Serves B2B organisations, particularly in professional services, automotive aftermarket, construction, manufacturing and print/signage, targeting marketing and leadership teams.
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -71% CAGR over 4y
Location
Future 7 Media Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides communications and public relations services for motorsport and automotive brands, including media relations, content production, and campaign support to promote teams, events, and sponsors.
Serves B2B brands in the motorsport sector seeking communications support, including racing teams, automotive businesses, sponsors, and related performance or mobility brands.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 16% CAGR over 4y
Location
MACMARTIN LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides marketing communications and design services focused on behaviour change campaigns. Conducts research and behavioural insights, develops campaign strategy and branding, produces digital and…
Serves organisations running health, social and environmental change initiatives, including public sector bodies, charities and socially focused businesses seeking to influence community behaviours…
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 9% CAGR over 4y
Location
Make It Be Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Alan Tang Ltd
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
Wood Publications Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
J. Sheekey Communications Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Y? Marketing Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
WYE PR LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable
Location
HDA (MIDLANDS) LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · Hiring · 19% CAGR over 4y
Location
Bh Pr & Communications Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
HealthyHealthy · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
AMY ELLINGHAM LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
HealthyHealthy · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
THE RIGHT CONSULTANCY LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Nick Bannister Communications Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
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How Derby Public Relations companies work and how to sell to them
What they do
Derby public relations consultancies earn mainly from people-time: retained account management, fixed-fee campaigns, day-rate crisis support, media training and occasional pass-through costs for monitoring, creative production or event support. The product is advice, access and execution rather than software: message development, journalist outreach, stakeholder mapping, written content, briefings and reputation response. Pricing tends to be monthly for ongoing press-office cover, with scoped projects used for launches, bids, local consultations or charity campaigns. Margins depend on senior time being used sparingly, junior delivery being kept billable, and freelance capacity being brought in only when a campaign requires specialist writing, design or broadcast support.
Who they sell to
Typical buyers are managing directors, chief executives, marketing directors, communications heads and, for public bodies or charities, procurement and governance teams. Regional business clients often buy through referrals and direct conversations, while public-sector and third-sector work is more likely to involve written briefs, competitive tendering and evidence of conflicts management. Contract values are usually sized around retained service levels or campaign scope rather than enterprise licences, so agencies need to show who will work on the account and how outcomes will be reported. Sales cycles can be short for urgent media handling, but reputation, lobbying and stakeholder work tends to move through slower sign-off.
What they buy
Most Derby PR firms tend to spend on tools and services that either win attention for clients or make small teams look more organised than they are. Relevant categories include CRM, proposal software, media databases, media monitoring, social listening, email marketing, campaign reporting, project management, accounting, payroll and cyber security. Professional services can also fit: employment law, commercial contracts, insurance advice, tender writing, bookkeeping, photography, video, copywriting and freelance design. Infrastructure purchases are usually light, but cloud storage, laptops, telephony, meeting space and backup connectivity still matter where consultants need to respond to journalists or clients outside standard office hours.
Why and how to sell to them
Buying triggers tend to appear when a consultancy wins a retainer that stretches account capacity, loses time to client reporting, prepares for a public-sector tender, hires a dedicated operations or finance lead, or adds lobbying-related work that needs clearer declarations and audit trails. Sellers should anchor outreach in margin and proof: fewer non-billable hours, cleaner approvals, faster media response, better evidence for procurement, and lower risk around conflicts or confidential client material. Generic agency-growth messaging is less likely to land in Derby; a more credible angle links the offer to retained workload, crisis readiness, PRCA expectations or the practical limits of a small consultancy team.
How this list is built
Data sources
This list is built from UK Companies House filings, XBRL accounts data, and semantic analysis of each company's public website. Revenue and headcount figures come from the most recent filed accounts; where the company has not filed, values are estimated using a model trained on filed history and peer benchmarks and are labelled as estimates.
Classification
Rather than relying solely on SIC codes, Firmbase classifies each company semantically: the company's website is crawled, an AI model reads what the company actually sells, and the company is placed into the relevant industry and subsectors. SIC codes are used as one signal but not the only one. This means a company that registered under a generic SIC code but pivoted into (for example) fintech is correctly identified as fintech, not as its original SIC category.
Freshness
The underlying company data is refreshed from Companies House continuously; filings appear in the list within days of submission. The curated list ordering is regenerated when the underlying data moves meaningfully (company count changes by more than 5%, a new company enters the top-ranked segment, or the filed-revenue numbers for the top firms change). You can see the last-updated timestamp near the top of the page.
Sources
- Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014
- Part 1 of the Act is titled "Registration of consultant lobbyists".
- Section 1 is titled "Prohibition on consultant lobbying unless registered".
- Sections 3 to 7 cover "Keeping the register", including "The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists" and "The register".
- Section 7 is titled "Publication of register".
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Frequently asked questions
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