PLMR Acquires Social To Create £12M Independent Group
(MENAFN- PRovoke)
LONDON - Westminster-headquartered integrated communications agency PLMR has acquired Manchester-based Social Communications Group in a deal that creates a £12 million independent communications group.
The consideration is undisclosed, but is understood to be in the seven figures. The enlarged group will employ around 110 people across offices in Westminster, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Ipswich and Glasgow.
Social will continue to trade as“Social, part of the PLMR Group”. Founder John Quinton-Barber (pictured, left) will remain chief executive of Social, commit to the business for a minimum of four years, and join PLMR Group's operational board.
Founded by Quinton-Barber in 2012, Social specialises in housing, placemaking, regeneration and infrastructure communications, and has built design and video capabilities alongside its PR, consultation and stakeholder engagement offer. Its clients include Lovell, Extra MSA Group, Caddick Developments, JLL, Allia, The Growth Company, Fusion21 and The City of Liverpool College.
The acquisition strengthens PLMR's PR, built environment, design and video offering, while giving Social access to PLMR's Westminster presence and specialist practices in areas including education, health, public affairs, energy and sustainability. The combined group will offer public affairs, corporate communications, planning and consultation, digital and paid media, research, video and design.
PLMR founder and CEO Kevin Craig (pictured, right) said PLMR's ambition is to build a £20 million-income group, while maintaining its position among the UK's largest independent communications agencies. He said Social had been on the agency's radar since 2017, with discussions beginning in early 2025.
“What we are announcing today is a coming together, not a takeover,” he said.“Overnight, Social strengthens our PR offer, our built environment offer and our design and video capability. Social's clients gain access to Westminster and to market-leading sector specialisms in education, health, public affairs, energy and sustainability, as well as digital capacity that very few regional agencies can offer.
“PLMR's clients gain genuine depth across the North of England. There is a real reason for clients on both sides to buy more from us than they could before.”
Quinton-Barber said:“For some time, I have been thinking about what the next chapter for Social should look like. I didn't want a deal for the sake of doing a deal. It had to be with the right people, with a business I genuinely respected, and it had to create opportunities for our clients and our colleagues that we simply couldn't create on our own.
“That is why I believe this is such a brilliant deal for Social. I rate PLMR enormously. Kevin and the whole PLMR team have built an exceptional independent communications business and, the more time I have spent with him and the wider PLMR team, the more convinced I have become that we share the same values, ambition and belief in looking after our people.”
Both companies are certified B Corporations. The deal is the latest in PLMR's acquisition-led growth strategy, following previous purchases including Mango Marketing, Snapdragon Consulting, Genesis PR, Advent PR and Healthcomms.
The consideration is undisclosed, but is understood to be in the seven figures. The enlarged group will employ around 110 people across offices in Westminster, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Ipswich and Glasgow.
Social will continue to trade as“Social, part of the PLMR Group”. Founder John Quinton-Barber (pictured, left) will remain chief executive of Social, commit to the business for a minimum of four years, and join PLMR Group's operational board.
Founded by Quinton-Barber in 2012, Social specialises in housing, placemaking, regeneration and infrastructure communications, and has built design and video capabilities alongside its PR, consultation and stakeholder engagement offer. Its clients include Lovell, Extra MSA Group, Caddick Developments, JLL, Allia, The Growth Company, Fusion21 and The City of Liverpool College.
The acquisition strengthens PLMR's PR, built environment, design and video offering, while giving Social access to PLMR's Westminster presence and specialist practices in areas including education, health, public affairs, energy and sustainability. The combined group will offer public affairs, corporate communications, planning and consultation, digital and paid media, research, video and design.
PLMR founder and CEO Kevin Craig (pictured, right) said PLMR's ambition is to build a £20 million-income group, while maintaining its position among the UK's largest independent communications agencies. He said Social had been on the agency's radar since 2017, with discussions beginning in early 2025.
“What we are announcing today is a coming together, not a takeover,” he said.“Overnight, Social strengthens our PR offer, our built environment offer and our design and video capability. Social's clients gain access to Westminster and to market-leading sector specialisms in education, health, public affairs, energy and sustainability, as well as digital capacity that very few regional agencies can offer.
“PLMR's clients gain genuine depth across the North of England. There is a real reason for clients on both sides to buy more from us than they could before.”
Quinton-Barber said:“For some time, I have been thinking about what the next chapter for Social should look like. I didn't want a deal for the sake of doing a deal. It had to be with the right people, with a business I genuinely respected, and it had to create opportunities for our clients and our colleagues that we simply couldn't create on our own.
“That is why I believe this is such a brilliant deal for Social. I rate PLMR enormously. Kevin and the whole PLMR team have built an exceptional independent communications business and, the more time I have spent with him and the wider PLMR team, the more convinced I have become that we share the same values, ambition and belief in looking after our people.”
Both companies are certified B Corporations. The deal is the latest in PLMR's acquisition-led growth strategy, following previous purchases including Mango Marketing, Snapdragon Consulting, Genesis PR, Advent PR and Healthcomms.
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