Clearly marks 10 years in business
Clearly PR, the public relations, digital media, ESG communications, and crisis management agency, celebrates its 10th year in business. Founded in 2014, the agency has served more than 150 clients in the UK, EU, and US and is on track for its most successful trading period on record this year.
Early years
The agency started life as a specialist public relations and content marketing agency for the Recruitment and Human Resources sector, which at the time was underserved despite being one of the strongest performing sectors of the UK economy.
This brought Clearly to the attention of several of the fastest growing and well-established recruitment businesses in the country, including Reed, Harnham, and Odgers Berndtson. Within five years, Clearly was recognised by one of the industry’s leading publications as a Top Two provider of media services to the UK Recruitment sector.
Diversification
Today, 50 per cent of the agency’s client base is made up of large-scale, national, and international recruitment agencies and executive search firms. Making up the other 50 per cent is a growing portfolio of clients across the wider Professional Services, Charity, Healthcare and Scientific, Manufacturing, and Utilities sectors including Wessex Water, Monahans, St John’s Foundation, STG Aerospace, Acre Securities, and Ovom Care.
Refine, repeat, innovate
Over the past decade, the agency has continued to evolve to meet and anticipate the needs of its clients. This was especially the case in 2020, when the world of PR was transformed by the pandemic. Digital media quickly became the perfect complement to traditional media relations and Clearly was ahead of the curve in developing a creative suite of products that amplify its clients’ brand awareness and enhance engagement.
This ability to constantly re-think and refine both the services the agency provides and how it promotes itself as a business has seen Clearly scoop a plethora of awards in recent years.
Indeed, Clearly has been awarded the Best Medium Sized PR Consultancy award by the PRCA in each of the last three years – 2021, 2022, and 2023. The agency has been ranked by PRWeek as one of the Top 50 B2B PR Agencies in the UK, and in 2022, Clearly won the Best Team of the Year at the national PRCA awards.
Clients talk, prospects listen, Clearly grows
More important that any award bestowed upon the agency is the feedback from clients. Clearly focuses on three key areas: to enhance the reputation of clients, build their brand, and deliver successful business outcomes. Put another way: results. It’s an approach that seems to resonate with clients, and the reason why:
- 3 in 5 came to Clearly via recommendation
- One-third increase their PR investment with us during their tenure
- 7 in 10 extend their contracts, and
- They typically work with us for over 2 years on average
First 10, second 10?
The first 10 years of Clearly have not been plain sailing. There have been many challenges to overcome, not least the pandemic. Had it not been for each of these hurdles, however, Clearly would not be the business it is today, and for that we must be grateful.
With the start of the year seeing the business reporting its highest ever billing month, 2024 and the beginning of our second decade in business looks set to become Clearly’s strongest performing year in our decade-long history.
But while the economy remains unpredictable and a general election looms near, of all the lessons we have learned over the last 10 years, the one that stands above all others is this:
We have seen what happens when we allow conditions to determine our fate.
By using our initiative to out-innovate our competition and get the ball rolling, many of the obstacles in our way will start to shift and we will earn the right to influence our own outcome.
