A strong year has resulted in an award-winning PR agency being named one of the Top 50 in the North.
Harvey & Hugo was founded in 2009 by Charlotte Nichols, who has spent the past 16 years helping to build and protect hundreds of brands.
Now the Darlington-based agency has secured a place in the prestigious Prolific North Top 50 PR Agencies for 2025.
“2025 wasn’t easy for any business, so this recognition feels extra special,” said Charlotte.
Like most years, the list is dominated by large Manchester agencies, with Citypress – which employs more than 100 staff – topping the table.
Comparatively, Harvey & Hugo’s team consists of just six.
“At Harvey & Hugo, our team is small but mighty, so just being mentioned in the same breath as these massive city-based agencies speaks volumes about the team’s talent and our results,” Charlotte added.
Those results reflect a year in which the agency secured new clients across sectors including education, fostering, food and drink, and technology.
“One of our key strengths is our ability to turn our hand to any industry and deliver results,” said Charlotte.
“We’ve consistently secured top-tier coverage in regional and national newspapers, as well as TV and radio, and in a world where value for money matters, it is old-fashioned results driving Harvey & Hugo forward.”
And the company’s success comes at a time where top-tier coverage for clients is making an increasingly big impact when it comes to AI.
“Some people thought AI would cripple PR but in reality, the opposite has happened,” said Charlotte, who presents both the PRsonal and Pocket-Sized PR podcasts.
“AI is increasingly replacing the likes of Google as people’s go-to search engine, and how people gather their information.
“But AI feeds off information sourced from high quality publications, so securing coverage in a well-respected title can make a monumental difference to your brand’s visibility.”
As such, the company has put more emphasis on ‘high quality over vast quantity’ in the past year – with the results speaking for themselves.
Following the appointment of former Evening Gazette chief reporter Ian Johnson as PR Director last year, the company has secured clients print and digital coverage in titles ranging from the BBC, The Sun, ITV, Daily Mirror, iNews and every major regional publication.
Additionally, the Business Central-based company has also helped clients secure podcasting and speaking opportunities alongside multiple award nominations.
“In this AI world, one meaningful, high-quality placement can now be far more powerful than a dozen forgettable mentions,” added Charlotte.
“Additionally, in a world where most news is read online, the regional press is increasingly holding more sway than many businesses appreciate.
“Millions of people in the UK consume local news online each month, with audiences stretching far beyond their geographic patch and that reach means strong regional coverage can travel far wider than many businesses expect – while these titles are also held in very high regard by the likes of ChatGTP.”
Artificial intelligence may be transforming the communications landscape, but Charlotte believes it has also made professional PR more crucial than ever.
“Ultimately, AI isn’t replacing PR,” she said.
“If anything, it’s turbo-charging it – but ultimately, storytelling will always be at the heart of PR.
“That’s what we’ve done for the past 16 years, and will keep doing for many to more to come.”
www.harveyandhugo.com