WE Communications

Founded 40 years ago, WE Communications has grown to become the largest technology specialist public relations firm in the world, ranking among the top 25 agencies globally according to PRovoke Media’s own rankings. While the firm is headquartered in the Pacific Northwest of the US, its EMEA region—largely hubbed out of a strong UK office—has been growing at a very healthy rate in recent years and is now home to a team of around 120—slightly more than half of them in the London office.

Four years of very healthy growth had landed WE on our Agency of the Year shortlists consistently, but 2024 saw strong headwinds making life difficult for the tech sector, and WE was not exempt. As a result, it doubled down on a diversification strategy that has seen the addition of corporate reputation and brand purpose capabilities in the region, including its acquisition of social impact and behaviour change boutique Hopscotch (not to be confused with the French firm of the same name), and expanding its already-formidable digital and creative capabilities in the region.

In the reputation and impact space, the firm created an advisory board with experts from the worlds of media, health, and sustainability, and brought on new talent including associate director Samir Nanji, formerly of Kraft Heinz and the Confederation of British Industry as well as several agencies; Politico Europe veteran James Randerson as senior consultant; and Aiden Ryan as head of crisis. The outcome was that while the core tech business was challenged, the firm was able to grow its corporate reputation and social impact work by 16%. There were new corporate briefs from BT Group, JLR, Mercy Corps, Network Rail, clean power company Sungrow, and WWF, and the firm’s work with the Forest Stewardship Council expanded significantly.

Another big push was the expansion of WE’s AI Academy— a comprehensive training program covering general AI knowledge, hands-on training on common AI tools, and ways to integrate AI tools into daily workflows—to both the UK and Germany. An EMEA AI taskforce has been meeting with clients, and there were messaging and storytelling assignments for clients such as BT, Capgemini, Intel and Microsoft. The firm also expanded its “Brands in Motion” thought leadership to include healthcare brands.

A massive commitment to professional development (100 training sessions in 2024), 40 promotions, flexible working arrangements, and an expanded WE Care programme (supporting financial, health and mental wellbeing) contributed to a 74% retention rate and a positive culture despite the difficult external environment.—PH