16 Oct More Fire PR named PR Communications Firm of the Year 2026

From university lecture theatres and international research projects to crisis communications and business boardrooms, More Fire PR Ltd has plenty to celebrate after being named ‘PR Communications Firm of the Year 2026.’

When former journalist and university communications manager Mark Ferguson set up More Fire PR in 2012, he had a fairly simple ambition: To use what he’d learned over the previous two decades in journalism, editing and PR to help organisations communicate better, while enjoying the freedom and variety of running his own business.

Fourteen years later, this decision has taken the company further than he might have expected.

From its base in Northamptonshire, UK, More Fire PR has worked with clients across the UK and internationally, tackling everything from university research and business launches, through to leadership communications, crisis management and technology service promotion.

Now the consultancy has been named ‘PR Communications Firm of the Year 2026′ in the Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards.

The awards organisers received 10,246 nominations from 32 countries this year, with judging taking account of industry recognition, innovation, branding and service excellence.

“It’s a lovely surprise and great recognition for our work,” comments Mark.

“When you’re a company director there’s rarely much time to sit back and reflect on what you’ve achieved. You’re generally too busy concentrating on the next deadline, managing clients’ projects, or pitch for more business.

“And so it’s nice to pause for a moment and appreciate what we’ve built. Fourteen years marks a good era of success, particularly in an industry which has changed so much.”

A business built on curiosity

Before establishing More Fire PR, Mark worked as a journalist and business editor in a variety of sectors, before moving into communications and PR for the higher education sector.

That combination of experience, he says, has proved invaluable.

“Journalism teaches you to ask questions, check facts, and appreciate your audiences’ desire for relevant news. Universities are a microcosm of the wider world that reflects businesses as complicated places which are full of different personalities, priorities and competing demands.

“I’d worked with agencies myself and thought there was room for something different. I wanted to offer our clients experienced, hands-on support, without them having to deal with layers of account management.

“I also liked the idea of being able to work across different sectors. I’ve always been interested in how things work and why people do what they do, so the variety really appealed.”

That curiosity has taken More Fire PR into some fairly specialist territory.

Over the years, the consultancy has helped universities explain research to wider audiences, supported technology businesses with their product promotions and media campaigns, advised organisations and government facing sensitive reputational issues, and worked with senior academics and business leaders to turn their expertise into published commentary.

More Fire PR Ltd has been announced as ‘PR Communications Firm of the Year 2026’ in the Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards.

“Many people still think PR means writing press releases and persuading journalists to publish them,” Mark adds.

“This can be a part of it, of course, but it’s only a small segment of what we do.

“Quite often, somebody comes to us knowing they’ve got a problem but not being entirely sure what the answer looks like. They might be facing a complicated project needing someone to take charge, or have a piece of research deserving more attention, a communications team needing training, or a senior manager wanting a second opinion.

“I enjoy getting stuck into these situations. You have to listen, ask the right questions, and sometimes challenge entrenched opinions. That’s usually when the interesting work starts.”

From Northamptonshire to Morocco, Newfoundland and beyond

University and research communications have become a particular speciality.

One of More Fire PR’s biggest recent assignments has been with Al Akhawayn University in Morocco, where Mark has worked with academics and university leaders on communications, thought leadership and building stronger links with industry.

The consultancy developed and delivered an international programme through Times Higher Education Campus+, producing 26 published articles which attracted more than 33,000 views across 170 countries.

“That was a particularly satisfying project because it involved working with some very talented people who had interesting things to say, but weren’t necessarily used to writing for a wider international audience,” said Mark.

“We spent a lot of time talking through their ideas, finding the strongest angles and turning quite specialist subjects into articles that people outside their immediate academic fields would want to read.

“Seeing that work reach readers in so many countries was enormously rewarding.”

Other international assignments have included communications for the Afretec research and technology network, a leadership book writing project with the Sultanate of Oman, expanding the reputation of Memorial University of Newfoundland, and other projects across the United States and Middle East.

Back in the UK, the consultancy continues to work closely with the University of Bedfordshire, helping produce its Career Powered Education newsletters and stories highlighting the connections between students, academics, employers and their graduates.

Earlier work for the University of Gloucestershire included helping promote its new £20 million business school. Rather than concentrating solely on the building, the project involved bringing regional employers into the university to meet the people and discover the expertise behind it. One event attracted more than 150 business leaders.

“It’s something I’ve seen repeatedly in universities,” Mark explained. “They can have some brilliant people and facilities, yet businesses just down the road often have no idea what’s available to them.

“Sometimes a good communications project is as much about bringing people together as getting coverage in the media.”

The communications industry itself is changing rapidly, particularly with the arrival of increasingly capable artificial intelligence tools.

Changing times, enduring principles

Beyond higher education, More Fire PR has supported clients in sectors including construction, hospitality, technology, healthcare and professional services. Its work has ranged from long-running thought-leadership campaigns with internationally recognised governance academics to communications for restaurant technology businesses, crisis and reputation management, leadership coaching and specialist communications training.

The communications industry itself is changing rapidly, particularly with the arrival of increasingly capable artificial intelligence tools.

Mark sees considerable opportunities for smaller consultancies to work more efficiently, but believes experience and professional judgement are becoming more valuable rather than less.

“AI is fascinating, and I use it in parts of my work. But it’s also making it easier than ever to produce enormous amounts of material that sounds plausible without necessarily being accurate or particularly useful.

“I’ve always believed that good PR is about telling the truth persuasively. That doesn’t mean dressing something up or trying to convince people of things that aren’t true. It means doing the research, understanding the facts and explaining why something genuinely matters.

“With all the hype, misinformation and fake news circulating today, I think that responsibility is more important than it’s ever been. There’s no shortage of content in the world. What people need is information they can trust.”

Running an independent consultancy for 14 years has also required plenty of adaptation, not all of it related to changes in communications.

“Of course, running a business hasn’t all been plain sailing. Alongside the client work, there’s the constant business development, managing relationships, contracts, accounts, planning and adapting to whatever the industry throws at you.

“You can spend the morning advising a senior executive and the afternoon chasing an invoice or sorting out an IT problem. But I enjoy the independence, the variety and the challenge of making it all work.

“Receiving an award like this is a wonderful boost and recognition of everything that’s gone into building More Fire PR, including the support and trust of some fantastic clients and colleagues over the years.

“Fourteen years on, I’m still enjoying the ride, and I think the best is yet to come.”

More Fire PR Ltd is an independent strategic communications consultancy based in Northamptonshire. Its services include PR and media relations, thought leadership, communications strategy, crisis and reputation management, project leadership, stakeholder engagement, coaching and training.

Contact us today for a conversation about your communication needs.