Northbound PR

Founded by Olivia Smith, Northbound PR emerged from a clear gap in the market: growing agencies and brands often need senior PR leadership but cannot always justify a full-time director. Based in Lancaster, United Kingdom, the consultancy was built to provide that strategic oversight without the permanent overhead. With nine years of experience scaling PR departments from small teams to 45-strong operations—and having held roles as Growth Director and Digital PR Director—Smith recognised that many businesses stall not because of lack of talent, but because they lack the infrastructure, direction, and senior thinking to scale effectively. Northbound PR was designed to bridge that gap.

What Northbound PR Offers

Northbound PR positions itself as a senior digital PR consultancy, not a traditional agency. Its core offering is operational and strategic support for agencies and brands navigating growth, evolution, or digital-first pressures. The consultancy works on three main fronts: building scalable infrastructure, validating creative ideas against data, and upskilling internal teams. This means founders get access to a seasoned director who can help design hiring frameworks, progression structures, and campaign strategies that drive commercial results—rather than just vanity metrics. Northbound PR also offers training that turns SEOs into creative thinkers and managers into true leaders, addressing common skill gaps in digital PR teams.

Services and Specialties

While Northbound PR does not list a comprehensive service menu, its focus areas suggest the following capabilities:

• Digital PR strategy and campaign development
• Operational consultancy for PR and communications teams
• Hiring support and team structure design
• Training and development for PR and SEO professionals
• Creative idea validation using data and analytics
• Scalable infrastructure building for growing agencies
• Interim senior leadership and strategic direction

These services are delivered on a consultancy basis, meaning clients engage Northbound PR for specific projects, retained support, or as a fractional director. The consultancy avoids the overhead of a full-time hire while providing the same strategic depth and execution capability. This model is particularly suited to agencies that are scaling quickly, brands adapting to digital-first markets, or teams feeling pressure to evolve their PR approach.

Who Benefits from Northbound PR

Northbound PR is best suited for agency founders and marketing leaders who have outgrown the "do it yourself" stage but are not yet ready for a permanent senior hire. It is also a strong fit for brands undergoing digital transformation, where traditional PR skills need to be supplemented with data-driven, SEO-aware thinking. The consultancy’s emphasis on training and development makes it valuable for teams that need to upskill existing staff rather than recruit externally. Based in Lancaster, United Kingdom, Northbound PR serves clients across the UK and beyond, offering a flexible, senior-level resource that can be scaled up or down as needs change. For any agency or brand seeking direction without the commitment of a full-time director, Northbound PR provides a practical, experienced alternative.