DIARY directory recently caught up with Sally-Anne Stevens, the Founder and CEO of b. the agency, the 360 fashion, beauty and lifestyle PR agency based in London. Specialising in public relations, VIP, and digital, the agency is currently celebrating its 20th year. Having been a member of DIARY directory for over a decade, we wanted to discuss with Sally-Anne how the last two decades have impacted her company to shed some light on what has kept her agency at the forefront of these sectors.

b. the agency's 20th anniversary

Can you describe your agency's USP?

At b. the agency, we pride ourselves on our integrated 360-degree approach to global PR, social, and influencer marketing. Since starting boutique in 2004, we've grown to bring big-picture creative thinking with the same hands-on care and passion that got us here. Together with our sister agencies, summer. and BEING, we create thoughtful, multi-channel impact and influence for pioneering global fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands.

Over the years, many big agencies have had to close their businesses. What do you believe has set your agency apart and allowed it to thrive?

The past few years have been challenging, and PR has been no exception. A key part of our success has been our ability to adapt quickly to any hurdles while forward-planning creatively. We also invest in a brilliant team, and in tough times, they show their care and support for the clients, the agency, and one another. We've continuously refined our approach with innovation at the core, such as being the first agency in our sectors to launch an influencer marketing division alongside our core PR business over 10 years ago.

What are the most significant changes you've witnessed in PR in the last 20 years?

Long gone are the days of faxing press releases to journalists! One thing I’ve always loved about PR is its constant evolution. Today, it’s all about hyper-targeted, omnichannel strategies where brands connect across multiple platforms and measure success in real-time. Looking back over the last 20 years, it’s incredible to see how digital transformation has changed the way we story-tell and build relationships. From traditional media outreach to digital-first campaigns, influencer collaborations, and data-driven insights, it’s been so exciting and rewarding to be part of the evolution. PR has become more dynamic than ever before.

Can you share with us some of your toughest moments & challenges?

The 2008 crash was the first moment when we faced a seriously challenging global economic market. Back then, the more naive CMOs would look at PR as the luxury in the marketing funnel and turn off budgets, but we were very fortunate between 2008-2010 and grew exponentially in those years. As a business that forward thinks and adapts to change quickly, we decided to focus our portfolio on fashion and beauty e-commerce, connecting talent and press to deliver serious daily ROI for our brands. Very quickly, every brand that wanted to do e-commerce was knocking at our door for our creative slant. But of course, the toughest time for PR agency or event company owners has to have been the COVID years. It was a challenging time, but we got through it with the support and strength of our team, creative adaptions to our service offering, and the loyalty of our clients, who recognised that to continue to stay relevant, they needed to keep PR/influencer and social switched on louder than ever before.

What are the biggest challenges facing PR agencies today?

One of the biggest challenges PR agencies face today is navigating tighter budgets while delivering impactful results. Brands expect more for less, pushing agencies to be creative and resourceful with how they approach brand building. Another significant hurdle is tracking and demonstrating the ROI of campaigns and ongoing PR efforts. With numerous channels and touchpoints - complicated further by the rise of dark social - accurately measuring impact can be tricky. While there are tools to track performance effectively, it’s something that we continuously evaluate and refine as an agency to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

What is your agency's process for identifying and securing new clients?

With 20 years of legacy, we’re fortunate to have built a diverse global network, with many of our client base being secured through recommendations from existing partnerships and industry connections. We also take a proactive approach, identifying changemaker brands that align with our expertise and values in the industries in which we operate. I think our success lies in crafting tailored strategies that demonstrate how we can support their business aims and growth on the international stage. We aren’t an agency that only cares about big-budget brands. We want to work with companies who understand the value we bring and with whom we can grow together, at any part of their journey.

You also run talent agency summer. and were one of the initial PR agencies to see the value in setting up a talent division – what works well commercially for you nowadays?

For us, it was a natural progression in order to meet the growing demand for service specialism. Today, summer. thrives as a leading influencer marketing and talent management agency. Commercially, it allows us to match brands with the perfect talent, crafting and executing impactful campaigns that resonate and drive measurable success for both brands and influencers. It has enabled us to collaborate seamlessly with our sister agency and the team of experts to deliver comprehensive, big-picture campaigns across the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries.

Your team members tend to stay with your agency for an impressive 4-10 years, which is uncommon in the industry. How do you manage to retain your talent for so long?

I think our ethos of prioritising promoting employees from within our business has been fundamental to our talent retention. We have had many employees who have joined through our internship programme, and several now hold directorship roles within the agency – it’s been fantastic to see their growth! We are dedicated to supporting each employee’s career success, offering initiatives like our mentorship program, regular career check-ins, and team socials. I think it’s about creating a supportive and entrepreneur-minded environment where we celebrate both personal and professional achievements, no matter how small.

b. the agency's team members

Can you share some of the highlights from over the years?

Aside from 20 years of executing ‘best in class’ campaigns, a highlight for us as a business would definitely be the post-pandemic return to our newly renovated stand-alone office with a showroom at 16a Newman Street. Having our team back together and recommencing IRL events was a very positive moment. Our agency culture is incredibly important to Holly and me; we work hard to balance running a business and managing clients while keeping a healthy and happy culture and team community.

Can you tell us more about b. the agency’s global growth?

We launched our USA offering in 2011 due to growing demand from our UK clients entering the USA market. From there, international expansion has evolved organically. While our headquarters are in Soho, London, we can offer global services with a hybrid of employed publicists working across territories and partners in the UAE, Australia, Nordics, DACH, and Asia. Our expert team within summer. offers full counsel and execution on global influencer campaigns. As we head into 2025, global growth remains a top priority, enabling us to deliver best-in-class campaigns and ensuring our clients’ brands are successfully cohesive worldwide.

What do you think Dd needs to do to continue to support your company in the changing media landscape?

I think Dd should continue to provide up-to-date industry insights, relevant event listings, and accurate contact information for key media and influencers. As the PR industry adapts, having a trusted source of real-time updates and accurate connections is invaluable!