about
us

ingenious communications. real business results.

Meet the agency for ballsy brands with brains. We grow brand visibility, likeability and memorability through storytelling that moves audiences to action. Our approach shifts the big metrics. It’s this that makes us the trusted partner for brands looking for tangible impact.

Cut through the noise with a strategic communications partner

There’s never been a more electric time to build a brand. Customers are primed to engage across every touchpoint, with more channels than ever giving you the space to be bold, be brave, and make some noise.

But choice breeds competition. Only the sharpest, most strategic comms cut through today’s noise — and traditional PR alone won’t cut it. You need a truly integrated strategy that fuses PR, social media and influencer marketing into one relentless machine: one that lands press coverage, builds your online profile, and integrates seamlessly across owned and paid channels alike.

That’s where we come in. We’re leading comms for some of the nation’s biggest brands — turning expertise into authority. Your brand, front and centre, ready to stand up and be counted in its market.

The 6i Process

Our proven approach to communications strategy that delivers business impact

welcome, the creatively courageous

Smoking Gun helps B2C and B2B organisations to achieve their business goals by increasing visibility, likeability and memorability through ingenious marketing communications.

Our social media, influencer and media relations campaigns shift behaviour, build trust, and change perceptions. We move audiences to action.

Smoking Gun’s pioneering ‘6i’ process is a proven, replicable strategic model to achieving the most effective results from an earned media first approach. It has been globally recognised with nine AMEC Awards for effectiveness.

Our well established team of strategists, digital experts, publicists and former national news editors will challenge you to think differently and exceed your expectations.

We’re as ambitious as we are nurturing – a kind and collaborative bunch working hand-in-hand with our clients to deliver on their biggest brand moments.

Talk to us

Values we live by as your PR partner

Accountability

We will invest time and resource to get under the skin of your business and culture.

Courage

We will challenge you to think differently AND we will be upfront and honest if we come up against a challenge.

Curiosity

We have a restlessness to learn, to evolve, to ask WHY, and to find solutions

Aspiration

We will behave as an extension of your team and brand, AND always strive to deliver award-winning work.

Adaptability

We will dovetail and collaborate positively with all your agency partners.

Nurture

We will always offer you our best advice.

We believe the best comms agencies give back as good as they get.

That’s why community isn’t a side project for us — it’s baked in. Each year, we donate 1% of our annual profits to a chosen charity, put our expertise to work pro bono for causes we believe in, and offer discounted rates to charities who need us most.

Our local communities have shaped who we are. This is how we say thank you.

Talk to us

Our Clients

FMCG to theme parks, home interiors to travel – there’s no limit when it comes to our clients. But they do all have one thing in common: they’re courageous disruptors that want to challenge the norms and push boundaries. And they’ve all had incredible success with Smoking Gun.

Learn more

The Big Guns

Meet the team.

At Smoking Gun, we never underestimate the power of the right people in the room. With more decades’ experience than we’d care to admit, our ingenious team let the work do the talking.

Rick is the Founder and CEO of Smoking Gun. With more than 25 years’ experience in PR, he’s helped major brands improve visibility, likeability and memorability in the FMCG, pet, homes & interiors, parenting, and personal finance sectors. A long-standing champion of PR measurement and effectiveness, Rick has led award-winning, evidence-led campaigns and helped shape Smoking Gun’s approach to proving business impact. He has also supported one of the UK’s first industry-led PR and communications apprenticeships and is passionate about responsible business. Read more about Rick Guttridge here.

Rick Guttridge

Founder and CEO

Hayley is an award-winning strategic communications specialist with a strong track record in consumer PR, insight-led planning and campaign evaluation. She has led major campaigns for brands including Alton Towers Resort, Philips, Aldi, Warburtons, Silentnight, Greggs, Eurocamp, Holiday Inn and the British Army, with standout work including the launches of Nemesis Reborn and The Curse at Alton Manor. Recognised with multiple AMEC awards, Hayley also developed Smoking Gun’s 6i strategic planning process and created Apprentify’s PR & Comms apprenticeship programme. Read more about Hayley Peters here.

Hayley Peters

Strategy Director

Sarah is a dynamic and results-oriented communications leader with over 20 years of experience in consumer PR and client services in London and Manchester. With a proven track record of helping brands grow through strategic comms she is adept at managing high-performance teams and driving client success across various sectors. Read more about Sarah Twyman here.

Sarah Twyman

Head of Consumer & Client Services Director

Carly Chell

Social media & Influencer Director

Carl Stroud is Chief Storyteller at Smoking Gun and one of the UK’s leading voices on earned media storytelling. With more than two decades spanning Fleet Street journalism and senior agency leadership, he specialises in turning brand, cultural and reputational moments into stories that command attention. Read more about Carl Stroud here.

Carl Stroud

Chief Storyteller

Rose Allerston

Head of Agency Storytelling

Harry Jarvis is Senior Account Director at Smoking Gun and a consumer PR specialist with eight years’ experience creating campaigns that earn attention. From press office activity and brand stunts to experiential moments, he has worked across a wide range of sectors, including hospitality, travel, retail, finance, tech, FMCG and lifestyle. Read more about Harry Jarvis here.

Harry Jarvis

Senior Account Director

Jonnie Gregory is Social Media Account Director at Smoking Gun and a social media specialist with 10 years’ experience delivering high-impact social and integrated campaigns. Having led standout work for brands including Philips, Squashies, Aldi UK and Aldi Ireland, he specialises in product launches, influencer campaigns and always-on content that drives culturally impactful ideas at scale. Read more about Jonnie Gregory here.

Jonnie Gregory

Social Media Account Director

Bugsy

Chief Barketing Officer

Your Career

Want to work for an organisation that isn’t afraid to challenge the norm? We care more about lateral thinking and creative genius than gaps on a CV.

It goes without saying that you have to match our values too – bring your aspiration and you’ll fit right in. Find out more about vacancies on our jobs page.

Join the team

about us