sim·plic·i·ty
1. the state, quality or an instance of being easy to understand
2. freedom from complexity
+44 (0)20 38 38 2009
+1 (416) 848 7340
+1 (902) 943 3483
London, UK
Toronto, CA
Halifax, NS, CA
Press advertising and earned media backed by senior expertise that most agencies cannot match — 12 years directing global publicity at Universal Pictures, and roots in the UK's commercial radio networks. We plan press and manage PR from a position of genuine experience.
National newsbrand advertising revenue fell 4.3% in 2024. We are not going to pretend otherwise. Print is declining — but the trust and recall metrics that press advertising delivers remain among the strongest in any paid channel.
77% of people exposed to a print news brand ad recall it. 44% of those who recall a digital news brand ad act on it. These are not the metrics of a dead channel — they are the metrics of a channel that has contracted in volume but retained its quality. The audience that reads national press is older, more affluent and more likely to be in purchase and decision-making positions than the average social media user.
The right brief for press advertising is one where the audience profile, the editorial environment and the brand's credibility objectives align. When they do, press delivers something that paid digital frequently cannot: unquestioned legitimacy.
Most media agencies that offer PR do so as an add-on — a capability acquired or bolted on to complete a service offering. Ours is different. The founding team's background includes 12 years as Director of Global Publicity at Universal Pictures — one of the world's largest entertainment studios — managing international press campaigns for major film releases across every significant media market.
That experience spans the full breadth of what effective publicity requires: editorial relationships, campaign narrative development, international media strategy, crisis communications and the ability to place a story in the right outlet at the right moment. It is not theoretical. It is the lived experience of managing brand reputation and media presence at genuine global scale.
We bring that experience to the campaigns we take on — whether that is a national press buy, a trade media strategy, a campaign-led PR push or earned media amplification alongside a paid campaign.
The press and PR capability at Simplicity is built on a career that most agencies cannot replicate. Over a decade managing global publicity for one of the world's largest entertainment studios — with film releases, talent campaigns and brand initiatives spanning every major media market on earth.
Combined with roots in commercial broadcast radio — where brand, audience and editorial instinct were developed in a live, high-stakes environment — the founding team brings a depth of earned media understanding that is genuinely unusual in an independent media agency.
Planned and bought across the full national press estate — The Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Mirror and supplements. We plan press as part of an integrated media strategy, identifying where national press adds genuine audience value rather than prestige for its own sake. Rate negotiation, placement management and creative adaptation to press specifications.
Trade press advertising reaches professional audiences in a context of active category interest — something that broad consumer media cannot replicate. We plan across trade titles in any sector, identifying the publications that reach decision-makers and buyers at the moment they are most receptive. Particularly effective for B2B brands and specialist consumer categories.
PR strategy built around the campaign objective — not a retainer model where activity fills time regardless of outcome. We develop earned media strategy as a complement to paid campaigns, identifying the story that deserves coverage, the titles that should carry it, and the timing that maximises impact. Campaign launches, product announcements and brand moments.
A genuine specialism — not a claimed one. With 12 years directing global publicity at Universal Pictures, we understand how entertainment PR campaigns are built, what media relationships matter, and how to time and sequence coverage for maximum release impact. Available to studios, distributors, production companies and entertainment brands.
Regional press reaches specific geographic communities with a depth of local relevance that national media cannot match. Particularly effective for retail, hospitality, events and any brand with a local or regional footprint. We plan regional press buys with the same rigour as national campaigns — audience profiling, rate negotiation and placement coordination across titles.
Magazine advertising delivers brand association with premium editorial content in a high-attention, low-distraction environment. Readers engage with magazine content at a depth and pace that digital media rarely achieves. We plan magazine campaigns for brands where editorial adjacency, brand environment and production quality are part of the strategic objective.
Of people exposed to an ad in a printed news brand recall it — one of the highest recall rates of any advertising medium. Only TV has a higher recall rate among traditional channels.
Of people who recall a digital news brand ad go on to act on it — visiting a website, making a purchase, or taking another direct response action.
National newsbrand advertising revenue in 2024. A declining but still substantial market — with a highly concentrated, premium audience that is difficult to reach effectively through digital channels alone.
Share of UK total ad spend — national and regional newsbrands plus magazines combined. Down from 39% in 2007, but the audience that remains is older, more affluent and more engaged than the average digital user.