Prolific North’s 2026 Partners’ Programme has officially kicked off with a new partner cohort and a notably optimistic mood around the opportunities ahead for agencies, brands and suppliers across the North.
The first Partners’ Roundtable of the year brought the group together at Bruntwood SciTech’s Bloc in Manchester City Centre for an informal, open discussion about what 2025 really looked like on the ground, what’s changing in 2026, and where partners are seeing genuine momentum.
Hosted by Partnerships Editor David Prior, the session welcomed our 2026 Partners Big Partnership, Brand XYZ, Propello Cloud, Synergist, Better Placed, Bruntwood SciTech, Edison Media, Embryo, HUB, Print.com and Waypoint, with Buy Media also joining the Partner cohort for 2026.
“More grounds for optimism than any roundtable in three years”
One of the clearest takeaways was that sentiment is shifting as we head into the new year. As Abbie Harrop, Head of Marketing at HUB, put it in a LinkedIn post after the session: “One thing that really stuck out for me is that there seems to be a lot more grounds for optimism from both agencies and suppliers in 2026 than in any roundtable I’ve attended over the past 3 years.”
She added that “both agencies and clients have gotten to grips with AI and feel comfortable using it as a tool for growth rather than a creative competitor,” and that partners felt “more secure in the fact that the North of England is a viable long-term creative hub… for the next generation of talent.”
“Hopefully, this means that we can retain our homegrown talent rather than losing them to the bright lights and crippling rents of London,” she said.
The theme of the North as a long-term engine for talent, growth and creative ambition ran through the conversation, with Manchester and Leeds repeatedly referenced as outliers for momentum with fast growing creative communities and strong economic growth.
From uncertainty to opportunity: the big themes for 2026
Across the discussion, partners pointed to a landscape that still contains pressure and complexity – but crucially also clearer routes to growth.
AI is now operational, strategic, and unavoidable.
Rather than debating whether to use it, the conversation seem to e shifting to how to use it well. It’s about improving internal efficiency, enabling smarter personalisation, and turning information into insight without creating new risks around IP, data and governance. Several partners also pointed to the need for more formal AI policies – and better training – as adoption accelerates.
Agencies are being pushed up the value chain.
Partners also noticed a strong thread around agencies being expected to do more “hand-holding” at senior level, stepping into strategic advisory roles as marketing leaders face faster change, more scrutiny, and more stakeholders. That shift is forcing harder decisions around resourcing, pricing, and what’s included versus what needs charging for (including project management and client services).
New customer acquisition remains difficult – so retention is the growth lever.
Partners talked about the continued challenge of winning “high-value” new business and the increased focus on maximising value from existing clients and customers, with loyalty, first-party data and deeper client relationships becoming bigger levers than pure volume.
Recruitment is changing.
The group discussed how redundancies and consolidation across the wider market are reshaping the talent pool, while hybrid working is widening the geographic footprint of who agencies can hire. There was also a noticeable shift toward freelance and fractional models – offering flexibility, but with real risks around cost and availability.
A renewed appetite for in-person connection – and even print.
Alongside the AI conversation, there was a sense that physical experience and tangible creative work is gaining renewed value. Partners discussed how in-person moments and high-quality print can complement digital channels by winning attention and driving audiences back into online journeys.
For more about our Partners and the Partners programme click here.
