If you asked someone “what is PR?” you’ll get a dozen different answers – some see it as media relations, others see it as corporate affairs. We see it as the intersection of disciplines to generate ‘fame’.
For me, that viewpoint was shaped by the decade of my career I’d spent in London. When I returned to New Zealand in 2020 I saw a gap in the market to create a ‘new-age’ PR agency – one that prioritised creative ideation, strategic development, and world-class assets to land fame.
Special is one of New Zealand’s (and the world’s) leading advertising agencies, but they never had an in-house PR offering. So after presenting a business case to CEO Tony Bradbourne, he agreed to launch Special PR in 2021.
It has been a hard, but very enjoyable, four years. What started as a single desk under the stairs of an advertising agency has transformed to become one of the top PR firms in the country.
We now have 14 team members in New Zealand, we launched Special PR in Australia under the leadership of Alex Bryant, and we’ve been named ‘Large PR Agency of the Year’ by Campaign Asia and the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand.
But what gets me out of bed each morning, is the work we deliver for our clients. We’re lucky to work with clients as varied as Moet Hennessy, One NZ, Jaguar Land Rover, DB Breweries, Tourism New Zealand, KFC, Pizza Hut, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Kiwibank and many more.
I honestly believe no agency can succeed, unless they’re working alongside successful clients. And our clients are brave. They have a desire for large-scale, disruptive ideas. They don’t shy away from a challenge, have a risk appetite, and push us hard to deliver the results.
We’ve transformed a 155-tonne commuter train into an operational restaurant called The Gravy Train for KFC; to launch the FIFA Women’s World Cup for Tourism New Zealand we built a replica football pitch at the base of Aoraki Mount Cook and we’ve invited Vanilla Ice to front the ‘Cold-Call Back Service’ for Export Ultra reminding New Zealanders to get their beers out of the freezer this summer.
Whether it’s crafting corporate thought leadership for Kiwibank, producing content for Tourism Fiji, or activating major events for DB Breweries – we have a relentless focus on doing it with flair and creativity.
Of course, none of this success would be possible without one of the most diligent and dedicated teams in the business. There are now too many to name individually – but two long-serving standouts would be Natasha D’Souza as our Group PR Director, and our original employee Duncan Killick as Head of Earned Creative.
Every single member of our team puts 110% of effort into work that shifts the dial and makes a difference – and the best bit is we all seem to genuinely like each other.
We have continued investing in senior staff – we have hired Jessica McColl from Mango to lead our brand experience offering, and we are just about to appoint our first Business Development Director to guide our client servicing, operations and growth.
There is a lot of public discussion about the threats facing our industry. And while there will certainly be challenges to come over the next few years – I know we have the best team, and the most dedicated clients, who will help us weather any storm.
Discover Special PR online and via Instagram