Business expansion for South Island-based company

MEDIA RELEASE

27 February 2008

Business expansion for South Island-based PR company

Business growth and development has led to Queenstown firm Southern Public Relations Limited (Southern PR) expanding their office space and workforce.

Southern PR recently completed renovations to its central Queenstown office and an adjacent office to combine the two into one work space.  The expansion houses an additional two staff, bringing the company headcount to five. 

Account Managers Jenny Andrews and Bronwyn Polson, who joined the company last year, are responsible for managing the communication strategies for a range of businesses in the region, as well as further afield.

Jenny is a PR and marketing specialist skilled in event management and publicity, political communications, project management, strategic marketing, and desktop publishing. 

After 10 years of overseas experience, Jenny became a communications and marketing advisor for Auckland City Council. Her main responsibilities included media relations, political liaison and issues management as well as leading Auckland’s Ak@Play arts, culture and recreation campaign. She was also the council’s publicist for local, national and international events.

Born and bred in Hamilton, Jenny moved to Queenstown two and a half years ago and managed Kidz Go magazine before joining Southern PR.

Bronwyn’s broad range of strategic PR and marketing skills include project management, political communications, speechwriting, issues management, social marketing and brand management. 

A former PR and Marketing Advisor for central government in Wellington, Bronwyn worked for clients such as SPARC and ACC before moving to Queenstown last October.  At SPARC her role ranged from media relations and political communications to managing PR for nationwide marketing campaigns including the ‘Push Play’ campaign.

During four years overseas Bronwyn gained a range of diverse skills, from teaching English in Tokyo, and managing an office in London, to working in media sales in Dublin.

Southern PR co-director Alexa Forbes says that the pair bring a wealth of valuable experience to the company.

“Bringing highly qualified people into our company has been a real growth step.  Queenstown has grown rapidly over the past several years as has the businesses we represent.  Jenny and Bronwyn bring skills that allow us to offer clients a greater depth of experience.”

Fiona Woodham, company co-director, said Jenny and Bronwyn had joined existing Account Director Lisa Nilsen to “hit the ground running”.

“It has freed Alexa and I up to focus more on strategic planning and direction, while also enabling us to maintain our commitment to long-established clients, many of whom have been with us since we set up business.”

Southern PR is Queenstown's first fully integrated public relations consultancy.  It was set up by Alexa Forbes and Fiona Woodham in 2004 after they expanded their original 11-year partnership to meet increasing demand.

ENDS

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