Telum is looking to highlight the diverse and vibrant agencies in the Australian and NZ PR agency landscape in upcoming editions of our PR Alert. We are looking to encourage networking, business opportunities, and to celebrate the great initiatives being worked on. If you'd like your agency to feature, get in touch at alert@telummedia.com.

What services does the agency offer?
We are a full service communications agency across media relations, social media, events, content creation and marketing.

What size is the agency?
We are a happy team of six, managing a retainer client base of 70 per cent, with project work covering the remaining 30 per cent.

Where does your agency have an office?
Last year we moved to Creative Cubes, a co-working space in South Melbourne. It's light and bright, we have Port Phillip Bay views and are opposite the market - we love it!

Do you have a particular area of focus?
The primary industry we work with is hospitality, across venues, hotels and food and drinks. We also work in property and design, and have recently expanded into finance.

Who is the founder and why did they start the agency?
Joanna Reymond-Burns (pictured) founded the agency after realising a gap in the market for a fluid PR company that understood the varying needs and requirements of restaurant, property and design clients.

What is next for your agency? What is the five year goal?
We have been lucky to have quickly become successful once more after a significant Covid hit. Moving forward, our goal is to grow the property and finance arm of the business, while maintaining our support of the hospitality industry.

In a sentence, describe your ideal relationship with a journalist.
We have enormous respect for the journalists we work with and aim to receive that in return. This is managed by a personalised approach and ensuring we know the work they create and who they are writing for. This means our relationships are friendly and there is frequent communication.

Tell us about a campaign you are currently working on or are particularly proud of.
We are working with an exciting new cooking tool out of Japan called Anaori Kakugama. It is a carbon graphite pot that reduces the breakdown of the cellular structure of the ingredients, so that their original flavour is concentrated. We are working with chefs Paul Carmichael, Philippe Mouchel and Victor Liong in Australia, and a handful of Michelin Star-rated chefs globally to launch and promote the product.

Any key PR trends your agency is keeping an eye on?
A few, but the key ones at the moment would be:

• Tik Tok is rapidly becoming an influencer across decision-making on restaurants
• Staying in over attending events
• Plant-based eating
• Hyperlocalism
• The new hybrid work week that sees an increase in time out of the office working from home

What skillsets do you look for in new hires?
Passion and industry knowledge and someone who reads media. Also, intelligence and initiative - both are key traits for a public relations professional.

The Pandemic and the lockdowns had an enormous impact on the hospitality sector. Amidst the sad stories of those eateries and businesses that disappeared or struggled, did you come across any wonderful examples of how to successfully pivot and adapt, and how is the sector recovering?
There is a dichotomy to how the sector is recovering: owner operator venues - that in general pivoted quickly in lockdown to offer take-away, jumped on Providoor, and provided online classes and more - have done well and are very busy now. Some restaurateurs took the opportunity to renovate, revisit concepts and design new business models and service structures to be more efficient, more connected to the customer and more financially stable. Sadly they still have challenges, in that there is a serious staff shortage.

Other venues that rely on foot traffic through the CBD and larger suburbs have suffered greatly without a brand following to drive demand for takeaway in lockdown, and the continued lack of passers-by and tourists.