Independent agency, Bastion has launched a new division, Bastion Advocate, to sit within the agency’s integrated communications arm, Bastion Amplify.

The new Advocacy arm aims to harness the power of influencers and drive audience interaction, and will be led by Senior Client Director, Morgan Sutherland, who brings experience from both in-house and agency roles after almost a decade in talent and influencer management: “The right talent choice can make or break a campaign, so I'm looking forward to helping our clients utilise great voices at all levels to drive advocacy.

“Having watched how the industry has changed, I’ve learned how to craft a unique campaign. I'm excited to bring the Bastion Advocate approach to life and connect audiences with fantastic creators through genuine and authentic engagement.”
The launch of Advocate comes as Bastion partners with CulturalPulse to help clients build more authentic connections with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. The partnership will enable Bastion to access CulturalPulse’s proprietary assets, including more than 5,000 CALD community Ambassadors, media amplification network and its CALD campaign measurement solution.

CulturalPulse CEO Reg Raghavan said the partnership would transform the way businesses can engage with communities: “In many cases, the approach to engaging CALD communities is diametrically opposite to mainstream approaches. By working together, we are in a strong position to activate today’s Australia.

“COVID was a wakeup call for all organisations to think about who they are actually reaching in their current approach. Having an end-to-end PR and multicultural marketing solution means we’re able to help brands tell their story in ways that suit their needs and will help them stand out and be heard.”

Bastion Amplify Managing Director, Richard Chapman said they're excited to broaden their influencer offering: “CulturalPulse is the best-in-the-business at effectively connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. We’ve seen the amazing work they have done over the past 12 years and we’re extremely excited to be partnering with them.”