^{BBS Communications Group Managing Director Lisa Nixon (left) and Chairman Jane Edwards AM}

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 want 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

In this edition, we look at BBS Communications Group, an award-winning, independent consultancy that’s been operating across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region for more than 30 years.

What services does the agency offer?
First and foremost, we know that we are actually offering a service! We do a lot of ‘things’ and produce a lot of work - strategies and associated deliverables - but ultimately, we’re advisors. We’re the architects and guardians of our clients' reputations. We craft and tell their stories to help them build business and community relationships which underpin enduring and profitable organisations. We’re a diverse team and our skills range from media relations, corporate communication, stakeholder engagement, change communication, financial and investor relations to digital and social media and podcast production. BBS also offers a range of training programmes, from community engagement, podcast production and media presentation training.

What size is the agency?
We are a core team of 20 full time, with additional part-time senior advisors on regular duties. We also maintain a roster of contractors who bring additional specialist experience and allow us to embed for key roles or scale up or down as our clients need us to.

Where does your agency have an office?
Our head office is in beautiful Brisbane and from here we work all over Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Do you have a particular area of focus?
Our areas of work are as diverse as our team’s skillset and the Australian economy. We work in the public and private sector and have clients in every area from property, construction and infrastructure to professional services and finance, health and aged care and all levels of government.

Who is the founder and why did they start the agency?
Our current Chairman, Jane Edwards AM, founded BBS in 1989 and now runs the firm in partnership with Managing Director, Lisa Nixon.

What is next for your agency? What is the five-year goal?
Our goal is as it has always been - to do great work and to enjoy the relationships we have within our team and with our clients. After 30+ years, we are a stable and strong business and we are successful because we continue to evolve our practice and put energy and passion into our work.

In a sentence, describe your ideal relationship with a journalist.
Ideally, one where we can easily pick up the phone and have a chat about how we can help create a compelling story for their readers. A relationship based on mutual respect and a shared passion for news is key.

Tell us about a campaign you are currently working on or are particularly proud of.
Well, true to form for us there is a lot going on, and it’s diverse. We’ve helped Diabetes Australia launch two really important education programmes, we’ve led the PR charge for Australia’s fastest selling housing estate and we’ve created a workforce engagement campaign for a national transport infrastructure project.

Any key PR trends your agency is keeping an eye on?
While areas such as digital, social and podcasting will always be evolving - and likewise we are watching closely and continuing to adapt our offer from a more strategic perspective - we are also seeing crisis and reputation management continue to be an area of focus as COVID continues its stronghold.

The pandemic has really reinforced the critical nature of communication for business at any scale - not just in the thick of a crisis, although that will always be paramount, but consistently throughout the year. We’re seeing businesses take a more proactive - rather than reactive - approach to communication and reputation management, ensuring survival during uncertain times and allowing for a stronger market share in a post-pandemic world.

What skillsets do you look for in new hires?
We’re very proud to be known for our office culture. We’re energetic, positive and our team members genuinely enjoy each other’s company. While technical expertise is, of course, a given, we like to hire people with a certain level of energy and drive to contribute to the team, offering a level of service to our clients that is second to none.

For more information, visit www.bbscommunications.com.au