Consumer PR’s have perhaps one of the most imporant roles in the industry, tapping the minds of consumers through earned media coverage and events with effective that need to stand on their own two feet.
It’s safe to say, no one has their finger on the pulse quite like a consumer PR! With such an important job, it was a near impossible task to pick just ten amazing names – but alas, we had to! There are ten names on this list, but there are plenty more who just missed out. These lists are very subjective, and the gap between some of the placements is barely a hair’s breadth.
As ever, if you would like to nominate someone for our upcoming Best of the Best lists — Technologists, Recruiters, Project managers — please email editorial@themisfits.media, and we’ll add it to our long list of names to consider. You should also check out our most recent Best of the Best Film directors list.
Without further ado, here are B&T’s Top 10 Best of the Best Consumer PRs!
10. Simone Gupta, co-founder, Supermassive
Simone Gupta is the co-founder of Supermassive, a strategic business leader, and leadership coach with extensive experience in PR, social, and brand experience. Before founding Supermassive, Gupta was the head of Havas PR Australia, overseeing a portfolio that included Red Havas, One Green Bean, Havas BLVD and Organic. She also held significant leadership roles in London at agencies such as Edelman and Ogilvy PR, where she was instrumental in winning major clients such as Google and Vodafone. At Ogilvy PR, she led the WPP global integrated Team Red for Vodafone and played a key role in reshaping the agency’s integrated model at DDB Group Australia, where she was board director and managing director of PR and social agency Mango.
Gupta has been an active voice in the gender equality discussion, hosting panels on women in senior creative and management roles, and was a founding deputy chair of the PR Council of Australia. She also founded the girls’ rights charity, One Woman at a Time. Her expertise spans leadership and culture change, integrated creative, PR, social and influencer marketing, branded content, experiential and sponsorship activation. Gupta is also experienced in leadership workshop facilitation, particularly in Whole Person Leadership, which focuses on vision, planning, motivation, communication, and feedback skills.
9. Emma-Jane (EJ) Granleese, managing partner, consumer and brand, History Will Be Kind
Emma Jane Granleese is the founder and CEO of History Will Be Kind (HWBK) and the indie has just celebrated its 10th birthday. HWBK quickly became one of the fastest-growing and most awarded agencies in Australia and New Zealand, working across various sectors including FMCG, Health, Retail, Travel & Tourism, Infrastructure, Technology, Non-Profit and Entertainment. As part of the Deepend Group, HWBK collaborates closely with sister agencies to deliver integrated communications that span public relations, social media, digital communications, experiential marketing, and brand identity.
Granleese’s leadership has earned HWBK numerous accolades. Granleese is known for her ability to lead and motivate high-performing teams, driving strong revenue and margin growth while developing innovative service offerings. Her passion for integrated communications and her track record of success have solidified her reputation in the industry.
Before founding HWBK, Granleese was the managing director of Weber Shandwick Australia, where she also oversaw the sister company GolinHarris. Under her leadership, Weber Shandwick became one of the top-performing agencies in the region. Recognising her contributions to the industry, Granleese has been listed in the B&T Women in Media Power list from 2020 to 2022 and has won the B&T Women in Media Awards in the PR category multiple times. She is also a regular judge for industry awards across ANZ and the Asia Pacific Region.
8. Rob Lowe, co-founder & MD, Poem
Rob Lowe is the director and co-founder of Poem, an independent communications agency known for blending big agency expertise with boutique service.
With a career that includes roles at Freud Communications in London and One Green Bean in Sydney, Lowe has a strong background in public relations. He founded Eleven PR in 2011, which later became part of the TBWA Group. At Poem, Lowe embodies the importance of integrating PR thinking early in the creative process to craft impactful ideas that stand out and deliver significant business results while optimising budgets.
7. Vuki Vujasinovic, founder and CEO, Sling & Stone
Vuki Vujasinovic is the founder and CEO of Sling & Stone, an award-winning agency that he started in a Sydney sharehouse and grew into one of the fastest-growing agencies in the country. Vujasinovic is passionate about partnering with ambitious challengers, disrupters, and entrepreneurs, helping them to launch and scale their ventures. His leadership has earned him recognition in Forbes’ 30 under 30 and B&T’s 30 Under 30 Awards amongst others.
Vujasinovic is focused on expanding the agency’s service offerings and geographic reach, while maintaining a strong commitment to partnering with clients that align with Sling & Stone’s innovative approach and values. He believes in building a modern agency that leverages the latest technology, fosters a strong company culture, and remains selective about its clientele.
6. Laura Cario, managing partner, consumer and brand, Havas Red
Laura Cario is the managing partner of consumer and brand at Havas Red bringing more than 16 years of experience in the communications industry. She specialises in strategic PR, social media and marketing campaigns, with a strong background in working across key sectors including brand, food and beverage, travel and tourism, lifestyle, health, beauty and FMCG.
Cario is an expert in global strategic consultancy and the development of integrated campaigns designed for multi-market implementation. She thrives in an integrated team environment, focusing on public outreach to enhance media exposure, support strategic marketing initiatives, and drive brand development. Her extensive experience and passion for creative collaboration have made her a key leader in the industry, consistently delivering impactful results for her clients.
5. Kiefer Casamore (Melbourne) & Amy Ashworth (Sydney), GM, Eleven
Kiefer Casamore is the general manager of Eleven Melbourne, the PR agency under TBWA, where he also leads the sustainability practice, TBWA\Sustain. With a robust background in communications and integrated marketing across Australia and Europe, Casamore’s expertise includes ESG communications, behavioural change strategies, crisis and issues management, brand risk analysis and earned-led creative.
In his current role, Casamore is responsible for overseeing operations, managing profit and loss, fostering team culture, and driving sustainable growth for both Eleven and TBWA\Sustain. His leadership is instrumental in guiding the agency’s strategic direction, ensuring it remains at the forefront of innovative and impactful communication practices.
Amy Ashworth is Casamore’s Sydney counterpart. Promoted from her previous role as executive partner, Ashworth has been with Eleven for five years, working with high-profile clients such as Allianz, Mastercard and Kellogg’s. Known for her leadership and innovative thinking, Ashworth plays a pivotal role in driving Eleven’s growth and shaping its reputation as a cultural impact powerhouse.
Ashworth embraces Eleven’s philosophy of “turning ideas up to Eleven,” which emphasises brave and disruptive thinking that reshapes the status quo. Her approach focuses on solving business challenges through earned-first creative ideas, creating cultural impact for brands. She is passionate about pushing boundaries, making the impossible possible, and fostering a vibrant, collaborative team culture.
Under her leadership, Eleven has delivered standout campaigns like the PLAY NZ initiative for Tourism New Zealand, which significantly boosted user interaction and engagement during the pandemic. Ashworth’s dedication to bold, impactful work continues to drive Eleven’s success and reputation in the industry.
4. Ben Handberg, head of PR, Howatson+Co
Ben Handberg is the head of PR at Howatson+Co, bringing nearly 20 years of experience working in Australia and overseas, working with a diverse range of multinational and boutique clients across various industries. Known for his versatility, Handberg excels in earned media, influence, creative strategy, and storytelling, with a unique ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate in culture.
Before joining Howatson+Co, Handberg spent five years at Mango Communications, where he served as head of consumer and group account director, working with high-profile clients such as Unilever, McDonald’s, Volkswagen, J&J, Amazon, Proximo Spirits, and Ferrero. He also led notable PR campaigns, including Foxtel’s “Grave of Thrones,” the “Burnt Christmas Tree” for the Australian Red Cross and innovative projects including launching the Afar fragrance for 1800 Tequila and projecting a Big Mac onto Sydney Tower.
3. Beck Crawford, head Of consumer PR and influence Melbourne, Ogilvy
Beck Crawford is the head Of consumer PR and influence Melbourne at Ogilvy, bringing more than 20 years of experience in public relations, working with major brands such as Ford, Procter & Gamble, Philips, Mattel, and Mars Wrigley Confectionery. Her expertise spans strategic communications planning at global, regional, and local levels, PR campaign implementation, influencer marketing, event management, and team leadership.
Crawford is passionate about helping brands find their voice in a crowded media landscape through creative and strategic communications. With a strong focus on exceptional client service, strategy development, and project management, she has played a key role in shaping consumer lifestyle, and corporate and internal communications strategies. Recently, Crawford has worked closely with Ford, developing communications plans for the brand and new vehicle launches, while also handling issues management, internal communications, and social media.
Her diverse career includes marketing and communications roles at Porter Novelli as well as experience working in-house at beauty company L’Occitane en Provence. Additionally, she spent an extended period in London working across Procter & Gamble’s beauty portfolio. Crawford’s extensive background and strategic insights make her a pivotal leader in the industry.
2. Alexandra Bryant, managing director, Special PR
Alexandra Bryant is the managing director of Special PR, a newly launched standalone public relations business under Special Australia, created to meet the increasing demand for creative PR solutions. Previously, Bryant served as Managing Partner for Consumer and Brand at Red Havas, where she oversaw PR, social, and creative strategies for major clients such as BIG W, Booking.com and William Grant & Sons.
Bryant brings more than 15 years of experience in strategic communications, integrated marketing, brand building, content ideation, and stakeholder partnerships. Her career includes significant roles as executive director at Red Havas Sydney PR, managing partner and creative principal at Finchco Agency, and agency director at Map and Page, where she partnered with clients including Westpac, Menulog and Fujifilm Instax. Additionally, Bryant has strong in-house experience, having held marketing, communications, and digital roles at Westpac and Colgate-Palmolive.
At Special PR, Bryant is tasked with leading the agency’s operations across Sydney and Melbourne, driving the PR offering in Australia. Her leadership is expected to elevate the creative standards and effectiveness of brand building, storytelling, and non-traditional marketing, solidifying Special PR’s presence in the Trans-Tasman market, following its successful launch in New Zealand in 2021. Bryant’s passion for growing brands and teams, combined with her extensive industry expertise, positions her to make a significant impact in the PR landscape.
1. Taylor York, head thinker (earned), Thinkerbell
Taylor York, the head earned thinker at Thinkerbell, has a comprehensive background in public relations and earned media, beginning their career in 2013 with internships at Mango Communications and McDonald’s Corporation. After joining Mango Communications as an account coordinator in 2014, York quickly advanced to an account executive role. York later moved to One Green Bean in 2015, where they handled high-profile clients such as PlayStation, Coca-Cola, and Nokia, eventually becoming an Account Manager.
In 2018, York transitioned to Pulse, part of Ogilvy PR, where York was promoted from senior account manager to account director. Here, they led earned media campaigns for major brands such as KFC, Xbox, and Telstra, managing client accounts and driving strategic initiatives.
In 2021, York joined Thinkerbell as a lead thinker – earned, and within a year, they were promoted to head thinker – earned. In this role, York has been instrumental in developing the agency’s earned media offering, leading award-winning campaigns, and securing new business. York’s expertise spans marketing sciences-backed earned media, integrated strategy and creative, crisis communications, brand sponsorship, content production, and influencer partnerships, making them a key player in the industry.
What’s more, with Thinkerbell currently the reigning B&T PR Agency of the Year for its exceptional work for brands such as Menulog, XXXX, BINGE, NRMA and Vegemite, it’s clear that York is not only one of the best in the business, they are the Best of the Best.
