Thrive PR & Communications is the largest family-owned, female-run independent PR agency in Australia and New Zealand with five offices. It works with established businesses and transforming brands, combining big agency resources with an entrepreneurial spirit. The agency delivers public relations and digital media services that blend corporate and brand communications.
Thrive PR & Communications is the largest family-owned, female-run independent PR agency in Australia and New Zealand. Founded in 2000, the agency operates five offices in major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland. It positions itself as a heavyweight agency that combines the resources and best-practice standards of a multinational with the entrepreneurial freedom of a boutique firm.
The agency works with established businesses that are transforming and brands that are disrupting and growing. It delivers public relations and digital media services that blend corporate and brand communications under one privately owned agency umbrella. Thrive PR & Communications emphasizes earned media, maintaining hundreds of media contacts, and claims to be 100% accountable due to its independent structure.
Services offered include public relations, branding, digital marketing, and SEO. Within PR, the agency has specific expertise in crisis management, event management, and public affairs. The agency's digital capabilities are integrated into a fully integrated PR service model, allowing it to deliver traditional PR services while also introducing new communications methods.
Thrive PR & Communications serves a diverse range of industries, as evidenced by its client list which includes Bauer Media Group, Twitter, ANZ, Coles, Optus, AGL, Brother, STIHL, Spotlight, and Porter Davis. These clients span media, financial services, retail, telecommunications, energy, and manufacturing sectors. The agency works with both major enterprises and SMBs.
Google reviews for the agency are mixed. One reviewer gave a 5-star rating, calling the team "the gold standard of PR" and praising the culture and people. Another gave 4 stars, describing it as a "nice place." A third reviewer gave 1 star, complaining about a delayed refund of a $500 deposit for a boardroom booking. The overall Google rating is 3.3 out of 5 from three reviews.
The agency's leadership includes founder and managing director Leilani Abels, who started the company at 25 and built it into a successful independent PR network. The team includes experienced professionals such as general manager Kelly Stambanis, who has been with the business since 2000, and business directors in each office location. The agency's portfolio and results are not detailed on the DesignRush profile, but its long history and client list suggest a track record of delivering integrated communications campaigns.
Services
- Public Relations
- Branding
- Digital Marketing
- SEO
Industries Served
Team Size
Pros
- Largest family-owned, female-run independent PR agency in Australia and New Zealand with five offices.
- Combines big agency resources, best-practice standards, and entrepreneurial freedom.
- Nearly two decades of earned media expertise with hundreds of media contacts.
Cons
- One Google reviewer reported a delayed refund of a $500 deposit for a boardroom booking.
Client Review Analysis
Mixed Google reviews: one 5-star praising the team as the gold standard of PR, one 4-star calling it a nice place, and one 1-star complaining about a deposit refund delay.