Real Chemistry bolsters leadership bench, expands regional hubs

Telum Media and Truescope have entered a strategic partnership that brings together Telum Media’s curated journalist and media relations platform with Truescope’s fully integrated AI-first media intelligence service.

The partnership will surface Truescope media intelligence inside the Telum Media platform, so communications teams can see which journalists are covering their issues and pitch them without leaving the workflow. 

Between them, the two companies now cover the five parts of media intelligence. Truescope brings media monitoring, social listening and media analysis. Telum Media brings the media database and distribution. For communications teams, that means one connected workflow, from finding the right journalist to measuring what the coverage achieved.

The partnership will initially focus on Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, with additional markets to follow.

For Telum Media, the partnership reflects a sharp surge in journalists demanding greater relevance in the outreach they receive from PRs, and follows its recent launch of Distribution tools within the platform.

“The ‘spray and pray’ approach to sending media releases should be consigned to the past – that’s what thousands of journalists have been telling us through our Journalist Interest Surveys,” said Telum Media Executive Chairman, Michael Webster.

“The focus is on precision-led targeting and more relevant outreach, and this partnership with Truescope will help communications teams identify and select relevant media based on demonstrated coverage and current editorial interests."

“Having this integrated into the Telum Media platform means teams can research, plan, personalise and pitch without switching between disconnected systems.”

For Truescope, the partnership follows its entry into the Australian market on 1 October 2026, and conversations with more than 30 communications, PR and public affairs leaders across Australian government, corporate and agency teams about what they need from a media intelligence service. Truescope monitors broadcast, print, digital and social media, and runs Truescope AI as part of the service: Truescope Assistant, which answers questions about what happened in the coverage, and Truescope Analyst, which explains what it means, with citations on every output.

Truescope CEO, John Croll, said the integration puts coverage data and journalist data in the same place. Truescope and Telum Media solve complementary parts of the PR workflow, and clients increasingly want monitoring and journalist intelligence to work together without compromising quality.

“PR and Comms teams want the best monitoring and the best journalist data. Until now that has meant two systems and a lot of copying between them.”

“With this partnership, a comms manager can access specialist capabilities, data quality, and innovation of both Truescope and Telum Media. They can see who is covering their issue, understand how that coverage is moving, and pitch the right journalist without leaving the workflow. That is time back, and a better hit rate”, John said.

Find out more about the Telum Media - Truescope partnership.

Trans-Tasman agency, Tonic Communications, has been appointed to lead the Australian launch of AI property decision-making platform, myhomii.

Led by the agency’s Brisbane lead, Amelia Oberhardt, Tonic will oversee communications related to the national launch campaign, covering earned media strategy, media relations, and influencer engagement across business, proptech, property, and consumer media.

Amelia said: "Anyone who’s searched for a property knows the chaos: fourteen tabs, three WhatsApp groups and a mum with opinions. myhomii fixes a problem almost everyone has and almost no one has solved. With affordability pushing more Australians to buy and rent with family and friends, it's a genuine global innovation story with perfect timing."

Melanie Tickle, Founder of myhomii, said: “Tonic understood straight away that myhomii’s story starts with people - the buyers and renters making a big decision, and the family, friends and advisors helping them along the way.

”We wanted a communications partner who could make the technology feel relevant to everyday Australians while building credibility in the property and business sectors. Amelia and the team brought that understanding, alongside the creativity and clear strategy we were looking for to launch myhomii.”

Independent communications, public affairs, and research group, Sandpiper, has announced the promotion of three senior leaders.

Elizabeth Chu has been promoted to Managing Director, Financial Services and Managing Director, Singapore. She will oversee the growth of the financial services practice and take on broader regional leadership responsibilities. Elizabeth previously served as Deputy General Manager of Sandpiper Singapore before being appointed to lead the Singapore business in 2024.

Kimberley Spear has been appointed Managing Director, Financial and to the newly created role of Head of Employee Experience. Previously General Manager, Hong Kong, for five years, she will now oversee employee experience, including consultant development, and workplace culture.

Unice Liu has stepped into the newly created role of Head of Growth Markets. She will lead Sandpiper’s efforts in supporting organisations entering, expanding, and investing in growth markets, with a focus on risk management, reputation, and stakeholder engagement across Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

"Our success has been built on two pillars: exceptional people and an unwavering focus on delivering results for our clients,” said Emma Smith, CEO of Sandpiper Group.

”As organisations continue to invest in growth across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, they need advisers who combine local insight with regional reach, specialist expertise, and deep stakeholder understanding. These promotions reflect our commitment to investing in the next generation of our leaders who will help shape Sandpiper's future, strengthen our capabilities and continue delivering outstanding outcomes for our clients. Developing talent from within isn't just part of our culture; it's part of our DNA.”

(Pictured, from left: Elizabeth Chu, Kimberley Spear, and Unice Liu)