Special PR has announced the appointment of three new team members in New Zealand, including Julianna Permitin as Senior PR Director.

Julianna returned to New Zealand to take up the role after spending nearly three years in the UK, where she specialised in technology and corporate. Prior to that, she worked at Sling & Stone in New Zealand, handling corporate and consumer briefs for both global brands and start-ups.

She said: "Special has always stood out to me as an agency that’s redefining comms in New Zealand.

"Bold, ambitious, and unafraid to do things differently. I wanted to keep the pace and energy of London 'agency life' going, and there’s no better place to do that than with a team that’s setting the pace for the industry itself."

Alongside Julianna, Kale Dixon and Georgia Grindle have taken on the roles of Senior PR Executive and PR Executive, respectively.

Kale previously worked at Pead PR and will now work across various accounts, including Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand, DB Breweries and Datacom. Georgia, who originally joined Special PR as an intern earlier this year, will support clients, including Jaguar Land Rover, Restaurant Brands, and Moët Hennessy.

Special PR's Managing Director, Kelly Grindle, said: "Special PR has been on an incredible trajectory of growth, new business wins, and most importantly, some incredible work.

"Our team is what makes us ‘Special’ and I’m thrilled to have three new members join us on our mission to deliver some of the freshest PR thinking in the region."

^{(Pictured, from left: Georgia Grindle, Julianna Permitin, and Kale Dixon)}

Tom Hayward has joined commerce delivery platform, Shippit, as Communications and Content Manager. He has moved in-house after nearly seven years at The P.R. Group, most recently as Senior Client Director. 

Tom previously worked in the NFP sector, following his time as a sports journalist at Thomson Reuters. 

Agency owners, Adam and Elizabeth Benson, are combining their four PR and marketing agencies under a single brand, Recognition PR and Marketing. The four agency brands that will be retired from use are Recognition PR, Outsource, Write Away Communication and Sovereign.

On the decision, Adam said: "For forty years, Recognition PR and Marketing has worked with companies that sell complex, high-value products and services in technology, defence and aerospace, and the built environment. Bringing our brands together under one name reflects how we work as one team delivering integrated programs rather than as specialised silos.

"The market has moved, and we're responding to that change so we can deliver on our growth plans for the next ten years and beyond. This rebrand also simplifies how we position and market our business. It’s a simpler story to communicate and an easier business model to run."

Recognition PR and Marketing will continue to focus on three sectors: B2B technology, defence and aerospace, and the built environment. The ownership, leadership, staff, and day-to-day operations remain the same.