Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) today announced the appointment of Shoebridge Knowles Media Group (SKMG) to manage its corporate and strategic communications, effective immediately.
SKMG will work closely with ARIA and PPCA chief executive officer Annabelle Herd (pictured), chief operating officer Lynne Small and the team on key communication strategies and campaigns for both organisations.
Herd said: “I’m very excited to welcome SKMG to the ARIA and PPCA teams. Having worked with Neil and Andrew before, I know they excel at communications and will drive real impact for our industry. I look forward to working with Neil and Andrew so ARIA and PPCA’s voices are heard loud and clear.”
SKMG Partner Neil Shoebridge said: “ARIA, PPCA and their members make a critically important economic, cultural and social contribution to Australia, and we are very excited to be part of telling their story. We can’t wait to start working with Annabelle, Lynne and the team.”
SKMG Partner Andrew Knowles said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging period for all of Australia’s creative industries, none more so than our music industry. Our wealth of extraordinary Australian talent has long been held in high global esteem. It’s an honour to take on such an important voice at the critical moment we make a return to live touring and performance.”
SKMG was set up by Neil Shoebridge and Andrew Knowles in May 2018. Its current and recent clients include Seven West Media, News Corp Australia, Nature, Involved Media, The Lab, Network 10, Publicis Groupe, APN Outdoor, KordaMentha, Free TV Australia, The Orana Foundation and DearFriend & Co.
In March this year, ARIA said that it welcomes the Government’s additional funding and support package for the music and entertainment sectors announced in Canberra.
Annabelle Herd said, “This new package comes at a time of dire need for the live music sector, which has suffered unprecedented loss from Covid-19 shutdowns and uncertainty for the past twelve months. Live music was one of the first sectors to be shut down and is still operating at well below capacity.”