Strategic Communications Consultants

About Us

History

WHAM Public Relations is managed by Trevor Walton, one of New Zealand's most experienced public relations consultants.

The company was established in 1979 as a contract publisher and promotional agency.

From the 1990s WHAM became increasingly well-known for the professionalism of its strategic communications and public relations services. Initially, this was based on work for clients in New Zealand's primary export industries. But by the middle of the decade WHAM was providing issues management counsel for clients in the chemical and animal health industries, professional services and the farming sector.

In recent years WHAM's client base has further diversified and now covers sectors as diverse as farming, forestry, health- and aged-care, internet services, nutriceuticals, non-profit organisations, professional consultancies and fast moving consumer goods.

The company is increasingly involved in the use of e-comms to communicate on behalf of its clients, but not at the expense of traditional communications methods, where these are right for the job.

Trevor Walton and Angie Fussell are the co-owners and principal consultants of WHAM Public Relations, a division of WHAM Media Limited. We also have associates who provide back-up for major projects.

Culture

WHAM is known for its ethical, effective and creative communications, as well as for its frank and perceptive public relations counsel.

WHAM has a unique understanding of NZ society and economy, as well as our country's role as a trading nation.

We will:

• Bring an external perspective to the challenges you face
  
• Solve problems you previously thought were insoluble
  
• Deliver quality services within agreed time-frames and to budget
  
• Be stimulating, great to work with, and totally professional.

How do we operate?

WHAM provides a full public relations and consultancy service throughout New Zealand from its base in Wellington.

For major projects and promotions, WHAM forms teams of senior consultants and contractors. This approach enables us to tailor team skills to the needs of the client.

WHAM regularly works alongside and complements in-house communications teams, advertising agencies and professional advisors.

International services are provided through the International Public Relations Team, of which WHAM is a founder member.

What do we do?

Organisations and businesses hire WHAM to help them communicate successfully with their customers, clients, staff, members, media, politicians and other important stakeholders. In essence, the purpose of this is normally to build, enhance and protect the relationships and reputation of the client organisation.

We have particular strengths in primary & chemical industries, in the health & social sectors, and with membership-based organisations. WHAM's services include strategy development, market support, crisis and issue management, employee and community relations, media management and lobbying. See Skills and Knowledge.

Here are the sorts of challenges brought to us by clients:

• We have seen what has happened to other businesses when they have been targeted by the media for their alleged mistakes. How do we protect our firm, so that it doesn't happen to us? Or, if it does, how can we prepare ourselves?
  
• How do we get industry buy-in for our new e-commerce venture?
• Our overseas operation is being jeoparised by hostile Government action. How do we overcome this threat. 
• The city council is planning to rezone our land from commercial to industrial. This will be bad for the community and will close down many development opportunities for us. How do we make the council change its mind?
  
• There's an election coming up, how do we go about getting ourselves on the radar of the political parties.
  
• We have a fantastic new product. Can you help us get shelfspace?
  
• How do we promote our association without benefiting free-loaders and cowboys?
  
• Animal rights activists are targeting our factory and staff, is there anything we can do?
  
• We're launching a new company, can you handle the media and the politicians?
  
• The board wants us to relocate production. How do we tell our staff?
  
• One of our members has been unethical and someone from television is ringing me back in half an hour. What should I be saying?
  
• This is a complex scientific issue, can you help us explain it to the public?
  
• We have a bad reputation for environmental management and it's really hurting our business. If we clean-up our act, how do we get the public to recognise that we've gone green?
  
• Our website is up and running, but no-one is visiting. What can we do?
  
• How do we convince farmers to change the habits of a lifetime?
  
• We are seeking a strategic investor, can you work with the solicitor on the Information Memorandum and publicity?
  
• We are not taken seriously by the media or government, despite our importance to the economy. Can you boost our profile?
  
• The residents of Kerikeri are up in arms about spray drift from the kiwifruit orchards. Can you go up there and sort it out?

In recent years WHAM has successfully completed assignments based on these and many other scenarios.