Undertow Media
A PR agency based in Auckland, New Zealand
An ‘undertow’ is a strong pull in a different direction. To create it you must first know the way the flow runs, then forge a surprising new route.
This is the way Undertow Media conducts its day-to-day business.
While this is true and makes sense of our name, we know even one-man bands with no clients can say clever things. You’re here because you want to know we’re credible.
While somewhat ironically we don’t like tooting our own horn, as a quick summary agency founder Greer Bland started the New Zealand business in 2013 after running the consumer division of a large Australian agency comprising 40 staff.
Before she left to bring all she learnt back home, she had already signed up a number of clients who needed NZ support and knew her style. From there, she convinced businesses that had never had an on-the-ground agency to come on board. We’ve expanded our services to be the leader in influencer relations, copy that sings on social, smart news plays that get the 6pm slot, content that converts and events that are talked about for weeks.
And we’ve built an almost faultless team of professionals that have helped rally a gold standard in communications across every possible service we provide. Every day our crew enters our Grey Lynn studio and showroom to tell stories and make hay for clients.
Creative and accurate.
Here are the humans who get things done around here.
Greer Bland
Managing Director
Greer is the ultimate eyes and ears of Undertow Media, personally overseeing every account team to ensure that all work meets her exacting standards.
After working in Australia for four years Greer returned to New Zealand in 2013 and set out to fill the void in providing efficient, accurate PR solutions here. She has deep, well-cared for media friendships she has honed by offering up win-win content opportunities and working around the clock to get things done.
Greer inspires her staff to constantly push boundaries in the pursuit of outstanding results and relationships for every client.
Gina Williams-Folau
Head of Communications
Gina has a background in PR and corporate affairs, with attention to detail and strategic implementation in her blood.
For Gina, it’s all about news, she is the master of drafting the perfect statement to grab journalists’ attention and secure headlines. More recently, she has turned her eye to social media content and backend analytics, perfecting the journey from inspiration to ‘the sale’.
As a mum of five Gina is the perfect person to keep the UM team in-check, and she also acts as the cultural conscience of the agency ensuring all campaigns appeal to a diverse Kiwi audience and keeping our te reo Māori pronunciation on point.
Jess Mayhew
General Manager - Head of Consumer
You can teach the skill but you cannot teach the will! Jess’ life motto and magnetic personality, practical mind and always up for a laugh attitude meant she quickly became an integral part of the Undertow crew.
A master of the written word who can also regale a room, Jess knows a thing or two about getting the best out of her team while keeping many balls in the air and is an absolute efficiency trailblazer on every project she’s part of.
Making the most of every minute of every day, Jess is our go-to for executing integrated campaigns that get all the eyeballs.
Ash McEnaney
Group Account Director
Skilled with the quill thanks to over 15 years of experience in PR and journalism, Ash has mastered the art of storytelling and creating newsworthy brand moments.
Not just a copywriting cool cat, she prides herself as being 'AO' or 'always on', eagle eyeing every minute detail until it is pitch perfect.
An astute and thoughtful leader, her management style is top notch – and her email game is unmatched.
Renai Hagstrom
Account Director
With a CV that reads like a who’s who of beauty and lifestyle, Renai knows how to make any moment pop.
Whether she’s crafting scroll-stopping content or turning everyday products into must-haves, she’s got a sixth sense for making brands famous.
From her early days mastering the art of the infomercial (you bet she can sell you that miracle mop) to her current role as the unofficial office prankster, Renai has more strings to her bow than most – and it’s this kind of infectious energy, swift thinking and killer eye for detail that makes her the only person you'll want leading your team.
Holly Cesan
Account Director
Detail, design nous and dress sense are three words that immediately come to mind to describe the incredibly accomplished Holly. From hustling startups to orchestrating high-profile events with industry giants, she makes it look easy (which, as we know, is actually reallllly hard).
A master at anticipating client needs, she leaves no stone unturned in her pursuit of KPIs and editorial that scratches well beyond the surface.
Emma Matuschka
Senior Account Director
Emma has had a long career in comms, most recently combining her PR chops with a talent management string to her bow. As a result, she can easily sort the news from the noise and is adept at 'jacking' the trends du jour.
Crucially, she understands how to meet the different needs of media houses, segmenting her stories to appeal to a wide-ranging target list that spotlights (and contains) all the right key messages for her clients.
It also helps that she is a great talker, has a knack for thinking what will bring an idea to life…and did we mention she could sell a cape to superman?
Charlotte Caines
Senior Media Director
Wrangling influencers and keeping up with the every-changing algorithm is all in a day's work for Charlotte, who has years of experience working for pop culture and lifestyle brands.
With a PR background that morphed into new media, her superpower lies in knowing who’s hot and who’s about to be amongst the who’s who, meaning our campaigns are always backfilled with just the right mix of headturners.
Adept at cultivating connections and nurturing networks, she is an unbeatable match in turning eyeballs into intention in the social sphere.
Ruby Hayes
Senior Account Executive
A trained lawyer and comms minor, Ruby is a calm, clever and oh so cool operator that takes pride in teaching the old dogs in the office some new trickery.
From Canva to coding, we’re yet to throw a brief her way that she can’t clock, providing real-time reporting on the wins and WIPs.
A media miner, Ruby is a masterclass in uncovering every opportunity for her clients, leaning on her ever-growing little black book of allies along the way.
Angelique Brinkert
Finance Manager
Everyone’s favourite person come the 15th of the month, Ange has the ability to make any wayward receipt magically reappear and has been intimately accustomed to Jess’ late night Uber movements as a result. Keeping the ship sailing due North and making sure we never miss a due date, she’s the numbers brain in a sea of creative crew.
Klara Allen
Account Coordinator
Quietly confident and always composed, Klara is the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who keeps the wheels spinning.
She beavers away with precision, keeping every detail in check while staying effortlessly in the loop with the latest hacks, trends and tools. Fast friends with all the right people (and never missing a name or a handle), she’s the go-to for smooth coordination and pitch-perfect moments that pop online and IRL. From timelines to tablescapes, if it needs to look good and run like clockwork – Klara’s on it.
Agnes Fa’agutu
Account Coordinator
Rising the ranks from superstar intern (and one of our Māori & Pasifika scholarship recipients) to fulltime team member, Agnes is a true example of when the student becomes the master.
With a keen eye for spotting emerging trends and a considered approach to crossing t's and dotting i's, Agnes excels in harnessing the influence of social media platforms to craft dynamic and impactful campaigns that ensure her clients stand out in today's ever-evolving landscape.
As a keen gamer, she also brings insider cred and cultural fluency to our tech and lifestyle clients.
Ruby McKenzie
Account Coordinator
New to the team and already making waves, Ruby brings a fresh spark of energy and ideas to the agency floor. A true culture connoisseur, she’s tapped into the Gen-Z zeitgeist and can sniff out a TikTok trend before it hits the masses.
Having grown up in hotels and lived a childhood abroad, Ruby pairs global perspective with an unshakable curiosity – and a famously dry sense of humour that keeps the team laughing. Whether she’s pitching big ideas or decoding internet culture, she’s got her fashionable finger firmly on the pulse.
Justine Hazlett
Office Manager
A former executive producer skilled in orchestrating large crowds and extras on film sets, calming the Undertow zoo is child’s play for Justine.
With an eye for all things aesthetic and a true love for a spreadsheet thanks to her militant training in television production, she was truly a gift from the Grey Lynn Grapevine community page when we went in search for a showroom steward.
Everyone needs a Justine in their corner, she’s the ultimate hype woman, floral stylist, party planner, caffeine connoisseur and creative mailer queen.
Our values
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We take the dark out of the ‘dark arts’. We think that our clients, the media and public we are talking to as well as our team members must be able to always trust what we say, that we know what we are doing and that we will always keep our word.
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Boring people can’t tell or sell stories. Our team gets in and around all the angles and what ifs, so we have an unfaltering belief that what we are doing is the best route and we have explored all avenues.
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This is the most important PR trait. The squeaky wheel gets the grease is our absolute mantra. In the simplest terms it means you get what you paid for and more.
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We want people who want to keep learning. Each of our team has a personal desire to succeed and a mutual drive to support – raising the bar with each execution for themselves and their clients.
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We aren’t bedded down in global mandates or overheads. This means we can be flexible to client and business needs.
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Things move rapidly in media and social. We get things done (and right) the first time for maximum efficiency.