AUCKLAND, Friday: Undertow Media proudly welcomes Agnes Faagutu as the 2024 recipient of the Undertow Media Māori and Pasifika Communication Studies Scholarship.
Established in collaboration with AUT, the scholarship provides real-world PR experience for Māori and Pasifika communications students during their final year.
Agnes, a New Zealand-born Samoan, is the third scholar, benefiting from tuition coverage for her third year at AUT and a paid internship at Undertow Media’s Grey Lynn studio. She emphasizes the importance of representation and inclusion for Pacific Islanders in the communications industry.
Embedded in Undertow’s brand is ‘an implicit influence leaving a particular impression that isn’t obvious on the surface.’ The agency creates positive change for clients like Persolkelly, working for the Census 2023, Giltrap Group, and Countdown Woolworths. Their work with Persolkelly and Dave Letele was a finalist in the diversity, equity, and inclusion category at the recent Communications Council Pressie Awards.
“We’re confident, great speakers, and natural-born storytellers.”
Agnes states, “We’re not well represented in communications, but we’re incredibly well suited to PR. We’re confident, great speakers, and natural-born storytellers. It’s in us. Call it PI PR.”
Undertow’s Managing Director, Greer Bland, sees the scholarship as a way to encourage diverse representation. “In 2020, we decided that PR in New Zealand needed a realistic discussion on inclusion, and we did something about it. Māori and Pasifika cultures bring substance to Aotearoa, and varied perspectives applied to our comms campaigns are vital to genuine engagement.”
Producing campaigns that resonate honestly with diverse audiences is at the core of what Undertow Media offers. The team is eager to lead the next frontier of communications and is thrilled to have Agnes join, looking forward to mutual learning.
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