Q&A With Our Founding Directors, Cara Cunningham & Vanessa Lai
Neue Media, a specialised communications agency, excels in transforming retail, property, design, and consumer lifestyle brands. Our expertise lies in crafting captivating brand content and amplifying its impact across multiple channels, including strategic media placement, public relations, events, and social media platforms.
In this new blog series, we interview our Founding Directors Cara Cunningham and Vanessa Lai, who share their insights and experiences in owning and leading a successful communications agency.
Neue Media: Let’s start from the beginning. Can you share the story behind the inception of Neue Media?
Cara Cunningham: After years of working in both agency and client-side roles within the property industry, I was eager to create an integrated communications agency that brought together paid, earned, and owned media. As a property specialist, I had expertise in communications but needed a partner who could handle the ‘paid’ side of the business. Luckily, Vanessa and I were already acquainted by working in the same industry and shared a strong mutual respect for each other's work.
Vanessa Lai: As Cara and I collaborated on projects as separate consultancies, it became evident that our combined expertise and similar values made us a formidable team. We noticed a gap in the market, as there were no agencies offering both PR & Communications with Media under one roof. It made perfect sense for us to merge our businesses and form Neue Media.
NM: As Neue Media’s Founding Directors, what aspect of your role do you find most enjoyable?
VL: Our Neue Media team is incredibly close-knit, and we have the privilege of working with an extensive portfolio of clients whom we genuinely enjoy collaborating with. It's truly fulfilling to witness our projects come to life and deliver exceptional results for our clients.
CC: One of the aspects I find most gratifying is meeting passionate and dynamic entrepreneurs in the property industry. They bring us unique challenges and opportunities that keep us engaged every day. Additionally, being surrounded by intelligent, courageous, and fun individuals within our team makes coming to work an absolute joy. A special part of my role is mentoring them to achieve their personal goals and contributing to the growth of our agency.
NM: Can you share a standout project that Neue Media has successfully completed?
CC: One standout project at Neue Media was the Pace Penthouse campaign. It was the first time a property brand had attempted a large-scale consumer activation in collaboration with a major Melbourne sporting and cultural event.
This campaign not only won awards for our agency but also garnered PR coverage, social exposure and a media presence that eclipses anything a property brand had achieved previously.
VL: This campaign stands as a testament to the power of our integrated approach. By harnessing our collective efforts and resources, we delivered remarkable results for our clients.
NM: Cara, can you tell us about Neue Media’s expansion to Sydney?
CC: Neue Media Sydney has been in our sights for some time. With the recent launch of our Sydney office, our goal is to establish a dominant presence within the next 12 months. Recognising a significant opportunity in the market where there is currently a lack of comprehensive and focused PR and media agencies, we are committed to growing our market share and providing Sydney clients with the integrated communications service they've been missing.