The Cru, a leading specialist communications agency in restaurants, food, drink and destination, with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, has revealed a new brand identity today and launches a new-look newsletter, Cultured by The Cru.
After 11 years serving the hospitality and travel industries, and working with clients including Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong, Rene Redzepi and noma, and Tourism Australia, The Cru is re-emerging from a time of great change and reflection with an even stronger sense of purpose and identity.
The re-brand is the company’s first in 11 years- it is reflective of the evolution of the business over a decade, and a reinforcement of the services it has become renowned for. The new brand identity is contemporary, but draws on the heritage of The Cru by incorporating the crafted artisanal cues of its client community.
Jeanine Bribosia (right in main photo), The Cru’s director and founder, said, “Like many agencies, we’ve found ourselves in a time of serious upheaval and great change. The industry we work alongside has been in the eye of the storm, and we’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with them through it all, feeling the impact and shock, and now the change and evolution.”
“Everyone has had cause to reflect on what they stand for, what matters to them, and we are no different. We’re proud to be able to emerge from this time with the strongest sense in 11 years of who we are and what we contribute to our industry.”
Bribosia is also proud to welcome Shannon Blanchard (left), general manager of The Cru who has been with the business for over seven years, as a partner. Shannon started at The Cru as an account manager and quickly proved himself invaluable, working across some of the agency’s biggest accounts and then as client services director. As general manager, Shannon has learned every facet of the business over the past few years and is a vital part of the company’s continued growth and success, as well as client and team retention. Shannon oversees The Cru’s team based in Sydney and Melbourne.
Bribosia said, “Nothing could make me prouder than being able to offer this well-deserved opportunity to Shannon Blanchard. In 11 years of The Cru, we believe we have fostered some brilliant talent, all of whom are passionate about the industry we work in, none more so than Shannon. His smarts, dedication and expertise make him my perfect partner in The Cru, and I know his energy and passion will help take us into our second decade as industry leaders.”
Over the last few years, The Cru has diversified services from offering traditional media relations-led public relations to more wholistic campaigns that include content, KOL and influencer integration, talent management and specialist marketing capabilities. Over the last two years The Cru has published several books and produced sponsored video content for YouTube.
As industry specialists, The Cru prides itself on its deep understanding of the industry it works within, and its insider knowledge. The Cru’s weekly ‘intel’ newsletter curates the most interesting food, drink and travel news from Australia and around the world and collates it for curious readers. It has built a dedicated audience over the years and The Cru has decided to share it more broadly, with a new identity as ‘Cultured’.
Bribosia added, “I was asked many times during the past 18 months of Covid-19- ‘so this must be it for The Cru, are you thinking of changing industries, or diversifying, working with a more stable sector?’ And I was pleasantly surprised to find that the answer to that was a firm and instant ‘No. We will not be diversifying into vacuum cleaners or insurance. We love our industry, and we’ll continue as we began- as experts in this field.’ We want to thank our clients, past and present, for trusting us, sticking with us, allowing us to be part of their story and now their recovery.”
The Cru’s long-standing clients include: Matt Moran and Solotel; the Bentley Restaurant Group; Kylie Kwong; Food & Drink Victoria and Melbourne Food & Wine Festival; Voyager Estate; Breville; Bannisters Hotels; Two Good; Lendlease; Made in the Shade Group; NOMAD; Single O; and Three Blue Ducks.
New clients in 2021 include: Yalumba; Milpa Collective; Franca; East Coast Tasmania Tourism; The Point and Shell House; Providoor; The Henry Jones Art Hotel; and Kittawa Lodge.
