The leadership team behind Weber Shandwick Australia has officially launched VOCAL, a new earned-first communications agency designed to help brands build authority across both traditional media and AI-driven information channels.Headquartered in Sydney, the agency opens its doors with foundation clients spanning the corporate, technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. VOCAL is spearheaded by co-founders and managing partners Angela Malkin and Jami Gandha, alongside head of strategy Addie Freyne and client director Akina Taniguchi, supported by a broader team of former Weber Shandwick talent.The agency's creation stems from a fundamental shift in how brands are discovered and evaluated, as artificial intelligence increasingly reshapes how information is surfaced, interpreted, and recommended. VOCAL’s core proposition focuses on helping brands establish themselves as trusted entities that human audiences rely on, journalists quote, and AI systems reference.Co-founder Angela Malkin noted that the communications landscape has evolved past simply capturing attention. “For decades, communications has been about earning attention. Today, it's about Earning Authority,” Malkin said, emphasizing that while traditional fundamentals like trusted relationships and independent credibility remain vital, the ways people and AI search for information have fundamentally transformed.To back this approach, VOCAL has introduced a proprietary Earned Authority Index framework designed to measure a brand'

Weber Shandwick Australia has expanded its strategy team, appointing Addie Freyne as director of earned creative strategy and shifting Tran Nguyen?ÇÖs focus to earned thinking.These changes reflect the agency?ÇÖs sharpened focus on creating impactful, idea-driven, and channel-agnostic earned strategies that connect and create impact.As audience behaviours shift and cultural trends move faster than ever, brands are under more pressure to show up in the moments that matter ?Çö and to do it with authenticity, relevance and strategic smarts. Weber Shandwick?ÇÖs earned-first approach is built on exactly that: helping brands earn their place in the conversations that count, not just securing press coverage.Addie?ÇÖs appointment recognises her exceptional track record in navigating this complex landscape. With over a decade of experience working with some of the world?ÇÖs most dynamic brands ?Çö including Pfizer, Zoom, Bentley, SC Johnson, ServiceNow, IBM ?Çö Addie brings a powerful combination of strategic rigour and creative flair. Her background spans issues management, content marketing and integrated communications, giving her a deep understanding of how to craft stories that not only capture attention but drive action.?Ç£My mission has always been to make the complicated simple ?Çö and, more importantly, interesting,?Ç¥ said Addie. ?Ç£Today, earned isn?ÇÖt about pushing content into the void and hoping it lands. It?ÇÖs about finding the story that earns attention, builds trust, and inspires people to care. That?ÇÖs where real strategic thinking changes the game.?Ç¥Having spent six years as a creative strategist for Jack Morton ?Çö the acclaimed brand experience agency now allied with Weber Shandwick Australia ?Çö Tran Nguyen will be refocusing her talents toward earned-led work. Through the unique alliance between Weber Shandwick and Jack Morton, Tran brings the best of Creative, PR, and Experience thinking to her approach. With a sharp analytical mind and a flair for creative storytelling, she is a rising star, blending data insights with cultural relevance to create strategies that resonate. ?Ç£I?ÇÖve always believed the key to earning attention is showing up authentically in the spaces people care about,?Ç¥ said Tran. ?Ç£I?ÇÖm excited to help brands tap into cultural moments and community dynamics in ways that feel genuine and lasting.?Ç¥The expansion of the strategy team is a clear signal of where the industry ?Çö and Weber Shandwick ?Çö is headed. ?Ç£Earned media has fundamentally changed,?Ç¥ said Angela Malkin, head of Weber Shandwick Australia. ?Ç£It?ÇÖs no longer just about getting coverage. We have to earn the right to be part of the conversations people are already having ?Çö and that means understanding audience behaviour, tapping into cultural shifts, and building ideas that matter. Addie and Tran?ÇÖs appointment reflect our commitment to leading that change.?Ç¥As Weber Shandwick continues to invest in strategic expertise, the agency remains focused on helping brands navigate a constantly shifting media environment with campaigns that are insight-led, culturally connected, and above all, earned.