Marketing powerhouse P4 Group and Ruby Communications rebrand as 'Sabio'
Renowned Integrated Communications Agencies Celebrate Growth
by Hitting Refresh
Today, integrated marketing and communications powerhouse, P4 Group and sister agency, Ruby Communications announce an agency rebrand, now officially debuting as ‘Sabio’.
Today, integrated marketing and communications powerhouse, P4 Group and sister agency, Ruby Communications announce an agency rebrand, now officially debuting as ‘Sabio’.
Under the new brand, the group will design business solutions that funnel close to three decades of experience into cleverly crafted campaigns and creative solutions for their expansive client list. With a fleet of creatives and way of thinking that doesn’t sit on the side of the majority, Sabio brings a re-energised approach to marketing, stakeholder and communications and a promise to elevate the everyday, into the unexpected.
In August of 2020, Brisbane powerhouse agency, P4 Group, joined forces with Ruby Communications uniting their extensive media relations capabilities with P4’s existing communications, stakeholder management, digital marketing and creative services for clients across government, tourism, non-for-profit, hospitality, lifestyle and corporate sectors.
Managing Director, Naomi Spies states that it’s an exciting time to be in the industry, particularly with such a huge focus on collaboration and creativity―a space that Sabio knows all too well.
“Sabio will always be a fluid agency that is ever-changing and ever-evolving to adapt to the fast-moving industries we work within, bringing a clever, highly integrated lens to our client’s needs across communications, creative, digital, marketing and engagement,” says Spies.
“The last three decades has allowed us to work with so many brands, corporations and Government projects and it’s been an amazing ride, but I can genuinely tell you, the best is yet to come.”
Echoing Spies’ remarks is Sabio Founder and CEO, Adrian Basile, who says the rebrand was a necessary change to highlight the talent of the team and its ability to bring the absolute best to the table.
“From what started as a traditional communications agency almost three decades ago with a sole focus on media relations, we are now a campaign-driven agency that delivers exceptional integrated work across a multitude of sectors—we really needed a brand that spoke to this innovative shift,” says Basile.
“We want people to know that we’ll be carrying all of our experience and incredible team into Sabio – our team are the lifeblood of our company so it’s important to us that we bring our highly skilled mix of individuals and our vibrant culture into this next chapter.
“Through Sabio, we’ll deliver work that meshes our ability as powerful storytellers with campaigns that are inherently and cleverly, you. What we’ll bring to the table are ideas that not only bring out the best in our partnering brands and companies, but the unexpected and the surprising.”
Sabio is defined as clever, learned and Spanish for ‘wise,’ and encapsulates the agency’s history as an experienced, trusted advisor while also enabling it to continue its trajectory as an exciting company designing work for clients that is ‘cleverly, you.’
Sabio holds offices across Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast, and specialises in an extensive mix of services spanning marketing, PR and communications, digital, marketing, engagement and creative.
Recent agency work includes campaigns and projects with Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Economic Development Agency, Gallagher Bassett, Tourism and Events Queensland, Major Events Gold Coast, Bicycle Queensland, Multicultural Australia, Ghanem Group, Hallmark Group, Home of the Arts (HOTA), Lung Foundation Australia, Outback Queensland, Youly and Nobby’s Beach Village.
For more information, contact Sabio Communications Director Laura Carlin via laura@sabio.com.au
Internship Experience
I am in my final semester of a Master of Digital Communications degree at QUT and over the past six weeks I have completed an internship with Sabio.
I wanted to do an internship to cement the things I’ve learned over the course of my degree and to gain some practical knowledge and experience. No class or assignment at Uni can compare to the experience of being amongst communication professionals in the office and being assigned tasks from real-life clients to work on!
What I’ve learned
The main thing I’ve learned through my experience at Sabio is how a professional communications agency operates and what a typical day at work looks and feels like. The team at Sabio were super supportive in tailoring my internship to my personal interests and goals, and I got to work on lots of exciting digital communications projects. I learned what it’s like to create social media content for a variety of different clients and it was so rewarding to see my work posted to high-profile pages with thousands of followers.
What surprised me
The thing that surprised me most was how professionally the internship was run and the way I was always busy and being given different tasks to complete. Each day I had my own structured workload assigned to me which meant I was always focused on one task, allowing me to really become immersed in what I was doing.
The best part of being an intern
The best part of being an intern at Sabio was being able to network and gain advice from professionals in the industry. The feedback and guidance I received was so helpful and I’m sure I will take it with me throughout my professional career. I was also able to narrow down my perception of what I’d like to do when I graduate, and I now have a clearer idea of what kind of positions I’d like to apply for next year.
The hardest part of being an intern
The hardest part of being an intern for me was being confident enough to believe my work was up to standard for a professional communications agency.
Submitting an assignment at Uni is one thing, but it can be even more daunting when there are real clients at stake. The team at Sabio were really encouraging and supportive, and I was able to improve my quality of work and general skills through the feedback I was given.
I would highly recommend an internship at Sabio for any student who wants to gain some practical experience and build their confidence. I feel more excited and ready to finish my degree and enter the workforce because of my internship at Sabio Group.
Written by Katie Fotheringham
Tips for the Transition: From Inhouse to Agency
As communications professionals, deciding whether to hang on the inhouse or agency side of the fence is one of the most common decisions we face.
For those of us who are a fence sitter or perhaps just like to try everything once, transitioning between the two can be a challenge. More often than not, we hear the stories of people beginning in agency and then transitioning into inhouse – but less so do we hear from those who go the other way.
Though it feels like much longer, a few short months ago I made the jump from a career within inhouse communications and marketing roles over to the flipside – agency. If I were to do it all again, here are the tips I would share with my former self on how to flourish through this complex change.
Be a sponge!
My mum always used to tell me to ‘soak it up’ and at one point or another in my career, it finally made sense. Though it was never more prevalent than in this transition. Like so many new experiences, whether coming in as the intern or an Account Director at an agency, it’s important to swallow your ego and show true commitment to learning the ropes. You’ll need to remind yourself that there’s no such thing as a dumb question over and over and over.
In my first few weeks at P4 Group, I was likely considered the ‘quiet girl’. I sat back and listened to as many conversations as I could, read anything and everything I could get my hands on, and simply learnt all that I could from those around me. My colleagues would be quick to tell you now that this quietness has well and truly warded off now – but at the time, it was vital for my learning. Being thrown into a totally new way of working means you can be quick to second guess your natural working style. The more I learned from others, the quicker I started to feel confident in finding my own way of working.
Focus on what you know, not what you don’t
There are so many experiences you’ll need to learn in an agency environment. Things that are second nature to those around you can seem like daunting, confusing feats for a newbie to agency-style. From logging time on client tasks through to presenting proposals, all the newness can often leave you sitting in that ‘what on earth am I doing here?’ feeling.
In these moments, it’s critical that you remember what you know. Looking around the room, just as there are many experiences those with agency experience will have that you do not, there are so many – potentially even more – learnings that you can bring from your inhouse experiences.
Remember that diversity in an agency is like tonic to gin – it’s a key ingredient! Diverse opinions, experiences and skillsets are how true market-leading agencies thrive, so leverage your differences not as shortcomings, but as opportunities for all the new things you can bring to the table.
Treat your clients like your in house stakeholders
With an in-house role comes exposure that can’t be matched in agency. You are exposed to – and often working closely with – decision makers and executives well beyond the marketing or comms team. You will likely know the line of approvals and hierarchy of decisions like the back of your hand, and you are well and truly exposed to the entire organisation. When switching sides to agency, one of the biggest challenges faced can be getting a grasp on your clients without this innate understanding of their organisation.
While you will only ever be privy to the information your client is willing to share, putting in the hard yards in those early days to build strong relationships with your clients will make a big difference to how quickly you hit the ground running on accounts. I have found that it all comes down to treating each and every one of your clients as though you are their inhouse team. Despite it being a buzz phrase, working as an extension of your client’s team is well and truly the greatest way to quickly build trust and in turn, quickly see great outcomes.
Organisation will be your best friend
Whilst the age-old debate of whether those inhouse are cut out for the pace of agency or not will likely continue on, there’s no questioning you will need to focus more of your energy into organisation.
Remember that you are essentially going from working on the equivalent of one supersized client to two, three, four, five and beyond, so organising your time and knowledge across a broader range of topics with naturally be a hurdle. Whether it’s lists, calendar blocks, a note pad or a full suite of software, make a decision, find a system and stick with it as quick as you can. The more you can leverage the tools around you to help break down each complex client into achievable goals and needs, the quicker you’ll arrive at the day where you just get the hang of it!
If you’re interested in hearing more about a career in PR, connect with our team of experts today, get in touch with our Communications Director, Laura Carlin via laura@sabio.com.au