ARIA & PPCA Appoints New Communications Strategy Group That 'Will Drive Real Impact'

ARIA and PPCA have appointed a new company for corporate and strategic communications.

Shoebridge Knowles Media Group (SKMG) will take over the communications strategy effective immediately, working directly with ARIA & PPCA Chief Executive Officer Annabelle Herd, Chief Operating Officer Lynne Small and their team. 

SKMG was launched by Neil Shoebridge and Andrew Knowles and has grown to include Seven West Media, News Corp Australia, Nature, Involved Media, The Lab, Network 10, Free TV Australia and more as clients since 2018. 

"I’m very excited to welcome SKMG to the ARIA and PPCA teams," said Herd. 

"Having worked with Neil and Andrew before, I know they excel at communications and will drive real impact for our industry. I look forward to working with Neil and Andrew so ARIA and PPCA’s voices are heard loud and clear.”

“ARIA, PPCA and their members make a critically important economic, cultural and social contribution to Australia, and we are very excited to be part of telling their story," added Shoebridge. "We can't wait to start working with Annabelle, Lynne and the team."

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"It’s been an incredibly challenging period for all of Australia’s creative industries, none more so than our music industry," said Knowles. 

"Our wealth of extraordinary Australian talent has long been held in high global esteem. It’s an honour to take on such an important voice at the critical moment we make a return to live touring and performance."

Herd joined ARIA & PPCA  as CEO in January 2021, having previously held the role of CEO at Network Ten. 

As well as a 16-year tenure at the TV network, Herd has worked as the Senior Advisor (Broadcasting and Copyright) and Acting Chief of Staff for then Minister for Communications and the Arts, Richard Alston, while other roles include Government Lawyer within the intellectual property branch of the Attorney-General’s Department and Executive Officer of the Australian Digital Alliance and Australian Libraries Copyright Committee.

Herd took over from long-time CEO Dan Rosen who left the role after 10 years to take over as President at Warner Music Australasia from Niko Nordström. 

"It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as Chief Executive of ARIA and PPCA for ten years," Rosen said when the departure was announced in September 2020. 

"As an industry we ended the decade in a much stronger position than we started, with a return to growth, credibility and optimism."