Nau Mai, Haere Mai
Welcome, brave one, to Aotearoa New Zealand’s home of kaupapa driven communications.
Māia means brave. But it isn’t reckless bravery.
It’s the bravery of Polynesian master navigators when they set sail for Aotearoa, and looked to the stars to guide the way.
Māia is bravery, grounded in knowledge. And that is what is woven into all that we do.
We empower you, the changemaker of the business world, with expert and inspired communication knowledge, so that you can be māia.
He aha tō kaupapa?
The way we work with you is like weaving a tukutuku: the intricately woven walls of a meeting house.
But to create a tukutuku, you need a plan, a purpose. So that’s the first thing we ask: “He aha tō kaupapa? What’s your purpose?”
Once we know your purpose, we can weave together our knowledge and perspectives, to create something uniquely beautiful. And tell your story to the world.
Mihi
Blake
Co-founder
Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngai Tuhoe, Ngāti Maniapoto
Mihi has deep experience and knowledge of the NZ media landscape, having worked across all traditional and new media platforms. After spending 15 years in NZ’s largest media companies working strategically with clients to construct integrated communications and marketing campaigns across digital, TV, radio and print, she moved to specialise in communications.
She uses her extensive experience planning and implementing media strategies that make the best use of a budget and leverages her long-term connections in the New Zealand media industry to ensure genuine impact.
Mihi has a passion for supporting and empowering businesses and enterprises who have bold aspirations and a genuine desire to change their world. She specialises in advising companies to build diversity into the heart of their business and has a particular interest in helping to build cultural capability in organisations.
Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, she has deep connections in te ao Māori and guides Māori world view in the Māia team.
Bee
Stevenson
Co-founder
Bee is an experienced publicist, brand strategist, marketer and writer. With qualifications in journalism, creative writing and creative advertising, Bee has led creative public relations campaigns for a number of national and international brands.
Bee set up her own practice – Brave Bear Publicity – in 2013, with the goal to deliver brave ideas for brave clients driven by social impact. She and Mihi later partnered over a shared value base and a desire to scale up their impact. Under Māia, Bee works on creative strategy, brand positioning, and leads the writing team.
Based on the Kāpiti Coast, Bee is the external communications voice behind some of Aotearoa’s most loved impact brands including Manaaki, Nau Mai Rā, Festival for the Future and Digital Boost.
Penelope
Thompson
Penelope leads the workflow of our team and works alongside Bee overseeing the Māia Cause and Māia Startup pou.
P brings more than a decade of experience spanning the full range of communications specialties. Adept at working closely with businesses to link communications with business strategy and impact, she has a track record of calm, skilful delivery of results, every time.
Based in Onehunga where she is raising her three boys, Penelope has qualifications in Politics, French, Italian, PR and Communications. It is a love of language and diversity that brought Penelope into the industry. It’s her passion for delivering outstanding communications that shift perceptions and make a measurable difference in the world that keeps her here.
Noenoe
Barclay-Kerr
Junior Communications Advisor
Waikato, Ngāti Māhuta, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Māhanga
Noe worked in the media industry before joining Māia, where she gained skills presenting, translating, directing, producing, in content development and consulting – with a focus on progressing kaupapa Māori in that space. Her path has seen her working with large organisations and smaller companies who aim to build the cultural capacity of their business.
She is deeply involved in her community, which is heavily influenced by te ao Māori. Raised fully immersed in te reo Māori she has a BA in Te Reo me ngā Tikanga Māori from the faculty of Indigenous Studies at Waikato University.
Media and communications have become a passion for Noe, and this passion led her to Māia. At Māia Noe leads te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, and marries her growing skills in traditional communications with her innate knowledge and wisdom of all things Te Ao Māori, to help clients create truly integrated communications strategies that consider both business and kaupapa.
In her downtime, Noe sails waka hourua, and helps her whānau trust to educate rangatahi and tamariki on the importance of mātauranga Māori and the achievements of their tūpuna.
Tilly
van Eeden
Communications Executive
Tilly works full time between Pōneke and Kāpiti and has been with the team since the beginning of 2021. She joined after completing her Bachelor of Communication degree at Massey University and finishing up a six-month communication internship for a charitable trust.
Throughout her studies and work experience, Tilly learnt how to write both strategically and creatively, discovered the importance of curiosity and research, and explored the role of media and technology in a rapidly changing, globalised world.
After graduating, Tilly received a Massey Scholar Award, a Dean’s List Award, and the PRINZ Prize in Public Relations Management. During her study, she gained top student awards in seven different courses. She has quickly become a safe pair of hands, working across campaigns, managing timelines, helping to develop strategy, publishing articles and achieving impact for our clients.
Phil
Howling
Music Business Consultant
Phil is a music industry legend. With over 25 years experience working in domestic and international music markets, he most recently spent 12 successful years heading Warner Music New Zealand.
Phil has represented and worked with many of New Zealand’s most high profile artists including Kimbra, Shihad and Hollie Smith – contributing to numerous multi-platinum #1 albums and singles, and multiple New Zealand music awards.
He has also clocked up major local market success with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Dua Lipa.
Phil guides strategy and direction of all things music and entertainment for the Māia team.
Our Strengths
Brand
Story
We work together to define your purpose, then we craft your tone of voice and narrative for all earned and paid media.
Conscious Marketing & Communications Strategy
We bring to life creative ideas that align with your resources, your purpose, and deliver maximum impact.
Media Buying
& Strategy
With our extensive knowledge of media channels, we ensure your ad spend is intentional, strategic, and worth every cent.
Media & Influencer
Relations
We offer extensive and influential networks in both traditional and social media.
Culture and
Diversity
We help you navigate diversity, inclusion, and culture in an authentic way, and build it into the heart of your business.
Campaign
Management
We manage your entire campaign: from strategy, to execution, to reporting your impact.
Editing / Publication
Management
Newsletters (eDMs), speeches, contributed articles, media releases and websites.
Artist
Promotion
Strategic music and entertainment industry advisory. Promotion, publicity and marketing expertise for music and creative artists.
Communications
Coaching
We host media training and strategy coaching for your team.
Crisis / Issues Management
A cool, collected approach to authentic resolution through communications.
Let’s Kōrero
Whether things are about to take off or fall to pieces, we would love to hear from you. Come to our table, have some tea and let’s be māia together.
Our clients, our whānau
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- 2021 Māia.