Special PR promotes a ‘real star’ of the team

Special PR has promoted senior PR manager Sophie Harsent to content director, in recognition of her contribution to the agency and clients alike.

Harsent has been part of Special PR for over four years, building and executing a body of integrated work across the agency’s client portfolio, including KFC, Whittaker’s, Kathmandu and Jaguar Land Rover NZ. 

Special founder Tony Bradbourne says: “Special’s integrated offering is unique in the New Zealand market – equally world-class across strategy and creative, PR, influence and activations, design and social – and Sophie is at the heart of so much of that. This is an extremely well-deserved promotion for a real star of the team.” 

Throughout her tenure, she has led and shaped content across every format, including more traditional earned media campaigns and influencer-led activations to social-first storytelling and production. Harsent’s work consistently sits at the intersection of culture and commerce, translating brand strategy into content that genuinely earns attention. 

She plays a central role in developing creative concepts, leading production and ensuring outputs land with impact across the entire channel ecosystem. 

Earning attention

Special PR managing director Kelly Grindle, says: “Sophie can concept an idea, map out production and rewrite a script on the go – all while making it look effortless. Watching her grow into this role has been one of the highlights of building this team, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.” 

Harsent adds that PR has always been about earning attention, but where and how audiences engage has fundamentally shifted.

“Content is now the connective across everything we do, bridging earned, social and owned in a way that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. This new role will allow me to push that further for our clients across the entire agency.” 

The promotion reflects both Harsent’s individual trajectory and a broader evolution in Special’s operations. As the lines between PR, social and content continue to blur, the agency has deepened its integrated offering. Harsent’s new role is designed to help strengthen that, sitting alongside the recent appointment of Jess Bovey as head of social and Liam Keeney as content manager.