The Reputation Group

What The Reputation Group does

The Reputation Group is a boutique strategic communications agency founded in 2004 and headquartered at 80-88 Greville Street, Prahran, Melbourne, Australia. The firm specializes in behavior change campaigns, social marketing, public relations, and stakeholder engagement for a client base that spans Australian federal and state government agencies, non-profit organizations, and select commercial enterprises. Leadership comprises Managing Director Lelde McCoy (30 years of industry experience, Life Fellow and former National President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia) and Communications and Campaigns Director Kate Gellweiler, supported by an extended panel of academic and research associates.

The agency's offering comprises seven integrated service lines: behavior change services, communication plans, health and wellness communications, stakeholder relations (built on the IAP2 participation spectrum), media relations, content development, and digital and social media services. There is no proprietary technology platform, software product, or API. The firm's underlying capability rests on applied behavioral science, consumer insights, systems thinking, and rigorous evaluation frameworks, strengthened through partnerships with the University of Queensland, RMIT University, and research specialists such as Empirica Research. Documented campaign outcomes include a 50% reduction in cigarette butt littering (Sustainability Victoria's 'Don't be a Tosser'), a 39% increase in physical activity among pilot participants ('Think on Your Feet!'), and 76% of mid-life women sustaining increased dairy consumption post-Fit Fab & 50.

Revenue is generated on a professional services basis through project-based consulting fees for campaign development, implementation, and ongoing strategic counsel. The go-to-market motion is sales-led, with senior professionals engaging directly with enterprise, government, and NGO clients. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent entity, or institutional investment. Operations span Victoria and Australia more broadly, with named clients including the Victorian Department of Health, DonateLife, DrinkWise Australia, Sustainability Victoria, AIA Australia, Telstra, Westpac, and the Transport Accident Commission.

Name

The Reputation Group

Legal name

The Reputation Group

Website

https://thereputationgroup.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Reputation Group is a Melbourne-based boutique strategic communications agency specializing in behavior change campaigns, public relations, and stakeholder engagement for Australian government agencies, non-profit organizations, and select commercial enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications and Public Relations Services

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Reputation Management & Online PR (BPAFADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Reputation & Thought Leadership (MPAAAOAF), Social Media Reputation & Community Management (MPAAAOAI), Reputation Recovery & Rebranding Post-Crisis (MPAAAOAP)

Keywords

• Strategic communications
• Behaviour change campaigns
• Public relations services
• Social marketing agency
• Stakeholder engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Professional consulting services for strategic communications, behaviour change campaigns, public relations, and stakeholder engagement. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for campaign development, implementation, and ongoing strategic counsel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Reputation Group is a boutique strategic communications agency that develops and delivers integrated behaviour change campaigns, public relations, stakeholder engagement, media relations, health communications, content development, and digital/social media services. The agency serves government agencies, NGOs, and commercial clients primarily across Australia, producing campaigns and communication strategies grounded in behavioural science and consumer insights.

Product overview

The Reputation Group is an award-winning strategic communications agency offering a unified portfolio of professional services rather than a software platform. The core offering consists of seven integrated service lines: Behaviour Change Services (social marketing campaigns), Communication Plans (strategy development), Health and Wellness Communications, Stakeholder Relations, Media Relations, Content Development, and Digital and Social Media Services. These services are delivered as consultancy engagements led by senior professionals, with support from a network of expert associates and specialist partners in areas such as market research, behavioural economics, social psychology, advertising, branding, and community development. The agency does not offer a software product, API, or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Behaviour Change Services Social marketing services that translate research-based insights into creative campaigns to influence attitudes, change behaviours, create movements, and advance policies using systems thinking. Designed for government agencies, NGOs, and commercial clients tackling complex social issues.
• Communication Plans Action-oriented communications strategies and implementation roadmaps that summarise situations, identify target audiences and risks, develop messages, implement content and channel strategies, and develop evaluation plans for organisations seeking strategic counsel.
• Health and Wellness Communications Health behaviour-change communications services with a proven record educating Australians about critical health issues including organ donation, alcohol consumption, obesity, asthma, cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Targeted at government health agencies, NGOs, and commercial wellness programs.
• Stakeholder Relations Systematic stakeholder engagement based on the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) spectrum, including community consultation, workshop facilitation, advisory groups, and engagement strategy development for clients managing complex stakeholder environments.
• Media Relations Media campaign services focused on timely, relevant storytelling across print, broadcast, and online platforms, including media strategy, press office services, and proactive media outreach that helps organisations accomplish business objectives.
• Content Development Creation of engaging and entertaining content that tells stories, educates, and inspires audiences, including social experiments, white papers, infographics, videos, and shareable digital content for campaigns and brand communications.
• Digital and Social Media Services Integrated communications through digital and social media, including social media strategy and policy development, evaluation plans, content calendars, website development, copywriting, blogging, and social media intelligence for clients seeking multi-platform digital engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Butt littering behaviour decreased by half for 'Don't be a Tosser' campaign
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• University of QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with TRG on the AIA Vitality social experiment conducted at Federation Square, Melbourne. The experiment studied incentivisation as a tool to change health behaviours, with research conducted alongside the university.
• Jean Hailes for Women's HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership developed for the Fit Fab & 50 Challenge to motivate mid-life women to prevent osteoporosis. Jean Hailes provided health expertise and credibility to the campaign.
• Empirica Research (Dr Cassie Govan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanel of expert providing specialist input including Dr Cassie Govan, Founder of Empirica Research with PhD in Psychology and specialist in behaviour change research. Partnered on final evaluation of Healthy Together Victoria social marketing initiatives.
• RMIT University (Noel Turnbull)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanel of expert including Noel Turnbull, Adjunct Professor at RMIT University and one of Australia's most respected communications and issues management strategists.
• Bright Design (Ron Whitfield)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPanel of expert Ron Whitfield, Design Director of Bright Design, provides visual communications design expertise. Leading visual communications designer with strengths in distilling essence of big ideas.
• Victorian Department of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership working with the Victorian Department of Health on population health interventions including Healthy Together Victoria social marketing campaign delivered across 14 Local Government Areas.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SenateSHJ: Australian strategic communications and public affairs consultancy headquartered in Sydney with Melbourne presence. Comparable as a mid-sized Australian firm offering strategic counsel, stakeholder engagement, and behaviour-change campaigns to government and corporate clients.
• Sling & Stone: Australian integrated communications agency combining PR, social, and content. Overlaps with The Reputation Group on government and purpose-led campaigns for behaviour change and stakeholder engagement in Australia.
• Thrive PR: Australian consumer and corporate PR agency working with brands on reputation, integrated campaigns, and stakeholder communications. Comparable boutique-to-mid-tier competitor in the Australian market for brand and behaviour-change work.
• Palaszczuk and Co: Australian strategic communications and advisory firm focused on government, public affairs, and corporate reputation. Comparable boutique competitor for public-sector and behaviour-change briefs, particularly in Victoria.

Broad incumbents

• Ogilvy PR Australia: Global advertising and communications network with a large Australian PR and social-marketing practice. Competes for the same government and enterprise briefs as The Reputation Group but offers broader geographic and service-line scale.
• Edelman Australia: Global public relations firm with a strong Australian footprint in corporate reputation, health, and public affairs. Directly comparable in health and behaviour-change campaigns but operates at materially larger scale.
• FleishmanHillard Australia: International PR and integrated communications agency with Australian offices. Competes for the same public-sector and corporate reputation work as The Reputation Group with deeper multi-market capabilities.
• Burson (Australia): Global communications and public affairs consultancy with established Australian operations. Comparable on government, public affairs, and corporate reputation briefs, with substantially larger bench and crisis-management resources.
• WE Communications (Australia): Global communications agency with technology and social-purpose strength, active in Australia through partnerships and regional offices. Overlaps on purpose-led and behaviour-change campaigns for enterprise and government.
• Ketchum (Australia): International public relations firm with APAC presence and strong health and social-marketing practice. Direct competitor for healthcare, NGO, and behaviour-change mandates at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thereputationgr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-reputation-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Reputation Group