About us
Let’s get Straight to our story
Passionate about the growing power of the PR industry, Hannah O’Donnell founded Straight Up PR in 2013. The business was created to fill a gap in the market for a PR agency that specialised in health & wellness, both inside & outside of work.
We are proud to work with much-loved brands, businesses, products & people of influence in the Food & Drink, Health, Lifestyle & Better-For-You industries in Australia & New Zealand.
​ "We strive to be the best we can be & do our best work for clients, in an authentic & Straight Up way. We’re not perfect, but we’re better," says Hannah O'Donnell.
In 2019, we recognised a need for a PR agency that could help New Zealand brands cross the Tasman to reach a new audience. We are known as the tried & tested Australian PR agency of choice, who will successfully launch your brand into this market.
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Our culture exudes authenticity & prioritises the fostering of relationships & building of communities - the essence of what PR is all about.
Not conforming to traditional PR ways of working, & after noticing the emerging need for 'New PR' practices, Straight Up PR has founded their very own New PR Playbook & consistently delivers impactful integrative communication campaigns via new & traditional Media avenues. The four pillars of the Playbook include New & Traditional Media, Creative Mailers, Brand Collaborations & Influencer Campaigns.
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Our Straight Up Approach
We are straight talking & passionate people who always deliver the results that matter most to our clients. We are all about understanding people, building & maintaining relationships, cutting the spin & being real. Remaining knowledgeable & trustworthy to our clients, Media & Influencers is key to our success. We love what we do, we love the people we work with & we will only take on your business if we believe in you & what you're trying to achieve.
Hannah O'Donnell
Founder & Managing Director
With her infectious energy, strong industry knowledge & unique business attributes, Hannah loves building positive relationships with all kinds of people – Media, Influencers, clients & her team.
​Equipped with a bachelor of Communications majoring in Marketing & PR, & boasting over 20 years experience in the industry, Hannah has delivered a number of successful integrated communications campaigns for leading brands in Australia & New Zealand, including Pic's Peanut Butter, Whittaker's, Woolworths, Vicks, Freedom Foods, Dr Bronner's, Australian Dental Association: Dental Health Week, SkyZone, Johnson & Johnson, Destination NSW, VisitCanberra, Fairfax Media & Events, Nikon, Moet Hennessy & Fitbit.
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Practicing what she preaches, Hannah believes in work/life integration & trusts that especially working in PR, you should be 'on' all the time - consuming Media (Traditional & Social) & always finding it a joy to think of the next opportunity you're going to secure your client. With this mindset, Hannah also encourages her team to put their own health first, & even when life gets 'full' to keep up with their daily wellbeing practices, as she's seen first hand how this results in a more productive & happy team, who produce outstanding work everyone is proud of.
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In her first year of business at Straight Up PR, Hannah was awarded B&T’s 30 Under 30 Award, & she continues to inspire people with her powerful leadership skills & positive attitude to work & life.
Hannah is not only a proud businessowner but a delighted Mum & Wife to two fun loving kids, Frankie & Beau, husband Craig & fur baby Piper. In Hannah’s down time, you’ll find her enjoying a mat Pilates class, at the beach, going for nature walks, watching reality TV on catch up, entertaining friends with a killer platter & margarita in hand or hatching their next reno plan.
Nastasia Marjanovic
General Manager
Nastasia has a passion for delivering integrated & impactful campaigns that get people talking.
A creative thinker & straight-talker, Nastasia gets a real kick from bringing to life campaigns with impactful & tangible results for clients & has enjoyed sharing her experience & expertise at the Naturally Good Expo in 2021, 2022, & again in 2024.
With over 10 years experience specialising in the FMCG space across Australia & New Zealand, with clients including the likes of Pic's Peanut Butter, Whittaker's, Proper Crisps, Dr Bonner's, PopBox, Mukti Organics & Melrose Health, Nastasia draws from her authentic relationships she's built in the industry & drives real conversations about her clients through bold campaigns.
Feeling lucky enough to love what she does for work, when Nastasia isn’t chatting away to a client on the phone, or typing energetically at her laptop, you’ll find her at a Pilates class, or cooking (most likely a pasta) with her husband for their family & friends with a wine in hand.
Poppy Lake
PR Consultant
Poppy is a health & fitness enthusiast, with experience in Social Media management & Influencer marketing. Based in New Zealand, Poppy has worked with key Australasian brands, such as Mecca, COS & Eve Wellness, & has brought to life impactful Social Media campaigns that have exceeded expectations for her clients.
With an interest in amplifying brand messages, driving engagement & building genuine connections, Poppy thrives in the creative world of PR, particularly when there’s an Influencer or Creator element to the campaign.
At Straight Up PR, Poppy enjoys working on the Cross Tasman clients such as Regal King Salmon & Pic’s Peanut Butter, while sinking her teeth into the Media landscape in Australia.
When Poppy isn’t working, you’ll find her out running on various trails around New Zealand’s South Island, at a Pilates class or drinking the odd marg with friends.
Hannah Singleton
Senior Account Manager
Photographer
Highly skilled in design, communications & all things digital media, Hannah has a genuine passion for working with brands in the health & lifestyle space. Driven by the desire to help brands grow their businesses & reach their goals, Hannah combines her expertise in social media, marketing, PR, photography & innovative brand collaborations to deliver impactful results. Her clients include the likes of MOJO, Ārepa, She SUPs, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Fem21, Regal Salmon, Tropeaka & Kolorex.
While studying a Bachelor of Media & Communications at the University of Sydney, Hannah started Healthy Luxe, a health, food & lifestyle platform which was a cultivation of everything she loved – cooking, writing, social media, health, styling & photography. Her zest for elevating brands through communication tactics & collaboration is what consolidated Hannah’s interest for the new-PR space & led her to join the team at Straight Up PR. Hannah’s suite of skills complements Straight Up PR’s portfolio & offering & she is a true asset to the team.
On the weekend you’ll find Hannah at the beach, a Pilates class, checking out the best new cafes in Sydney (sharing her experience on her socials) or enjoying the occasional chilli margarita with friends.
Julia Leon
PR Consultant
Passionate about all things health & nutrition, Julia holds a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism) from the University of New South Wales & has recently completed a Bachelor of Health Science (Food & Nutrition) through Charles Sturt University.
Alongside her formal education, Julia comes equipped with almost 10 years’ industry experience, starting her editorial career in magazines where she has written for a number of women’s lifestyle titles in both Sydney & New York.
Having since worked across various sectors in the health & wellness space including content creation, copywriting, strategic marketing & brand partnerships, Julia feels right at home at StraightUp PR where she gets to express her creativity to drive results for clients. From conception to execution, she absolutely loves a good brainstorming session & seeing ideas come to life.
As a proud mother & wife, Julia’s favourite moments involve spending time with her little family. On the weekend, you’ll find them somewhere outdoors, grabbing a coffee (& babycino), catching up with friends & enjoying Sunday lunches where food comas are the norm in an Italian household.
Gina Seligsohn
Content Creator
Gina is a multifaceted communications professional passionate about health & wellness industry. As an Accredited Practising Dietitian & Nutritionist, Pilates Instructor, & Content Creator, Gina brings a holistic & integrative approach to the evolving better-for-you space
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On a mission is to make wellness accessible through engaging & informative content, Gina loves working with brands that align with her values of living a balanced lifestyle that prioritises well-being over numbers.
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With experience spanning various media avenues including social media management, talent management, content creation, copywriting, food styling, photography, & brand partnerships, Gina is well-versed in effectively communicating brand messages to audiences.
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Gina's dedicated to promoting wellness & her diverse skill set make her a valuable addition to the Straight Up PR team, working with clients Pic's Peanut Butter & Proper Crisps - going above & beyond to create delicious recipes for her followers & showcasing her expertise & creativity.
Outside of work, you'll find Gina leading Pilates sessions, enjoying long outdoor walks & ocean swims, crafting delicious meals & exploring the best weekend spots.
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Chris Prestige
Photographer
Chris is a Commercial, Editorial & Event Photographer, who is passionate about capturing important moments for brands & people.
Having worked as an extension of the Straight Up PR team for over four years, Chris is well versed in capturing & delivering meaningful Event content that clients love. Chris' experience spans across multiple industries from food, lifestyle, beauty & personal branding, & has worked with likes of Whittaker's Chocolate, Tailor Skincare, VIVE Cooking School, Cyber & Edwina Ekins.
On top of shooting Event photos, Chris offers lifestyle shoots & corporate headshots for brands & people, & has personally shot for Straight Up PR - the photos are all over our website & social media channels!
If you're looking for an Event of Lifestyle Photographer, or for some new headshots, Chris is your man.
