Wise selects Havas Red as first Australian PR agency to drive next phase of growth

Originally published on marketing-interactive.com

Wise has appointed HAVAS Red as its first PR agency of record in Australia, as the global fintech brand looks to expand its local footprint and strengthen awareness across consumers, businesses and financial verticals.

The appointment signals a more aggressive earned media push for Wise, which has grown steadily in Australia since launching in 2016. The cross-border payments platform now serves more than 1 million personal and business customers locally, with over a billion dollars held across Wise accounts.

HAVAS Red will lead PR for Wise, focused on earned storytelling and engaging customers across three key verticals: consumers, small-to-medium businesses and banks. The agency’s remit spans corporate and business communications, lifestyle and travel PR, and broader technology narratives.

Wise’s APAC PR lead, Anhar Khanbhai, said the timing was right for the fintech to bring on an agency partner as Wise deepens its market presence.

“Australia has always been a key market for Wise since our launch. As more and more Aussies – including businesses and banks – choose Wise for their cross-currency needs, we recognised it was time for us to bring on our first agency partner to support us through our next phase of growth,” Khanbhai said.

“We were looking for a partner that really understood our mission, values, and business objectives, and could distill them into a long-term brand narrative. Red’s scale, resources, and diverse capabilities give us confidence that they’re the right partner for us.”

HAVAS Red Australia CEO Shane Russell said the agency was excited to work with a high-growth fintech brand looking to make a bigger impact in the market.

“Wise is an incredible success story around the world, and it’s an honour to help them build on their mission here in Australia. As an agency with deep corporate and consumer capabilities, this is the perfect partner and opportunity for us,” Russell said.

HAVAS Red’s corporate managing partner, Myrna Van Pelt, who led the pitch, added that the cultural and strategic fit between the two companies made for a strong foundation.

“The team are genuinely pumped by this win. Here at Red, we’re built to work with high-growth, innovative companies, and Wise’s culture and innovation pedigree is the perfect fit for us. We’re looking forward to shaping Wise’s creative earned storytelling in Australia.”