Publicis Groupe’s influencer and social-marketing agency Influential Australia has appointed Kelson Ong and Erin Hunter as Group Directors for its Melbourne and Sydney offices. The agency aims to enhance its leadership and client partnerships as it continues to grow since its launch in September 2025.
The announcement:
Influential Australia is continuing its growth trajectory with the appointment of Kelson Ong and Erin Hunter as Group Directors for Melbourne and Sydney respectively, further bolstering its leadership capability.
Hunter and Ong will play a key role in growing and deepening client partnerships, while driving commercial outcomes through industry-leading social and influencer solutions.
Ong returns to Publicis Groupe after almost a decade, while Hunter brings 17 years of industry experience, with both leaders having built their careers across social and creator, and traditional marketing.
Catherine Wilkinson, General Manager of Influential Australia, says “As brands put social at the centre of their marketing, Influential Australia is assembling a team that’s redefining what a modern influencer and social agency looks like.”
“We’re attracting exceptional talent, creating work that shapes culture instead of chasing it, and building a workplace where people are encouraged to do brilliant work without taking themselves too seriously.”
Kelson Ong shares: “Influential Australia is building something genuinely different – an agency that treats social-first thinking and creativity as a strategic craft in its own right. I’m excited to help brands grow by putting that thinking into practice, connecting culture, creators, and commerce from the start.”
“The pace of social right now is electric. Influential is building something special, not just because of its momentum, but because it’s investing in people as much as the work. That’s exactly the kind of environment I want to help grow,” Erin Hunter adds.
Launched in September 2025, Influential Australia is Publicis Groupe Australia’s influencer and social agency designed to evolve how brands connect with culture, creators and commerce.
About Influential Australia
Part of Publicis Groupe Australia’s connected network of agencies, Influential Australia is an influencer and social agency designed to evolve how brands connect with culture, creators, and commerce. Built on a foundation of data, technology and cultural creativity, Influential Australia unites Publicis Groupe Australia’s media, creative and communications capabilities into a single, end-to-end solution for social and influencer marketing.
Source: Press release