Azalea, the international PR and marketing agency specialising in golf, tourism, leisure and lifestyle, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of helping many of the world’s most respected golf destinations, resorts and lifestyle brands tell their stories and grow their business.
Founded in 2006, Azalea was built on a simple premise: that somewhere between the fairway and the five-star experience, there was a communications gap waiting to be filled. The agency established its reputation through storytelling, trusted media relationships and a deep understanding of golf tourism before evolving into a full-service marketing agency with expertise across PR, digital marketing, creative services, content production, commercial partnerships and international business development.
The anniversary comes at a significant point in the agency’s evolution with expanded in-house creative and marketing services; international growth with a new office in Asia and a strategic partnership with leading US agency Buffalo Groupe; and the launch of a new website highlighting the breadth of Azalea’s services.
Azalea founder Andy Barwell said: “When we started the business, it was built around great storytelling. Twenty years later, that hasn’t changed. The platforms have evolved, the technology has transformed and the way audiences consume content is completely different, but our job remains the same – uncovering the stories that make people want to visit a destination, experience a brand or engage with our clients.”
Azalea entered a defining new phase when Sean Noble joined the business in 2007. Bringing extensive experience in golf tourism, his appointment proved the catalyst to helping Azalea forge a niche in the sector and establishing its reputation as leading communications specialists. Over the next two decades, Azalea has expanded beyond golf tourism into hospitality, lifestyle, real estate, technology and consumer brands, while building the long-term client relationships that continue to underpin the business.
Today, Azalea works across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia, with a portfolio that includes Costa Navarino, Quinta do Lago, Details – Hospitality, Sports & Leisure, Trump Turnberry, Verdura Resort, Troon International and Terras da Comporta, alongside luxury hospitality, lifestyle and performance brands.
A key feature of Azalea’s evolution has been its ability to adapt alongside the changing golf and tourism landscape, an evolution that has accelerated over the past year with significant investment in its in-house creative and marketing capabilities. The agency now offers a fully integrated suite of services spanning PR and communications, social media management, photography and videography, graphic design, digital marketing, content production, partnerships and commercial consultancy.
Luke Frary’s appointment as managing director last year, a decade after joining the business, reflects Azalea’s long-standing commitment to developing talent from within.
“This anniversary is a celebration of our history, but it’s equally a celebration of what Azalea has become,” he said. “We’re incredibly proud of the reputation we’ve built in PR and have made significant recent investment to deliver fully integrated marketing solutions that our clients are increasingly looking for that connect brand, content, digital performance and commercial outcomes.
“Whether it’s a resort launch, a destination campaign, a social strategy, a content production project or a commercial growth initiative, we have the expertise in-house to deliver across the full marketing spectrum. The next chapter for Azalea is about continuing to build internationally while remaining true to the values that have defined us for 20 years – great people, great relationships and great storytelling.”
To mark the anniversary, Azalea has launched a completely new website, designed to reflect the agency’s expanded services, international reach and creative capabilities.
Barwell added: “The new website represents who we are today, and captures the breadth of our expertise, the quality of our team and the international relationships we’ve built over the last 20 years. We’ve always looked at our work through a commercial lens. Every investment our clients make in us has to deliver tangible value. The job of a good agency is to find the stories that make people say, ‘We’ve got to go there. We’ve got to experience that.’ If we’re still doing that in another 20 years, we’ll be very happy.”