Aruga extended its helping hands during COVID-19 and the results were hands-in-the-air amazing!

Its blow was felt at Aruga and among our clients, friends, family and extended networks, particularly those in the severely impacted industries of arts and entertainment, hospitality, travel and tourism and healthcare. All of a sudden, the future didn’t look so certain anymore.

For SMEs like Aruga, it was time to sink or swim. We saw our participation in the JobKeeper Payment scheme as earned, not owed, so with the financial help that allowed us to keep our team busy and employed, we launched our Helping Hands initiative to give back to other small businesses in need.

From June to September 2020, Aruga delivered 10x 50-hour pro bono projects worth $10,000 each, specifically tailored to the needs of 10 Queensland-based small businesses. Aruga’s Helping Hands initiative assisted companies across hospitality, arts, health and construction industries with public relations, marketing and social media solutions.

We helped launch new revenue streams, shared specialist marketing expertise with business owners, created sparkling content, added polish to professional websites and marketing collateral and much more.

But best of all? We made lifelong connections in our local community and paved the way for more opportunities to pay it forward. Here’s a look at our new – and old – clients not just surviving but #thriving.

Watch our testimonial video and read more below!

Aruga undertook a complete audit of Big Light Letters’ company website and social media platforms. We took the celebratory element of Big Light Letters’ integral role in people’s happiest moments and spun it into engaging copy for its website, a credentials booklet and social content. Aruga also created a social media advertising campaign that reached 150K people and led to 1.1K click-throughs to the Big Light Letters website.

“The Aruga team has helped our business more than words can describe. The skillset of the Aruga team is next level – their knowledge and dedication was obvious from the start.”

Aruga launched a PR campaign to get the word out about Willow Coffee + Pantry’s expansion into gourmet provisions. We also conducted an audit of the business’s social media channels, creating organic social content and a social media advertising campaign to promote brand awareness, and delivered a brand photo shoot with our good friends at Compadre Picture Co. Following a feature article in The Sunday Mail’s U on Sunday lift out, Willow Coffee + Pantry experienced a jump in new customers leading to the cafe hiring a new employee.

“What Aruga has done with its Helping Hands project during such a difficult time really goes to show what they stand for. Thank you for providing such a great initiative to small businesses.”

Aruga provided a multi-faceted strategy to help Dead Puppet Society launch two new business streams: DPS Collection and DPS Activation. Aruga’s multi-pronged approach included a hosted launch event to officially introduce the new venture among prospective clients, updated website and brochure content, proactive media relations and delivery of a brand photo shoot with Compadre Picture Co. The launch event and an ensuing Qweekend article combined to drive the sale of multiple Collection pieces, while DPS reached an audience of 335K across its social media platforms.

“There is no denying Aruga is the best in the business. The whole team is efficient, extremely well connected and go above and beyond to deliver on their unique strategy. Aruga understands our voice and we trust them implicitly. Thank you, team!”

Northside Flower Market’s physical retail space was greatly impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on weddings and corporate events. It quickly established a digital presence and launched a website with Aruga coming on board to help create organic social media content and an advertising campaign to capitalise on online sales opportunities. Targeting customers who had already visited the website, the social media ad campaign turned warm leads into sales and upped engagement across Northside Flower Market’s social channels.

“Aruga gave us the advice and assistance we needed to promote our brand and services on different social media platforms. Thank you for giving us the confidence to advertise our brand effectively and to know we were on the right track with our promotions.”

A start-up mobile exercise physiology business, BE Physiology needed to differentiate itself and create awareness of its unique customer proposition. Aruga wrote original content for the BE Physiology website and social media channels as well as copy for a credentials booklet that included patient testimonials and profiles of the exercise physiologists. Aruga also pitched BE Physiology to media to increase brand awareness and position the founders as experts in their field.

“Aruga was fantastic to work with. They took the time to understand our goals as a budding business and were so impressive in using their brush to further highlight the themes and personalities behind the business. We’re so grateful for their work and would recommend them to anyone in need of PR and social media guidance.”

As project managers and independent advisors to developers on major construction projects, Keystone Consult and Construct wanted to elevate the company and cement its standing as a professional outfit. Aruga came on board to develop and design a raft of digital and printed content, including website and blog copy and a credentials booklet. We also proactively pitched the new content to media outlets to position Keystone as an expert in its field.

“Aruga has propelled Keystone into a new stage of professionalism. We are extremely grateful for all your hard work. Onwards and upwards to new projects and we look forward to needing Aruga’s assistance in the future.”

White Box Enterprises wanted Aruga’s help to raise its corporate profile as a large-scale, jobs-focused social enterprise builder. Aruga got to work developing extensive media materials such as case studies, feature stories and copy assets to enable White Box to roll out its own PR campaign when in market. We also audited and updated its website and created original content including a product brochure for brand development.

“I want to pass on my personal thanks to Aruga for being so easy and lovely to work with. We have really valued your expertise, which comes at a pivotal time of growth for White Box Enterprises. I have no doubt these communication tools will be used many times over.”

Red Ridge the Label is a newly launched, collaborative fashion label that highlights local and Indigenous artists from different regions within the isolated Red Ridge area. Aruga helped position Red Ridge the Label on the fashion landscape with extensive proactive PR and the development of assets including founder profiles, media releases and fact sheets. We also assisted with photoshoots and a glittering event launch. The PR activity resulted in national coverage across print, online and TV with a huge surge in website traffic after the story aired on ABC TV.

“Thank you so much for working with us on this campaign and especially for rallying this week and helping us roll out a last-minute launch plan. We’re thrilled with the brilliant coverage in The Courier-Mail and ABC.”

After its original show dates were cancelled, Brisbane-based Little Match Productions used its COVID-19 downtime to create a brand-new children’s arts festival, PuffinPalooza, based on the beloved poem, There Once Was a Puffin. Aruga helped with proactive media relations and social media activity including media releases, newsletters and paid social media campaigns to drive ticket sales. The social media campaign reached an audience of 815K, the PR activity resulted in 19 media clips and the newsletter send generated more than 300 email registrations for PuffinPalooza.

“There’s a reason why Aruga is considered the best in the business. The whole team is incredible and the company culture is admirable and impressive. Brisbane is very lucky to be home to Aruga!”

Aruga was founded on a simple premise: work with people we admire and businesses we believe in. We’ve taken this philosophy to heart since COVID-19 hit and while it’s been a privilege to support other Queensland businesses in need, it’s also been a welcome opportunity to keep our skills sharp, grow our agency and nurture our team. Helping Hands-on-heart, this initiative was as transformative for us as it was for our recipients. We’re looking forward to rolling it out again next year.