Chifely Tower, Sydney

Jan Murray & Associates has operated with a high level of efficiency for more than two decades.

Since its establishment in 1981 as a boutique consultancy JMA has handled some of the nation's most significant public relations campaigns, including many which helped create Australia's modern tourism industry.

A political science graduate working as a speech writer and adviser to Federal Labor politicians, Jan Murray, BA (Hons) Pol.Sc. Principal of JMA, played a seminal role in the historically successful Paul Hogan 'Shrimp on the Barbie' campaign, an initiative of her husband, John Brown, Minister for Tourism in the Hawke Government.

Jan's consultancy orchestrated a wide diversity of launches for new hotels and hospitality projects throughout the rapid growth of the industry.

JMA broke new ground in 1987 when it staged the $2.5million Gala Opening of the Gold Coast International Hotel, having all major networks and radio stations broadcasting live from the venue over a three-day weekend which saw international artists and celebrities flown in for the event and a raft of the country's most senior politicians officiating.

The consultancy staged a celebrity breakfast for ten thousand people at the Gold Coast's Palm Meadows Golf Course to launch the Greg Norman Million Dollar Celebrity Golf Tournament for Daikyo (Australia). JMA produced a tvc, using Greg Norman, for Daikyo's Palm Meadows real estate venture.

Jan personally facilitated a rescue package for the Sanctuary Cove project in its early days of construction by attracting significant AIDC funding.

For Australia's Bicentennial, the consultancy undertook an emergency rescue of the ailing First Fleet Re-enactment Voyage by raising a million dollars over one weekend with a radiothon on 2GB. JMA augmented this by finding sponsorships for each of the vessels. This was necessary due to the Federal Government's continued refusal to support the project. The consultancy orchestrated a six month high-octane campaign to sustain the event through its troubled times, including negotiating with Australia's indigenous people and turning negative media into positive publicity. JMA's crisis management and promotional skills resulted in over two million visitors coming to the shores of Sydney Harbour on Australia Day, 1988, to witness the arrival of the Fleet. Aboriginal Australia was able to make its point in a peaceful and positive way and, ironically, given the Federal Government's position throughout, the Re-enactment won the people's choice for the best event of the Bicentennial!

The 1995 Lord Mayor's Bush Fire Appeal which the consultancy conducted (gratis and in crisis mode due to the emergency situation) was hugely successful once Jan had obtained the personal assurance of the Prime Minister, Paul Keating, that he would grant tax deductibility. All aspects of the dramatic week-long Appeal -– from arranging financial and legal structures, banking and credit card arrangements, advertising material, media management, company cold-calling, etc – were handled by JMA. The Appeal, the most successful ever conducted in this country, resulted in a contribution from corporate Australia of over $11.2million, demonstrating the ready access Jan has to this sector.
She was appointed by the Lord Mayor, Frank Sartor, to the Trust which had responsibility for dispersing the funds.

The following year Jan assisted the Lord Mayor again when it was evident that sponsorships for the Festival of Sydney were significantly under-subscribed. At short notice, JMA was able to arrange a Channel Nine, nationally televised Australia Day Concert in the Domain and a $500,000 Qantas partnership.

In more recent times Jan has been seen on national television as a controversial and witty panellist on Beauty & the Beast. In addition to her on-air role, she has been engaged in writing and in raising funds for the production of feature films.

www.janmurray.com was established in 2000 and regularly received 15,000 to 25,000 hits a week. The discussion forum on the site became an instant success with many hundreds of registered subscribers contributing. (It was recently suspended in the hope that spoilers attempting to sabotage its high intelligence quotient will find other avenues for their inanities.)

In 2001, Jan's celebrity endorsement (and supporting PR activity) for sshmedical's biotech product, Vedascope, saw the company's market capitalisation rise by 88% in nine days.

Jan is in demand as a guest speaker. Her most recent invitation is as Guest Speaker opening the Fourth National Public Affairs Convention in Canberra in company with fellow speakers Noel Pearson, Jeff McMullen and Dr Ashton Calvert AC, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

'Good Clean Spin' is the title the convenors have given the two day seminar for public relations operatives. Jan Murray & Associates has been delivering this for over two decades for its select list of loyal clients.