Brett de Hoedt’s Hootville Communications is different to other Australian PR and marketing agencies. (We would say that, wouldn’t we.) We believe that we’re good at what we do but we don’t presume to be the answer to all your prayers. We engage in little corporate bollocks – no pointless meetings, corporate entertaining, plush offices or sychophantic small talk and frankly, we expect the same from our clients. It must work – we’ve been humming along since 1999 which is longer than most small PR agencies to a factor of five*.
We’ve worked across the country on issues including mental illness, youth homelessness, euthanasia, child sponsorship, conservation, hepatitis prevention, disability employment and Indigenous reconciliation. We happily consider training, MC and online communications queries from all sectors. If we can’t help you, we won’t.
We’ve worked with Salvation Army, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Australian Conservation Foundation, Yooralla, Mental Illness Fellowship Australia, Heart Foundation, Cancer Councils, Gould League, unions, local governments and dozens more. See more non-profit clients we’ve helped.
See what they say about us.
*Stat is sourced from the top of Brett’s head but not wholly unreasonable.
Brett de Hoedt explained
Brett de Hoedt | Mayor of Hootville
Brett de Hoedt Mayor (self-proclaimed) of Hootville Communications
Before founding Hootville and declaring himself “Mayor” Brett de Hoedt worked as a print journalist, talk radio host and publicist with media organisations including Truth, New Idea, Channel 7, radio 3AK, The Sunday Age, The Melbourne & Sydney Weeklies and ABC local radio Perth. He has also made video documentaries, reviewed restaurants and written game show questions.
As a broadcaster he interviewed most major players in politics, business and entertainment. He understands what the media wants and what it takes to gain coverage. In 2014 he was invited to address 520 campaigners from 21 countries at Al Gore’s Climate Reality training event. Brett discussed the event and environmental campaigning on ABC-TV.
For clients he has written TV commercials, Cheap Eats reviews, Sydney Morning Herald and ABC Radio National editorials, t-shirt slogans and messages on hold.
Everyone should be able to expose their old workplaces this way.
One early public relations campaign involved nominating ‘entertainer’ Yasmin Cotton for the parliamentary seat of Kooyong. Brett staged a campaign launch that drew inspiration from the Kennedy era, complete with open top Cadillac arrival and four men in dark suits and sunglasses running alongside the ‘cavalcade’ as it cruised down Melbourne’s Swanston Street. Ms Cotton polled fourth among seven candidates before moving back into entertainment, leaving Brett to move upmarket.
That’s not Brett on the cover but he did write the cover story.
Brett is regularly engaged to act as emcee, chair or speaker at awards, launches and conferences both within the non-profit sector and beyond. He is a regular contributor to non-profit sector journals and is a true believer in the power of communications to create positive change.
Brett regularly addresses communications students; is involved in a mentoring scheme via the Centre for Sustainability Leadership, has volunteered his dubious construction skills to building projects in Sri Lanka and Ghana with Habitat for Humanity and in India for Kaigal Education and Environment Program (KEEP). He successfully fundraised to build a school and establish 12 associated scholarships for KEEP upon his return. He spent a Christmas at the Kathleen Keegel Children’s Foundation childrens home in Sri Lanka.
He is a dachshund fancier (preferably wire-haired), a talented eater and avid radio listener. His remaining unfulfilled ambitions include being published in The Onion, playing Davis Cup for Australia and being born a New York native.