Special Appoints Marovino as National Head of Social in Structural Shift

Australian independent agency Special has appointed Maddie Marovino to a newly created National Head of Social role, marking a deliberate structural shift that places social media at the center of the agency's operations across creative, media, PR, experience, and influencer functions.

A New Role, Not a Replacement

The position is a fresh addition to Special's leadership structure, not a backfill. Marovino brings 15 years of industry experience, most recently serving five years at Hello as Director of Client Experience. Her career spans start-ups, scale-ups, and global brands including Uber, Uber Eats, Air Canada, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, and Harley-Davidson.

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Alex Bryant, Managing Director of Special PR Australia, said: "Her start-up background gives her the hustle and nimbleness that thrives at an independent agency, while her global and local experience and strong industry partnerships will help expand our agency's social capability, unlocking new opportunities for clients and driving earned-led connectivity across the business."

Marovino's mandate is to build a national team of social specialists and embed social thinking across all campaign work, from early planning through to measurement.

Social as Connective Tissue Across Functions

The role is designed to eliminate the traditional separation between social media and other agency disciplines. Rather than managing social as a standalone channel, Marovino will connect it across creative, media, experience, PR, and influencer work into what the agency describes as a single, audience-first system.

Marovino described the opportunity in direct terms: "In a landscape where the consumer journey is increasingly fragmented, social can be both the spark and the glue."

This structural model reflects a broader organizational shift identified across the APAC agency landscape. Ogilvy's APAC analysis has independently advocated for cross-functional alignment that integrates social as a growth engine, recommending consolidation around fewer integrated agency partners over siloed specialists.

APAC Market Scale Adds Strategic Weight

The appointment comes as the APAC social media management market is currently valued at US$21 billion, with AI integration projected to push that figure to US$25 billion. China, India, and Japan lead this market, supported by approximately 67% internet penetration and 83% mobile adoption across the region.

APAC digital advertising is growing at 15% annually, with rising spend concentrated in video, e-commerce, and influencer marketing. The region's influencer and KOL sector alone is valued at US$8 billion, with documented 405% engagement surges from campaigns that combine cultural localization with platform-native behaviors.

Special's Position in an Evolving Agency Landscape

Special is an independent PR and communications agency operating in Australia. The creation of a national social leadership role signals an effort to compete with larger network agencies on integrated capability, particularly as client demand for connected, cross-channel work increases.

Marovino's experience across both early-stage companies and global brands gives the agency's new social function immediate credibility across different client types, from growth-stage businesses to established multinationals.

The agency has not announced a specific timeline for expanding the social specialist team beyond the current appointment.