Pietra Communications Recognized with the Purpose-Driven Public Relations & Communications Excellence Award at the Great Companies Global Business Awards 2026
Effective public relations is about more than securing media coverage. It is about understanding what makes a brand meaningful, identifying the stories that deserve to be heard, and building connections between businesses and the audiences they want to reach.
Pietra Communications, a New York-based public relations, marketing and branding agency founded by Olga González in 2012, approaches communications through that lens. Specializing in jewelry, art, food, luxury and other creative industries, the agency combines specialist product knowledge with values-driven storytelling to help brands communicate with clarity and authenticity.
Pietra Communications has been recognized with the Purpose-Driven Public Relations & Communications Excellence Award at the Great Companies Global Business Awards 2026. The recognition highlights its distinctive combination of industry expertise, personalized client relationships, professional leadership and communications work designed to bring purpose-led brands and their stories to wider audiences.
Website: www.pietracommunications.com
Key Highlights
Founded in 2012 by Olga González, a gemology professional and communications leader.
A boutique PR, marketing and branding agency serving jewelry, art, food, luxury and creative businesses.
A specialist approach combining product expertise with strategic communications.
Founder of the PRSA 15 Under 35 Awards, supporting the visibility and recognition of emerging public relations professionals.
Experience helping organizations such as BagelFest develop visibility and sponsorship opportunities.
Recognized industry leadership through past presidencies of PRSA New York and the New York chapter of the Women's Jewelry Association.
A relationship-led business that reports receiving all its clients through referrals.
A Communications Agency Built Around the Story
Pietra Communications was established in 2012 with a focus on helping brands communicate what makes them distinctive.
Its work spans public relations, marketing, communications and branding, with particular expertise in fine jewelry, luxury, art, food, sustainability, design and other high-craft consumer categories.
These industries often require more than conventional promotional messaging. Their products and organizations may be defined by craftsmanship, provenance, creativity, technical knowledge, sustainability or the people behind the work. Communicating those qualities effectively requires an understanding of both the product and the story surrounding it.
Pietra's approach begins with listening to clients, understanding their objectives and developing tailored strategies that reflect their identity. The agency's stated philosophy centers on storytelling, communication and experience, with an emphasis on honoring the heart of each client's story.
That approach positions communications as a way to build understanding and lasting relationships—not simply generate short-term attention.
The Advantage of Specialist Knowledge
One of Pietra Communications' defining characteristics is its founder's background in gemology.
Olga González is identified as a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and a Diploma-level gemologist. This specialist knowledge gives the agency a foundation in the jewelry and gemstone sectors that goes beyond general communications expertise.
In categories such as jewelry, where craftsmanship, materials, design and technical details can influence how a product is understood, subject knowledge can help shape more informed and credible storytelling.
Pietra brings this product-first perspective to its broader communications work, including luxury, art, food and creative businesses. Its model combines industry understanding with media strategy, marketing campaigns, thought leadership and efforts to secure editorial visibility.
The result is a boutique agency approach designed to connect what a brand does with why it matters.
Purpose-Led Storytelling and Brand Visibility
Pietra Communications describes its work as values-driven PR, marketing and branding.
The agency's focus includes purpose-led brands, minority- and women-owned businesses, and creative entrepreneurs. Its aim is to help these organizations communicate their ideas, expertise and distinctive value through tailored communications strategies.
Purpose-led communications require a balance between visibility and authenticity. A strong campaign needs to identify what makes an organization relevant, then translate that into stories that journalists, industry audiences, partners and customers can understand.
Pietra's approach brings together narrative development, media outreach, marketing and branding rather than treating publicity as an isolated activity.
The agency also identifies SEO- and GEO-focused PR as part of its approach, reflecting an interest in how brands can improve their discoverability across search environments and emerging forms of information discovery.
Supporting the Next Generation of PR Leaders
Olga González's contribution to the public relations profession extends beyond her agency.
She founded the 15 Under 35 Awards for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), an initiative intended to recognize emerging professionals and help elevate their standing within the industry.
Recognition programs can play a valuable role in professional communities by bringing attention to talent, creating opportunities for visibility and encouraging the development of future leaders.
González has also served as president of the New York chapter of PRSA and the New York chapter of the Women's Jewelry Association. Her professional affiliations include the Public Relations Society of America, the Women's Jewelry Association, Gem-A, Young Diamantaires and the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts.
These roles reflect an ongoing connection to both the communications profession and the specialist industries in which Pietra works.
Turning Communications Into Opportunity: The BagelFest Example
Pietra's work with BagelFest offers another illustration of its approach to communications.
According to the company's award submission, González began working with BagelFest to help expand its visibility and develop a sponsorship program. The objective was to support the organization's next stage of growth by strengthening its communications and commercial opportunities.
The example illustrates a broader role for public relations: communications can help an organization clarify its identity, attract attention from relevant audiences and create relationships with potential partners.
For events and community-focused brands, this work can extend beyond publicity into sponsorship development and longer-term brand building.
A Boutique Model Built on Relationships
Pietra Communications emphasizes personal attention, collaboration and long-term relationships.
The agency reports that its clients come through referrals, a model that places trust and professional relationships at the center of its business development. Its website testimonials also highlight qualities such as responsiveness, specialist knowledge, proactive communication and an understanding of clients' underlying missions.
For a boutique agency, this relationship-led approach can support a more tailored working style. Clients work with a team that seeks to understand their business, the audiences they need to reach and the story they want to tell.
The emphasis is not only on communicating what a brand offers, but on understanding what it stands for.
Why Pietra Communications Earned the Award
The Purpose-Driven Public Relations & Communications Excellence Award recognizes the way Pietra Communications brings specialist knowledge, values-driven storytelling and professional contribution together.
Three aspects are especially relevant to the award category:
Purpose-led communication: The agency focuses on understanding the values and stories behind the brands it represents.
Specialist industry expertise: Its founder's gemology background gives the agency a distinctive foundation in jewelry and related luxury categories, complemented by work across art, food and creative industries.
Contribution to the profession: González's leadership within PRSA and the Women's Jewelry Association, together with the creation of the PRSA 15 Under 35 Awards, demonstrates engagement beyond client assignments.
Together, these elements define a communications model that combines commercial visibility with a broader commitment to professional community and authentic storytelling.
What Sets Pietra Communications Apart
Pietra's clearest differentiator is the combination of product expertise, communications strategy and a relationship-first philosophy.
Rather than approaching every client with the same communications formula, the agency emphasizes listening, understanding the details of a client's industry and developing a tailored strategy around the story that matters most.
Its specialist roots in jewelry and luxury, alongside its work with creative and purpose-led organizations, give the agency a distinct position within the public relations landscape.
That blend of expertise and personalized attention is central to the company's identity—and to its recognition at the Great Companies Global Business Awards 2026.
Looking Ahead
As brands compete for attention across increasingly crowded media and digital environments, the ability to communicate a clear, credible and distinctive story remains important.
Pietra Communications is positioned to continue building on its specialist knowledge and boutique model while helping clients navigate changing expectations around media visibility, search discovery and brand communication.
Its next chapter can build on the same principles that have shaped the agency since 2012: understand the product, respect the story, build relationships and connect brands with audiences who have a reason to care.
For Olga González and Pietra Communications, purpose-driven public relations begins with a simple idea: the most effective stories are grounded in a genuine understanding of what makes an organization matter.
Award Recognition
Winner: Pietra Communications
Award: Purpose-Driven Public Relations & Communications Excellence Award
Great Companies Global Business Awards: 2026
Founder & CEO: Olga González
Founded: 2012
Location: New York, New York, United States
Industry: Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
Specializations: Jewelry, Luxury, Art, Food, Creative Industries & Purpose-Led Brands
Website: www.pietracommunications.com
About Great Companies
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