About
Pepper & Seed is a boutique PR and brand communications agency with a passion for creating stand-out strategies to help your brand shine
Launched in 2021, Pepper & Seed was founded by Samantha Strawford, the former Global Brand Communications Director for Belmond (LVMH) and a communications expert with over 20 years’ experience.
Samantha and her team have led the global launch strategies for hotels, trains and cruises, created award-winning campaigns, landed international press for lifestyle brands and built an influential community of brand ambassadors. At Belmond, she established the company as a global icon, bringing to life its pedigree while rooting it firmly in the future.
Pepper & Seed brings this experience to its roster of luxury clients, creating powerful campaigns and engaging communication strategies that boost relevance and visibility, and help brands thrive.
The Team
SAMANTHA STRAWFORD, Founder and Managing Director
Samantha oversees the strategic and creative direction of all communications plans on behalf of Pepper & Seed’s clients. Drawing on her wealth of experience creating award-winning and brand defining campaigns for international brands as well as small independent businesses. Samantha can seek out inspirational stories that create the right atmosphere around help your brand grow your businesses. Listed as one of the most influential communicators in the PR Power Book and as a talented storyteller by luxury brand association, Walpole. Passionate about the healing power of nature and splits her time between London and the countryside.
POLLY MARTIN, Creative Director
The mighty duo is back together again. Polly Martin joins Pepper & Seed team as Creative Director, having worked with Samantha for many years previously, travelling the world side-by-side, generating multiple headline-grabbing campaigns for their clients.
A versatile PR and brand communications specialist with years of travel, interiors, property and lifestyle experience, Polly will be flexing her creativity to consult and inspire Pepper & Seeds’ clients, land coverage and bring people together to make things happen. She most recently worked for a boutique property PR agency, representing prestigious agents, developers, interior and hotel clients and before that held a senior role at Belmond.
Whilst Polly has a strong PR background, she is passionate about developing and growing client’s digital profile through strategic organic social media management, with a particular focus on Instagram and LinkedIn. She writes songs in her spare time and according to her children, plays too much tennis (!), believing that sport, travel and friendships are the route to all happiness.
JODI ASHDOWN-DOEL, PR Assistant
Jodi joined the team in January 2022 as PR Assistant; she has a passion for travel, art, fashion and photography which she applies to our creative and strategic social media campaigns. Jodi takes care of all the details required for planning and logistics for our clients – from events to press trips. Jodi will become an extension to your in-house teams to maintain a continuous flow of communication with a can-do attitude, kindness and good humour. Jodi makes mental and physical wellbeing a top priority, with regular yoga and meditation practice, keeping her mind and body healthy.
"Samantha is a true contemporary talent when it comes to public relations in our turbulent times. Pioneering innovative concepts, with great art direction, commercial success and great esteem from all the travel world professionals and beyond! Extremely creative, professional and kind, I highly recommend her as a charismatic, enthusiastic leader we all need around us."
– Arnaud Champenois, SVP Brand & Marketing, Belmond LVMH
"Sam and her team at Pepper & Seed have been a pleasure to work with since December 2021 and ensured immediate results with feature articles in high-end international publications."
– Henry Fitch, CEO Teardrop Hotels
“One of the UK's most influential communications professionals”
– PR Week 2019, 2020 and 2021
“One of the top 50 most influential people in luxury”
– British Luxury Association – Walpole, November 2020