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Movings/Shakings: 20 July

A new player

Wellington-based digital consultancy firm, Alloy, has launched this week.

Founded by Rod Schofield (former managing partner at Clemenger BBDO/Touchcast), Mark Glenn (former head of experience at Clemenger BBDO/Touchcast), Clare Warne (former digital director at Ocean Design) and Andrew Joll (former technical director at Touchcast), Alloy says its focus is on making digital work for people and ensuring it delivers real value for organisations.

“Many of the current digital marketing models are broken and clients are calling for consultancies that embrace true collaboration and deliver better customer experiences,” says Schofield, who heads up Alloy as CEO, bringing over 30 years of experience to the company.


(L-R): Mark Glenn, Rod Schofield, Andrew Joll and Clare Warne

“We started Alloy because we’d seen clients struggling to keep pace with the constantly changing landscape, often using existing processes and systems that were counterproductive to what they wanted to achieve. Our approach is to seamlessly blend with our clients – understanding their context, enhancing their capabilities and introducing a fresh, customer-focused perspective.”

Schofield adds that choosing to be part of a team that he’s worked closely with over the past four years was a no brainer. Between Schofield, Glenn and Joll, the trio have helped to shape digital transformation initiatives at Spark, produce global awareness campaigns in education and immigration sectors and create world-class websites and experience designs for FlyBuys, Cigna, ACC, Worksafe, Save The Children and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

As Alloy’s head of experience, Glenn says that championing the customer’s needs and motivations are a key part of how it helps its clients.

“We identify key moments (both pain points and highlights), where customers interact with a service or product, and then we resolve or amplify those moments – connecting them to create journeys that deliver better awareness, consideration, sales and loyalty.”

Meanwhile, Joll, Alloy’s head of technology, has over 12 years’ experience in top technology roles, with a background in creative technology and user-experience. He says technology is often seen as ‘overwhelming’ or ‘high risk’ and says the Alloy team will look to simplify and mitigate perceived risk by creating working prototypes to test ideas before significant investment is made.

“The tech industry is frequently reinventing the wheel, opting to create things from scratch or pushing clients to buy monolithic digital platforms when more effective solutions already exist. Huge efficiencies can be made by identifying and combining already proven technologies in new ways,” says Joll.

Clare Warne, Alloy’s head of business, ran a digital agency in the UK for 17 years and welcomes a consultancy that concentrates on both the client and its audience.

“Digital has been over-complicated but it doesn’t need to be. We can bring simplicity to businesses looking for innovative digital solutions that are led by the customer. We also ensure clients realise return on investment from digital – something many have been struggling to achieve.”

A pair of additions 

 Republik has appointed two new members to its team, announcing Kimberley Hogan as its account director and Lucy Dewhirst as digital campaign manager.

Hogan has spent the last two years working at design agency Hawkins&Co where she worked on New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Callaghan Innovation, Financial Markets Authority and Auckland Writers Festival. Prior to that, she was at Barnes, Catmur & Friends Dentsu working on Samsung and Independent Liquor.

She has joined Republik to lead and take over account service responsibility on the Unitec and Wairaka Land Company accounts.

“It’s great to have Kimberley back in the agency,” says Paul McNamara, director at Republik. “She worked with us for about six months on a special project, a couple of years ago, so we’re really pleased to have her back in a full-time role. With the business growth we’ve been experiencing over the last 12 months we’ve needed to further strengthen our front line, so it’s wonderful to have Kimberley on board.

 Meanwhile, Dewhirst joins Republik after an 18-month stint at OMD where she was part of their programmatic team, working on brands such as OPSM, Nivea, Watties and Neon. Prior to that, Dewhirst was a media analyst at Mediamine in Wellington.

“I was well and truly ready for my next challenge, and Republik have given me the opportunity. They’re a great agency with an awesome client portfolio. There’s plenty of scope to plan and produce some great work in the digital space and I’m already, well and truly into it,” says Dewhirst.

About Dewhirst’s appointment McNamara adds: “We’re really pleased to be able to make this appointment, Lucy’s a great addition to the team. We’ve experienced huge growth across the business, so we’re expanding our team to make sure we can keep up with client demand.”

Banking promises

Kiwibank is the latest high-profile New Zealand organisation to support Newsroom as a foundation supporter.

The bank joins Holden NZ and Chorus NZ as major supporters of Newsroom, and Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland as the site’s Future Learning partners.

Newsroom has been publishing news and current affairs journalism for four months and is now entering a new phase of development with the Kiwibank agreement. One further supporter is due to be announced soon.

Newsroom founders Mark Jennings and Tim Murphy say Kiwibank is an excellent fit: A young, New Zealand-owned and run, future-focused innovator competing hard in a vital sector of the economy.

“Kiwibank is very proud to help sustain high quality, investigative journalism in New Zealand via our new partners at Newsroom,” adds Kiwibank general manager of marketing communications, Regan Savage. “The team has very quickly proven its skill in identifying stories that matter to New Zealanders and driving change on the back of those stories.

“Above all, Newsroom provides a great platform for us to connect with New Zealanders who care deeply about what happens in New Zealand, and we look forward to working with the Newsroom team.”

Bauer’s new hire

 Bauer Media Group has appointed Jacquie Fraser as its new digital sales manager.

Fraser has over eight years’ experience working in media sales in both New Zealand and the UK, and joins Bauer after two years at Exponential Interactive.

Recently picking up the Digital Media Sales Excellence Award – Video at the inaugural IABNZ Awards in May, Fraser has extensive experience in digital and social media, as well as a solid understanding of print products.

“Jacquie has in-depth knowledge of behavioural targeting, video, social and display,” says Paul Gardiner, commercial director at Bauer Media. “Now that the Bauer digital network reaches over one million UV’s a month, it’s great to have someone that understands how to connect brands with their interests and passions.”

About her appointment, Fraser adds: “Bauer have an incredible portfolio of brands. What they are doing in the digital space is really impressive regarding their Noted and ‘To Love’ sites, by utilising and collating their content and brands into specific audience destinations. I’m excited to have the opportunity to join the team and be part of this growth.”

Fraser starts at Bauer 9 August.

New York, New York

 Chemistry Interaction’s joint creative director, Pat Murphy, has been invited to judge the 2017 DMA International ECHO Awards and will be heading for New York in August.

The awards is one of the longest–running marketing competitions celebrating strategy, creativity and results and are one of the most coveted prizes in the market. It is about a sharp strategy combined with the power of a creative mind and the results to prove demonstrable success.

Judging will take place in New York in mid-August over three days. Murphy will be representing New Zealand along with judges from 26 other countries around the world.

Murphy says: “I’m truly honoured to be invited to represent New Zealand and I’m extremely excited about judging some meaningful, world class campaigns that have a measurable impact on people, brands and the business worldwide.”

A cinematic appointment

 Paul Wood has been announced as Hoyts New Zealand’s new general manager operations.

With five years’ experience as CEO of Cinema Holdings Ltd/Downtown Cinema Group in New Zealand, Paul Wood brings extensive operations knowledge, key relationships and industry experience. As Hoyts continue to look for new and innovative ways to deliver on their ‘Experience More’ brand promise, Wood has been empowered to enhance the customer experience.

“I am excited to join a dedicated and enthusiastic team with Hoyts New Zealand,” says Wood. “It’s a great time to join the business with recliner seats making for an exceptional in-cinema experience. Hoyts has seen strong results and exceptional customer satisfaction from the introduction of powered recliner seating and I will continue to make this our core focus. It’s all part of our challenge to continue delivering great value and experiences for guests.” 

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