NZME raids Yahoo
NZME is soon to add a couple more new humans to its roster, with Ben Gibb and Andy Wylie both moving from Yahoo.
Gibb, who has been agency sales manager at Yahoo for around a year-and-a-half and prior to that spent three years as agency sales manager at ACP/Bauer, will be group general manager of digital sales for NZME.
Wylie, Yahoo’s ad marketplace and operations manager, has been with Yahoo since 2007 when it launched in this market. He will be heading up ad operations.
Both will be reporting to group director digital media Laura Maxwell-Hansen, who also did her time at Yahoo and was general manager for over three years.
It’s not clear who will be replacing Gibb and Wylie at Yahoo, but it’s thought a lot of the big decisions for this market are guided by Australia. Fairfax’s Ed Harrison took over as chief executive of Yahoo!7 in late 2013 and is thought to have got things going well. Its connection with Seven Network gives it a leg-up in terms of video content (there have been some persistent rumours floating around that Seven might be interested in purchasing MediaWorks and with its video content combined with Yahoo’s reach, that would be an interesting local addition to the media landscape).
Digital developments
Bauer Media is the country’s largest magazine publisher, but it openly admits it has lagged behind in the digital realm. That’s starting to change, with a number of new sites and plenty of digital grunt on offer from the Australian arm. And in an effort to “leverage the scale and engagement of their market leading brands into world class digital products”, it has appointed Michael Fuyala as its new head of digital.
Fuyala has most recently been digital publisher lifestyle at NZME, with responsibility and a proven track record across audience, content, engagement and revenue growth. His management experience spans both media and client side and includes roles at Event Cinemas, American Express, Genesis Energy and Air New Zealand.
He has formal qualifications across business, tourism, hospitality and digital marketing and he has lived and worked in both London and Croatia.
“Bauer has amazing content and bringing this to life online will be the most exciting thing happening in New Zealand digital media next year,” Fuyula says. “With Bauer’s talent, brands and commitment to digital, I look forward to working with the team to deliver products and experiences that Kiwi audiences and advertisers will love.”
Chief executive Paul Dykzeul says Fuyala’s extensive digital and commercial expertise will complement its talented content teams.
“Digital won’t be siloed at Bauer. We intend to integrate the power of our flagship brands and curated content to present an exciting and differentiated digital media experience for New Zealanders 24 hours a day.”
Fuyula will sit on the executive team and have responsibility for all of Bauer Media’s digital platforms.
Following suit
TVNZ’s general manager media sales Richard Sandford is heading back client side and moving to Spark.
It’s not clear what his role will be there, but his career progression is eerily similar to that of his new boss, Jason Paris, who also worked at Brave New World, Nokia and TVNZ.
Jodi O’Donnell has returned to TVNZ full-time after taking a year out with her young family.
Holding on
Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the parent company of OMD and PHD, the two biggest media agency groups in New Zealand by total media spend, has appointed Scott Keddie in the new role of chief investment officer.
Leigh Terry, OMG chief executive, Australia and New Zealand, says the group understands value for its clients and has unrivalled knowledge and experience of the local marketplace dynamics.
“When delivering successful campaigns for our clients, we view value as more than just maximising cost efficiency. Effective partnerships with future-focused media suppliers and publishers is critical to us being better business collaborators with our clients. We’re committed to maximising return on investment for our clients and, given we spend more volume across all media channels than our competitors, we utilise our benchmarking capabilities to achieve strong partner relationships and outcomes.”
RECMA reported $518 million (NZD) in New Zealand billings in 2013 for OMG, over $130 million more than any other agency group.
Keddie moves from his role as group trading director at PHD Group.
“The market is shaping up to be very interesting this year, with plenty of speculation going into 2015, as well as a potentially disruptive market with new supplier offerings, especially in the screen environment,” he says.
The new role acknowledges the growing importance of trading in the ever-changing media landscape and puts OMG at the forefront of trading here in New Zealand. Keddie will also be working with his colleagues in Australia, ensuring trans-Tasman clients also reap the rewards of OMG’s future-focused strategic trading approach.
Late last year, “the world’s biggest media investment company” Group M announced its intentions to launch in this market, with Sean Seamer appointed as chief executive.
By bye bFM
Manu Taylor, station manager of Auckland’s bFM, has left after eight years.
Prior to that, he was programme director at MaiFM for a decade, and had also worked at Marbecks and Polygram Records.
It’s not clear where he’s going or who’s replacing him.
His departure follows on from that of Chris Hocquard, the media lawyer and longtime bFM chair who left the board last year.
Breezy mornings
Waikato listeners will wake up to a brand new radio show on January 19, with the launch of The Breeze Waikato Breakfast hosted by Camille Guzzwell and Mark Bunting.
The Breeze is now the only Waikato radio brand in the region with 100 percent local Breakfast and Drive shows; Ronny Phillips, a familiar voice in the region, hosts Drive.
“We want to provide our listeners with great content that’s relevant to life in the Waikato, and supporting local events and businesses,” says MediaWorks Waikato general manager Steve Rowe. “The new line-up will generate fresh, exciting opportunities for advertisers to connect on a local level.”
In 2014, The Breeze recorded its best ever radio survey results, with 315,000 plus listeners tuning in around the country.
“Bunting, Camille and Ronny are hugely talented broadcasters who get local radio, and are loved by listeners,” says The Breeze national content director Ian Avery. “With The Breeze so strong in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, we are excited to be investing this level of resource in the Waikato.”
Bunting began his radio career in the Waikato in 1992 as the first breakfast host for The Rock. He has hosted top-rating local and national radio shows and been recognised with 10 NZ Radio Awards. It’s thought that TRN’s decision to let Bunting go came as part of a rebranding process, which saw Classic Hits transform into The Hits.
Guzwell’s career includes working in the music business for a record label, NZ on Air and most recently hosting a Wellington breakfast radio show.
