Crossing the Rubicon
DDB senior art director Gavin Siakimotu will be leaving the DDB network for the first time to to join Y&R NZ.
Prior to working for DDB in New Zealand, Siakimotu plied his trade at DDB London, where he served for four years. Siakimotu’s move to the Kiwi branch of DDB came in 2007, and he has been there ever since.
In his time at the agency, Siakimotu has worked on a range of a award-winning creative projects, including the ‘Be the Artist’ campaign, which recently collected a pair of golds at the Axis Awards.
“We wish Gavin Siakimotu well at Y&R,” says DDB executive creative director Shane Bradnick. “He’s been a senior creative on some great work here at DDB. We will be announcing new additions to the creative line-up at DDB soon.”
Y&R NZ chief executive Josh Moore says that Siakimotu will be joining the agency next week in a role that will see him serve as a co-creative director alongside Guy Denniston.
Hitting the mark
Adding to its credentials as a digital partner of choice for clients in the healthcare sector, Bullseye New Zealand has won Lumino The Dentists following a competitive pitch. Lumino is the largest provider of dental care in New Zealand, with a network of 79 high quality dental practices spanning both the North and South islands.
This partnership will ensure that Lumino The Dentists continues to build on its success enjoyed in the digital space in recent years. The project encompasses a complete redesign and rebuild of their flagship lumino.co.nz website, complete with enhanced ‘practice search’ and ‘search by service’ capability, development of a mini-site for each individual Lumino practice, as well as improved profile of the other specialist suite of services offered by Lumino including orthodontics, dental implants and specialist paediatric dentistry.
In addition to centralising this digital channel, the enhanced site will be mobile responsive, and the customer experience will be tailored around surfacing relevant information and offers, bringing greater exposure to the wider range of practices in the group, as well as offering enhanced tools which will capture patient experience online and create a platform for the future.
“We’re delighted to be in partnership with Lumino The Dentists to design a digital experience which is focused on engaging their customers more and uses clever digital thinking at all touchpoints,” says Bullseye’s business director Claire Stewart.
Despite the fact that Bullseye has won this digital project, Media R’s media director Helma Mithell says that both the media and creative accounts for Lumino remain with her agency.
Editorial style
Lisa O’Neill is joining New Zealand Woman’s Weekly as a fashion editor.
(Image credit: Stuff.co.nz)
The stylist has 20 years’ on-hand experience, having previously worked as a fashion buyer, graphic artist and art director before moving into personal styling and fashion writing. She is now well-known for her events held up and down the country, offering advice to real Kiwi women and eliciting many laughs from the fashion-challenged.
“Everyday New Zealand women are my specialty. I love finding clothing solutions to help women of all shapes and sizes look and feel amazing. Having a weekly platform to offer help to women all over the country is a dream come true! I am honoured to be part of a magazine that has been so important to New Zealand women for so long,” says O’Neill.
New Zealand Woman’s Weekly editor Fiona Fraser is optimistic that O’Neill’s skill set will ensure that she enjoys a successful stint at the magazine.
“I believe that Lisa’s down-to-earth regional roots made her the clear choice for this key Weekly role. Our readers come from every corner of the country – they are dairy farmers, doctors, dental nurses, daughters, mothers and grandmothers. Lisa has an astounding ability to connect at a personal level with every reader through her inherent creativity and inspired words. She’ll be a fabulous asset to the Weekly,” says Fraser.
O’Neill and Fraser will be responsible for refreshing the weekly fashion pages, connecting with readers by showcasing available styles, affordable price points, offering tips and interpreting trends.
O’Neill joins the magazine from 12 May.
Taking a break from it all
TRN’s head of agency channel and integration Margaret Hawker has announced her resignation from the network, saying that she would like to pursue alternative opportunities in the near future.
“I’m moving on to seek new adventures. I’ve had a blast here at TRN but having been here for more than four and half years now I feel I’ve really learned my role here, and am looking to grow again with something new,” says Hawker.
At this stage, she has not secured a new role, but she does intend to return to the industry in mid May after holidaying abroad for a few weeks.
“Before this I’d been in Marketing for more or less my whole career – this has been a sales/channel management role and I’ve really enjoyed the change in focus, so will pop up with another publisher somewhere doing something similar I’m sure.”
TRN is yet to announce a replacement for Hawker.
“After almost five years at TRN, Margaret has resigned from her position as Head of Agency Channel and Integration. Margaret has fostered strong relationships in the market and we will miss her. With all the exciting changes at TRN we haven’t recruited for the position but expect to in the near future,” says TRN’s commercial director Laura Maxwell-Hansen.
Moving up the MediaWorks ladder
MediaWorks has appointed Rachel Lorimer to the newly created role of group head of corporate communications.
Lorimer will oversee external communications, corporate affairs and internal communications for the Group, which includes TV3 and FOUR, radio brands The Edge, The Rock, More FM, Kiwi FM, RadioLive, LiveSport, The Sound, The Breeze, George FM, and Mai FM, and a family of websites, and mobile and tablet apps.
This move means that Lorimer will continue to serve as a media contact, but MediaWorks is also currently on the hunt for a part-time senior publicist to look after the TV news and current affairs publicity that previously fell under Lorimer’s responsibilities.
The new recruit will report to MediaWorks TV publicity manager Jacqui Loates-Haver, which means that Loates-Haver will manage all TV publicity.
Rachel Lorimer has worked for MediaWorks for the past three years, managing publicity for TV3 and FOUR programmes, as well as corporate communications for the group. Currently MediaWorks’ group communications manager, she has held senior publicity and communications roles in the television, film and arts industries, and she also has a PhD in Chemistry.
She will take up her new role on 1 May.
Picked up by The Breeze
Waikato broadcaster Mark ‘Bunty’ Bunting will be moving from TRN to The Breeze after signing with MediaWorks Radio, where he will host the Waikato Breeze Breakfast show.
“Mark is an extraordinarily talented broadcaster with an equally extraordinary track record of ratings success and awards success. We’re delighted to welcome Mark to The Breeze family,” says programme director for The Breeze Ian Avery.
“The Breeze just had its best survey result ever, with a national cume now of over 315,000, James Daniels had a stellar debut in Christchurch, and I’m sure Mark will have a similar impact in the important Waikato market.”
Bunting previously hosted top-rating local and national radio shows and been recognised with nine NZ Radio Awards; his current Breakfast show has won Best NZ Regional Breakfast five times; and he has been named New Zealand’s Best Non-Breakfast Music Personality – Metropolitan.
Bunting has over the years established a good relationship with the Waikato market, which is evidenced by the fact that Classic Hits was the number one local breakfast show in the Waikato in the latest Radio Survey results.
It’s thought that TRN’s decision to let Bunting go comes as part of the rebranding process, which will see Classic Hits transform into the Hits within the next few weeks.
The Breeze recorded its best national listenership ever in the recent radio survey, with 315,300 listeners tuning in each week to its network of local radio stations.
Bunting will take up his new role once his commitments to The Radio Network have been fulfilled.
Writing for the republic
Online Republic has appointed Alex Bell as a digital content editor, a role which will require him to produce content relevant to the company’s full range of offerings.
Prior to joining Online Republic, Bell worked as the chief sub-editor at NZ Woman’s Weekly, and this journalistic background should set him in good stead for the challenges of his new job.
“We really aim to turn our website into the Lonely Planet of New Zealand. It’s about creating quality content that’s well crafted and relevant to our target market,” he says.
The Online Republic portfolio of websites currently includes Airportrentals.com, MotorhomeRepublic.com, CruiseSaleFinder.com.au and CruiseSaleFinder.co.nz – meaning that all content produced by Bell will be geared at providing information to the potential target market in these fields.
If the shoe fits
Lily & Louis has continued its strong start to 2014 with the announcement that it has added Overland Footwear to its client roster.
The boutique agency has been awarded the PR business for the family‐owned company and will support all brands under the Overland Footwear umbrella, including Overland Footwear, Merchant 1948, Mi Piaci and Deuce.
“The passion and culture we have fostered within the company is important to us – we live and breathe it everyday – so we needed an agency partner who understood this. Lily & Louis are the perfect fit, bringing a strategic skillset, creative ideas and a sense of warmth to the table,” said Shane Anselmi, founder and managing director of Overland Footwear.
Overland and Mi Piaci have 56 stores across New Zealand and Australia with more than 450 employees. Ranges are sourced from around the globe and key labels include Isabella Anselmi, Bull Boxer, Ebb Sport, Deuce and Skechers, as well as Equipment and Giancarlo Moretti.
Lily & Louis’ client roster also includes E! (NBC Universal), Fujifilm, Heletranz, Pumpkin Patch, Montblanc, Mission Estate Wines, San Pellegrino, Moroccanoil, NZMS, Andrea Moore and 3 Wise Men, among others.
To support the growing business, the agency also recently recruited Amber Wijnstok, previously deputy editor of Creme, as a Junior Account Manager. Wijnstok’s editorial background means that she brings strong writing and design skills to the fold.
End of the trio
Jesse Mulligan, the last remaining original host of Seven Sharp, has departed from the current affairs show, leaving Mike Hosking and Toni Street as the hosts of the show.
“I’m sad but excited to announce that Seven Sharp and I will be going through a conscious uncoupling at the end of the week. Like Chris and Gwyneth we will remain friends, wish each other the best and try not to send each other drunken texts when we get lonely,” he says.
“Seriously, I’ve had a ridiculously good time making this show, but now it’s time to get back to my comedy roots. Hosting Best Bits has reminded me how much fun a live audience can be, and I leave Seven Sharp very confident that the brilliant Mike and Toni will continue taking the show from strength to strength.”
Mulligan’s last show was on Thursday 17 April, but he can still be seen on TV One at 9.30pm as the host of Best Bits.
Seven Sharp will not be looking for a replacement for Mulligan on the presenting panel. Co-hosts Mike Hosking and Toni Street will remain at the helm, with a diverse team of reporters producing stories from all over New Zealand.
