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Free-range news, now battery farmed for your convenience

It used to wander freely and happily, but we rounded it up, put in an enclosed space, turned the lights up to full, force-fed it other news and a host of harmful hormones and then sold it back to you, the unsuspecting consumer. And now we wait for the social media firestorm.

Blood bond

The New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is out for blood, and it’s teamed up with Hachette New Zealand, publishers of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, and PRIME TV, the broadcaster of HBO’s True Blood television series, which is based on the novels, to try and get more of it.

The three outfits are joining forces and launching a campaign to help raise awareness of the importance of blood donation and encourage eligible fans to hand over some of their red stuff. Currently, less than five percent of New Zealanders give blood and the number of donors is declining by 1,000 people each year.

“We rely on our blood donors to donate the 3,000 donations needed each and every week to save lives. And it is through their generosity that we are able to provide blood and blood products to help more than 42,000 New Zealanders every year,” says NZBS marketing manager Paul Hayes.

Harris’ Dead in the Family, the 10th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, will be released later this month and the third series of True Blood will screen on PRIME later this year. Hachette has recently re-released Harris’ first nine books with new covers that tie in with the television show, and each features an on-cover sticker to appeal to potential blood donors. Encores of the first television series will screen on PRIME from 16 May at 10pm and the screenings will feature regular, bottom-of-screen ‘tickers’ to encourage potential blood donors to find out more.

PRIME’s channel manager Kathy Wright says the NZBS and True Blood are a perfect match. And, given the show’s fans generally aren’t too squeamish, she’s confident that those who are eligible will take the opportunity to donate and save lives.

“We are also ‘putting our blood where our mouth is’ by educating our 1,000 plus staff about blood donation, so that they can also offer their blood to the cause if they wish to,” she says.

For more information about eligibility or making an appointment to become a blood donor, you can text TRUE to 515, visit www.nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 GIVE BLOOD.

Rapt

In a move prompted by growth within the RAPP New Zealand network and increasing client requirements in Wellington, Sean Keaney will lead the current team of six in the new role of general manager and also recruit for more specialist staff, all the while managing the relationship and direct marketing accounts for ANZ, The National Bank, CIGNA, CCS and Fly Buys.

Prior to joining RAPP Keaney was managing partner of marketing consultancy, The Tin Drum. He was also group account director at Clemenger BBDO, leading the Meridian Energy, NZ Transport Agency, Greater Wellington Council and Panasonic accounts.

RAPP New Zealand managing director Robert Limb says his leadership experience in the relationship marketing industry made him the perfect choice for the role.

”Sean is a passionate and committed Wellingtonian with a reputation for building exceptionally strong long term relationships.”

And Keaney says what everyone says in press releases: “I am looking forward to working with the fantastic team and great clients and continuing to develop even stronger relationships with our key clients. There’s a really great feeling in the agency and we’re poised to make a real difference in Wellington.”

Creative moves

AWARD, Cannes Lions, One Show, Clio and Young Guns winning creative Matt Swinburne is set to relocate to Sydney after chucking in his role with DDB for a newer, perhaps shinier one with The Campaign Palace.

Swinburne spent four years at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, with stint at Saatchi’s New York office. And he has spent the last year at DDB.

Swinburne told Campaign Brief: “I’m really excited to be working with Cam and a new team, in a new country, and with an old school mate, John Koay. The Palace has some great clients and a lot of talented people.”

Social Burgers

After 12,000 presumably morbidly obese Facebook nerds with nothing better to do demanded that McDonald’s reinstate the deluxe cheeseburger to its Value Picks menu, the purveyor of fine fast fare decided it would be best to give in to the demands and put it back on the board. And, with a little Facebook bribe, showed how easy it is to engage with the fans on social networking sites.

Justin Watson, McDonald’s director of marketing, says the surprising groundswell of demand after the burger was taken off the menu resulted in an influx of calls and emails to head office. And Daniel McQueen, the head nerd behind the Facebook Deluxe Cheeseburger group, somehow managed to gather more than 5,000 fans for his crusade. So McDonald’s offered his fans the chance to be the first person in New Zealand to try one before it was released and his fanbase doubled within a week.

Cohen Brown from Invercargill eventually won the competition and dined at McDonald’s Invercargill on the first burger to be made on its promotional return. And, in a fantastic display of juxtaposition, he and a few friends received the deluxe treatment, with limousine transfers to McDonald’s, silver tray meal service and $500 cash each.

Golf, backwards

From Pegler to Pye goes the Brown Jacket

Photographer and golfing superstar Spid Pye took the winner’s brown jacket from 2009 champion Ben Pegler at the second annual Flying Fish Free Drop Flog GOLF Tournament. 12 committed floggers shot three rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (7,8 and 9 May) at Omaha, Mangawhai and Waipu golf courses, with stamina and skill on and off the course tested night and day.

Flying Fish producer James Moore hit a hole in one on the Mangawai Par2 lodge green. And whether people at the outdoor bar were watching or not he claims “it bloody went in”.

Colenso’s Nigel Sutton had a slim lead after the first two rounds. But Pye, who was suspected of getting a relatively early night, came out firing in the last round and had another stonking round in the horizontal rain at Waipu, taking home the grand prize, an SG5 GPS Caddie worth $700 and eternal respect from his opponents.

Players that entered all three rounds were given a branded Srixon ‘Fish Ball’ to play with. And a $350 voucher for the Golf Warehouse was up for grabs to whoever retained their ball until the end. Ogilvy’s Darran Wong Kam was the only player to achieve that.

Other awards and prizes went to: Omaha Longest Drive: Paul Courtney (Colenso); Omaha Closest to the Pin: Peter Moore (Moore Brands); Mangawhai Longest Drive: Peter Moore; Mangawhai Closest to the Pin: Clint Bridger (Embroidery Works); Waipu Longest Drive: Hugh Walsh; Waipu Closest to the Pin: Clint Bridger.

Quote of the weekend: Hugh Walsh on the last round at Waipu: “120kph winds, salt-laden rain whipped off the tops of 40ft breakers, players dropping with hypothermia, the tsunami, calling search and rescue to find my ball and all the while fucking Spid telling me he managed to play a fantastic shot around the tree, under the branch, over the lake, across the bunkers into the windmill, down the chute, out the dragon’s bum, on to the green and into the hole for another three points.”

Tutt tutt

Nigel Tutt, currently commercial manager – publishing at Fairfax Media, has been appointed general manager – digital platform and channel development.

In the newly created role, Tutt will be responsible for leading Fairfax Media’s digital team, helping to drive strategy around integration and maximise opportunities for emerging platforms. He will work alongside group executive editor Paul Thompson on content integration, group sales and marketing manager Sandra King on revenue development and business unit general managers on digital masthead development.

Fairfax Media New Zealand chief executive Allen Williams said the new position reflected Fairfax Media’s integrated approach, which is focused on creating and distributing great journalism whatever the platform.

“We’re well on our way from being a traditional print and digital company to a truly integrated multi-media business. It’s about responding to our customers’ needs and ensuring we’re well equipped to meet advertiser and reader expectations in an ever-changing media landscape. Nigel Tutt has a strong commercial background and brings to the role considerable strategic expertise to adapt the digital business model as part of the company’s transformation process. He will work closely with editorial, advertising and technical experts in the digital team.”

Spark flies

After ten years with the Spark Activate, managing director Anathea Ruys is leaving to return to her home town of Melbourne where she will take up a role with Clemenger Group company CHE.

“I’m very excited about my new role at CHE and working with chief executive Mark Coad, but at the same time I will miss being involved with Spark Activate. There have been many highlights over the past decade as the company has grown to be one of the largest and most successful activation and public relations agencies in New Zealand. We have a fantastic, stable client base and I am really proud of the award-winning work we have delivered.”

Louise Paul and Penny Harvie, who have collectively spent 15 years with the company, will take over the day to day management of the company as joint general managers.

“We looked at the market both locally and internationally and realised the skills we have within the company were exactly what we need,” says Louise Bond, chief executive of the Spark Group. “We believe strongly in fostering the careers of all staff, so it’s ideal that Penny and Louise step into their new roles bringing all the experience and understanding they have of the business.”

The pair take on their new roles from 17 May.

Steaks are high

Around 1500 to 2000 attendees will be celebrating beef next week at the third year of the Beef Expo at Manfeild, which encompasses seminars, workshops, social events and, of course, the Steak of Origin competition, “a headline-grabbing sizzler that acknowledges excellence from pasture to plate”.

Run by Beef and Lamb New Zealand to identify the land’s top hunk o’ beef, the contest is, perhaps strangely, supported by Pfizer Animal Genetics and attracted almost 350 entries last year.

“Farmers are increasingly taking this opportunity show how their skill in the paddock creates great tasting beef on the plate,” says the appropriately named Meat and Wool New Zealand chief executive Dr Scott Champion.

Of course, it’s more than a taste test: steaks are measured for marbling, pH and cooking loss percentage and semifinalists are confirmed by a tenderometer, a mechanical ‘tooth’ that bites down on the steak to determine its tenderness. A tasting panel in Christchurch then sampled the top third of entries to decide the finalists for the last hurdle – tasting by chefs and celebrities at a dinner on Tuesday night.

Tiger by the tail

The PR institute of New Zealand’s conference Taming the Tiger is happening soon. And there’s a whole bunch of brainiacs on offer.
Gary Ivory and Strahan Wallis from KPMG will be offering their take on the responsibilities PR people have in disseminating financial investment advice on behalf of their clients; Spiro Anastasiou from the Ministry of Health, will share the secrets of his team’s excellent public awareness campaign during the swine flu epidemic; Susan Reid from Workbase and Anna Griffiths from Sorted will present a case study on how they worked together to ensure people with all levels of literacy could access Sorted’s seminars and information; Ziena Jalil, New Zealand’s current Trade Commissioner to Singapore will walk you through a seriously massive award-winning event management campaign.

Register here.

Property market

Real estate agency Bayleys has made two executive appointments, with Richard Graham taking up the role of group brand and marketing manager for the company’s nationwide operations as part of Bayleys Realty Group. He replaces Johnny Sinclair, who’s taken up the new role of residential general manager with Bayleys Real Estate Ltd

Graham was previously Bayleys national country manager, overseeing sales and marketing initiatives across the rural sector, a role he will continue with, in addition to his new marketing and brand responsibilities.

Sinclair will oversee nine offices, seven in Auckland, one in Northland and one in Wellington and his new role will encompass growing the business through listings, sales volumes and sales consultant staff numbers within the existing branches, as well as identifying key locations for new Bayleys premises in the Auckland and Wellington regions.

Bayleys Real Estate managing director Mike Bayley says the duo’s promotions within the group were reflective of new opportunities opening up in the property sector and the moves were aligned with the company’s business objective of not only growing market share in existing areas, but also growing the agency’s network.

Speaking of sales, Panmure real estate agent Jane Wang was named as Barfoot & Thompson’s top residential salesperson out of more than 1,400 agents across Auckland and Northland, after selling nearly $30 million worth of properties. She listed and/or sold 110 homes with an average sale price of more than $466,000 and has placed as one of Barfoot & Thompson’s top six salespeople for five consecutive years, twice as number three.

The empire expands

Hot on the heels of this big announcement, Image Centre Group and Boston Digital, the group’s large and grand format division, has expanded its empire, establishing a partnership with Wellington print company Mesh Print, which has been a major player in the Wellington print industry for over 20 years.

The agreement brings the group increased printing capacity and capability to service Wellington-based and national clients with greater efficiency and a broader range of printing services.

Murray Davis, Image Print’s chief executive, says the deal is strategically important, because having a print operation in Wellington is critical to provide services for clients in the capital and throughout New Zealand.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Mike and his team at Mesh,” he says. “Our organisations have a good fit culturally and this deal opens up huge potential through combined skills, resource and knowledge for companies in the Wellington market, as well as our national clients.”

Mike Douglas, managing director of Mesh, says the new partnership with Boston Digital will add value for existing Mesh clients and offer a few new opportunities.

Out, damn source

Syro Communications Management Ltd opened for business in Wellington at the beginning of May and the company’s two key project directors, Sylvia Smith, previously of Origin Design, and Kim Neumayr, hope to provide outsourced communications project management services to government departments and SMEs.

“Up until now, communications functions have typically been handled in-house, or by hiring consultants to work alongside a project team”, Smith says. “What we are doing is managing entire communications and marketing projects externally on behalf of our clients. We’re the first to bring that approach to the market.”

Smith says government departments were now more likely to consider outsourcing rather than hire consultants and many SMEs lacked the finances to employ full-time marketing and communications staff, or to hire consultants to fill resource gaps.

“For public sector clients, Syro’s services will represent part of the project cost rather than an employment overhead,” she says “For SMEs, Syro will become the external marketing or communications team, delaying the need to employ someone or replacing that need altogether.

And Neumayr: “Our team is happy to work with a client’s preferred supplier, or to choose the best supplier for the project ourselves. We would then manage the process end to end,”  “Our approach is not about one size fits all, it is about who is best equipped to deliver the project.”

Car Parts

Repco, Australasia’s largest supplier of automotive parts, solutions and accessories, has appointed Cathy Atkins to the role of New Zealand marketing manager.

Prior to joining Repco, Atkins held the role of marketing manager for Restaurant Brands’ Pizza Hut and managed marketing communications for Noel Leeming and Caroma bathroom wear, executing brand refresh and repositioning programmes.

Atkins’ marketing career started with Quantum International, an Asia-Pacific direct response television business, which introduced well-known brands such as Natural Glow to New Zealand.

Adding Adrenalin

Adrenalin Publishing have added a few more names to its magazine advertising sales team, with Michael Larimar, previously at Lifestyle Publishing, joining in a new full time role as advertising sales manager for NZ Company Vehicle and NZ4WD magazine, Leanne Moss being promoted to advertising manager for NZBusiness magazine from her previous sales support role and Rachel Witberg replacing Moss in the sales support role for NZBusiness magazine.

WARC in Cincinnati

The Warc Prize for Ideas and Evidence has extended its deadine. And there are now an extra three weeks to submit your case study for the Warc Prize to nab $10,000. So make your pitch to a judging panel that consists of leading global marketers from Coca-Cola, Nike, Reckitt Benckiser, Yahoo! and Philips, plus international agency chiefs from Ogilvy Lowe, Publicis, Havas and Aegis.

Alex Bogusky, chief creative insurgent of MDC Partners and co-founder of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, will chair the panel of international client and agency judges.

All entrants will have their work published as ‘Warc Prize Papers’ on www.warc.com. The winning paper will be published in Admap, Warc’s monthly magazine, and all entrants whose submissions meet the qualifying criteria will also feature in post-prize publicity.

Submit your entry by Wednesday 2 June and for more information visit www.warc.com/prize

Desperate or challenging?

And finally, Magnation has laid down the gauntlet and is apparently sticking it to da man. Calling its competitors names like  Poosubscribe and Bumshop seems to be a strange approach. But then again, so was giving away free magazines to customers who came into Magnation stores in their undies.

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