fbpx

News morsels devoured feverishly by ravenous beasts

Tasty nuggets of news—now with 10 percent more guarana, taurine and pseudoephedrine.

Dangling Carat

Following the recent announcement of Carat NZ’s JB Hi-Fi win (which, according to some, wasn’t particularly recent), it has also won the Bay Audiology account from Y&R/Mediaedge.

Carat says it won the business, which has billings of $1 million, based on its channel planning approach and skills in buying direct response media. But as one comes in, another one might soon be departing: Sleepyhead and Beds R Us, a long time client of Carat’s, has gone up for pitch and insiders with fingers on pulses say it’s unlikely it will be staying put.

Bay Audiology, which has a relationship with National Hearing Care and as started 15 years ago, has more than 65 clinics in New Zealand, 50 clinics in Australia and continues to grow with clinics in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Ryf Quail, general manager of Carat New Zealand says the Bay Audiology account gives Carat a chance to flex its direct response media capabilities, a key investment area for our business in the New Zealand market.

Interestingly, given that Carat’s UK-based parent company Aegis is in the process of purchasing Mitchell Communication Group, it raises some interesting questions for the future of the NZ arms of both Carat and Mitchells. And it would appear there is some possibility of a merge.

In other account moves, indie agency Buffalo Creative, which already has Massey University, Fletcher Aluminium, Methven and New Zealand Olympic Committee & Commonwealth Games, has added the Goodman Fielder Kiwi Bacon account to its list after a competitive pitch.

Legend of the Seek

Seek.co.nz, which reaches over 900,000 unique browsers per month, has followed in the footsteps of Grabaseat and Metservice and appointed another outfit, Digital Network Sales, to manage the sale of its non-recruitment advertising space.

Increased interest and success with advertisers including Telecom, Fonterra, TVNZ, Progressive and Coca Cola, resulted in the need to appoint an agency to manage and develop this area. Annemarie Duff, Seek’s general manager says “the ongoing audience growth of our site has resulted in non-recruitment advertising becoming a major opportunity”.

Adam Hobson, managing director, Digital Network Sales, said, “We are delighted to be working with SEEK and we are looking forward to driving their success further via our newly appointed country manager Rachel Trafford, who recently joined us from MSN”.

Eyeball growth

Speaking of MSN, its June financial year-end figures have been released and there’s plenty to be happy about in terms of year-on-year audience growth.

According to Omniture, unique browsers (UBs) on MSN’s local network, including local portal msn.co.nz, Ticketek and Hoyts, grew 34 percent to 4.07 million, with the msn.co.nz homepage and Windows Live Hotmail accounting for a significant chunk of audience activity growth. Specifically, msn.co.nz homepage page-views (PVs) increased 25 percent to 177 million for the year, and Hotmail amassed 2.7 billion PVs, 27 percent more than the last financial year.

MSN, which won CAANZ media brand of the year, isn’t the only one notching up healthy growth. But according to Nielsen Market Intelligence Domestic traffic, MSN outgrew its competitors, recording an 89 percent increase in monthly UBs, compared to Yahoo (53 percent), Stuff (52 percent) and NZ Herald (32 percent).

MSN New Zealand business manager Liz Fraser credits MSN’s continued audience growth to new content, homepage layout changes, more news stories specifically written for the msn audience, lifestyle and Entertainment Fix category expansion.

MSN news recorded a massive increase, with both page impressions (up 1,446 percent to 3,992,664) and UBs up (229 percent to 398,397) highlighting the impact of MSN-produced news, which now features alongside news content partners. The August launch of lifestyle category NZ Men, now one of MSN’s strongest network performers, attracts over 100,000 UBs generating over one million PVs every month.

Fraser is confident that an ongoing programme of category launches and Windows Live improvements will maintain audience growth. A major overhaul of Windows Live Hotmail is now available to New Zealanders and a new version of Messenger, which includes video calling and enhanced sharing capabilities, is in beta.

Effie action

The Effie finalists have been announced. And here’s a handy alphabetised agency list: .99, Affinity ID, Barnes, Catmur & Friends, BCG2 Centralstation, Clemenger BBDO, Colenso BBDO, DDB New Zealand, DraftFCB, Federation, Ikon Communications, M2M International, Ogilvy, OMD, Publicis Mojo NZ, Saatchi & Saatchi, Spark, Special Group, Sugar Advertising, TBWA Tequila, and Y&R New Zealand.

Covered in dots

Auckland multidisciplinary design company, Alt Group, has added seven more accolades to its ever expanding list of international award successes, with the firm this week scooping seven ‘red dot: communication design’ awards at one of the world’s largest design competitions, the red dot awards.

Alt Group, who last year took home four coveted red dot awards and then later went on to win the supreme red dot grand prix prize for communication design – widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious design accolade – beat off a record 6,369 entries, submitted from 44 countries, to take home the seven design prizes.

The seven red dots were presented to the company for a range of projects including the “We Make Light” booklet for global lighting designer and manufacturer Philips Selecon; “The Vigneron Centenary Wine” and “The Vigneron Book,” a hand-bound book and a limited edition series of 100 hand numbered magnums that were designed to celebrate the life of Najib Corban, of the Corbans wine dynasty, and “Thinking Outside the Chair” a book for New Zealand furniture designer and manufacturer Formway.

Alt Group’s other designs recognised in the international design competition included “Black Grace Gathering Clouds,” a campaign for Auckland based dance company, Black Grace; “Eat Drink Merry,” a quirky Christmas gift pack designed for Auckland based law firm, Hudson Gavin Martin’s clients; and “A Lean Year”, a gift for the company’s own clients which took the form of a leaning wine bottle, to symbolise one of the worst years in economic history.

Ben Corban, managing director at Alt Group said the company’s success at the red dot awards was the “icing on the cake” for what had been a hugely successful year for the company, during which time they have scooped 31 international design awards.

“Winning awards for us is about benchmarking our work globally, to ensure we continue to deliver fresh and innovative design solutions for our clients that help their businesses succeed. Beyond that it is about getting New Zealand recognised on an international stage,” says Corban.

Cooking with gas

New Zealand is set to spread its greenhouse gas expertise to our Trans-Tasman neighbours with news that Landcare Research has signed a licensing partnership with Bureau Veritas, a leading independent certification body, to provide the successful CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme) certification to selected clients in Australia.

In a nutshell, CEMARS helps companies become better corporate citizens by understanding how to accurately measure, manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, thus enabling them to report their carbon emissions and reductions with credibility and integrity. It also provides curious consumers with independently verified information that they need to make informed purchasing decisions.

“Bureau Veritas is delighted to be the licensee of Landcare Research’s CEMARS programme in Australia. We believe this will be seen as a valuable service for many of our existing customers,” says Steve McAllister, chief executive of Bureau Veritas – Pacific Zone.

Landcare Research’s business manager Mike Tournier says the partnership is an example of a New Zealand organisation “punching above its weight” by creating value to the New Zealand economy both domestically and through exports of our information technology and intellectual property.

News of the Australian partnership comes just two months after CEMARS announced its move into the UK market, with its adoption into the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme — the UK’s mandatory climate change and energy saving scheme.

Given the bird

Youtube Video

DDB has brought back the kerrazzee Warehouse ‘Kiwi’. Just look at his pratfalls! Of course, kiwi are very stupid, poorly designed birds and through multiple creative scenarios, which feature our cheeky Kiwi doing typically stupid kiwi things, like putting shoes on his numerous claws, camping outside or falling off a treadmill, the Warehouse’s weekly bargains will be delivered. As far as retail advertising goes, it’s certainly better than that god damn shouty Harvey Norman.

Vicious cycle

Untouched World’s cycle collection has won a prestigious international iF design award for its merino-based cycle clothing range, which was launched late last year.

“It’s just a fantastic result, and is recognition of all the hard work we have put into the cycle range,” chief executive of Untouched World Peri Drysdale says. “It means the Untouched World cycle clothing will carry the iF logo which is trusted worldwide as a sign of proven design quality.”

Since their introduction in 1953, the iF design awards have been a reliable international indicator of outstanding quality in design, and for potential customers the iF logo is a guideline for finding the best products in the marketplace.

“Having the iF logo on our garments and promotional material will be a huge bonus for the growth of our market development internationally,” she says.

Who made all the pies?

There seem to be a host of user-generated campaigns/competitions running at the moment and three female pie lovers will soon be battling it out to be the creator of the nation’s next gourmet pie for BP’s Wild Bean cafe. As evidence of the immense love this nation has for the glorious pastry delights, the online “Create the pie you love” competition attracted 4,377 entries in just four weeks.

The gourmet pie bake-off takes place on 30 August, where the three top pies will be made and taste tested by a judging panel. The winning pie will be sold nationwide from 6 September as the newest gourmet pie in the range and the winning pie artist will get $5000 for their troubles.

The three finalists are: Bianca Wigley from Western Springs, Auckland for “The Three B” (lean beef, bacon and blue cheese); Susie Robertson from Mt Victoria, Wellington for “Pumpkin Delight” (pumpkin, spinach, caramelized red onion, garlic, feta and salt and pepper); and Frida Sumardjo from the Hillcrest, Auckland for “Curry Me Home” (lamb, onion, tomato, chicken stock, tandoori tikka paste, cheese and coriander).

On the road again

One of the first of the supersized trucks allowed on Kiwi roads under new transport regulations hit the road in Auckland this week. It’s 22 metres long and, obviously, it’s main role is to travel between Auckland and Christchurch. But the owners, Booths, are also using it as a giant moving billboard.

Straw and Supplement Supplies Ltd is the first advertiser to utilise the large proportions of these new trucks. And what a sexy rural New Zealand scene it is.

Got a twenny?

New Zealand folk are being called on to dig out all their old coins and foreign currency for the Heads Up for Kids campaign. Alan Boaden, head of currency at The Reserve Bank has estimated that there is $116 million in old bank notes and coins sitting idle in Kiwi homes. And while this seems like a number that’s been pulled from thin air, it’s still a lot of unused cash.

Lions Clubs New Zealand and Resene Paints nationwide are collecting throughout the country and the money will be redeemed at face value at The Reserve Bank. Foreign currency is being bought from a UK coin company and the funds raised will go to support a number of programmes that support youth, like The Spirit of Adventure, O.P.C, Life skills and many more. Check it out here.

About Author

Avatar photo

One of the talented StopPress Team of Content Producers made this post happen.

Comments are closed.