Monthly Archives: February, 2017

News
Emotionally intelligent and lifelike: meet Soul Machines’ Nadia avatar
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Earlier this month, Accenture released its Fjord Trends report, showing what businesses should be wary of in the next year. Of the eight, AI was one to watch for its accelerated growth and rational decision-making capabilities. And with the next step being to create empathetic responses from chatbots, the day AI takes over customer service may be closer than you think. With this in mind, we take a look at a Kiwi company at the forefront of humanising AI technology, that’s revealed its first virtual assistant called ‘Nadia’, which has been voiced by actress Cate Blanchett.

News
Listen to your book
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Audible Australia is on a mission to show the dangers and frustrations of reading books with a flashback to the 80s and some cringe-worthy lyric changes.

News
Exit interview: Livia Esterhazy
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Following news of her resignation, departing Clemenger BBDO managing director Livia Esterhazy sits down for a chat about working in adland, overcoming failures and the importance of diverse thinking.

News
Electric Kiwi’s Luke Blincoe on backing The Project, getting New Zealanders to think about energy and running a feisty challenger brand
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Electric Kiwi was this week confirmed as the broadcast partner of The Project, which will be hitting local TV screens for the first time on 20 February. A relative newcomer to the energy scene, Electric Kiwi is one of a number of independent energy providers offering New Zealand consumers an alternative to the big, traditional power companies. We caught up with recently appointed Electric Kiwi chief executive Luke Blincoe (previously at Genesis and before that at Globug) to find out how the business is doing and why he’s decided to back MediaWorks’ experimental current affairs show.

News
Engaging the masses: How Mind Over Money is an example of what brands should be doing and how Ruckus is helping them do it
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Money is not an easy subject for many to talk about but with a mission to help Kiwis be better with their finances, Kiwibank put it front and centre in its new show Mind Over Money. And bringing it to life is Nigel Latta and his colleagues at Ruckus who we spoke to about ‘humanising’ money and helping brands break away from conventional TVCs.

News
Ziera gets a foothold on feminism with its ‘unstoppable women’ campaign
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With one of the largest recorded women’s marches against Donald Trump taking place only a matter of weeks ago, it seems that 2017 could be the year of progressive feminism. Jumping on board with this idea, New Zealand-owned Ziera Shoes has launched a campaign titled ‘Unstoppable’ that promotes empowerment and strength amongst women globally.

Partner articles
From the page to the screen and everywhere inbetween: how magazines are morphing into many-tentacled consumer brands
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While magazines were once just a regular dose of escapism, entertainment or inspiration in printed form, the rise of the internet and the need for new sources of revenue has meant publishers are connecting with their audiences in a range of different ways. Erin McKenzie takes a look at how some of the local players – and the Magazine Publishers Association – are embracing that shift.

News
ANZ aims for the feels as it announces continued support of Auckland Pride Festival
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ANZ has been a major supporter of the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community over the last few years, most notably through the highly awarded ‘GAYTM’ campaign in 2015 and 2016 as well as its continued sponsorship of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Auckland Pride Festival. Now, the bank is further concretising its commitment to the cause with a new spot drawing attention to the discomfort LGBTI couples often feel when holding hands in public.

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