Author Elly Strang

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
Taking on the world: Together Journal’s founder on breaking into the international market
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The print industry has been through tumultuous times lately, so to most, it might seem like an unwise idea to start up a magazine. Together Journal founder Greta Kenyon thought it was a risk worth taking, and the gamble paid off – the design-driven publication created in New Zealand is now stocked in stores globally, including over 300 Barnes & Nobles stores in the US.

News
The Social Club on where influencer marketing is heading next in New Zealand
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As ad blockers hide more traditional forms of advertising and consumers disengage with brands preaching to them on social media, influential individuals are providing an important link to consumers. We talk to The Social Club co-founders Justin Clark and Georgia McGillivray on how they’re connecting brands with eyeballs in New Zealand and where the industry is heading in 2017.

News
Index is giving Tinder users a dose of inspiration
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In a time of countless listicles, city guides and review websites, an app by two 23-year-olds aims to cut through all the clutter and offer a curated guide to New Zealand’s Super City. Index, founded by George Howes and Alex Brown, is an app that profiles the top picks for cafés, restaurants, stores and even date ideas, and it’s taking off thanks to another app: Tinder.

News
Iyia Liu: the Kiwi millennial using influencer marketing to build a multi-million-dollar business
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You don’t need to look far to find detractors of influencer marketing. Campaigns are difficult to track, audiences are spread across the world and every celebrity is only one faux pas away from a downfall. However, as Kiwi entrepreneur Iyia Liu tells us, influencer marketing also has the the potential of spreading a brand’s message rapidly. And it’s something the 23-year-old has harnessed frequently in building a multi-million-dollar enterprise from the comfort of her Auckland home.

News
Sexy isn’t photoshopped: Lonely Lingerie campaign celebrates diversity and body positivity
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Skinny. Seductive. Photoshopped. These three elements have over years become the mandatory approach for the vast majority of lingerie advertising. But inclusive lingerie brands, looking to target women who have grown tired of being reminded of their imperfections are making a stand against this approach. And among those challenging the standard approach is New Zealand label Lonely, which recently released a beautiful body positive campaign for its latest collection.

News
Gotta eat ’em all
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It appears the end to the Pokemon Go craze is far from sight, as a Sydney pop-up shop has created limited edition burgers inspired by the popular Bulbasaur, Pikachu and Charmander characters.

News
Q&A: Burger Burger’s Mimi Gilmour talks omnichannel
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Burger Burger, nestled in Ponsonby Central, has fast become one of the most popular burger joints in town. It has lured customers with its tasty but affordable burgers, delicious milkshakes and witty marketing style. It has also recently expanded, opening up a restaurant dubbed Fish Fish. Burger Burger has amassed more than 40,000 followers across Facebook and Instagram, here’s its co-founder and creative director Mimi Gilmour on the business’s digital approach.

News
Cats can human speak
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Cat’s got a tongue thanks to cat food brand Temptations collar creation. It will translate all the meows of feline friends into English, however we can’t be sure it’s entirely accurate.

Features
The rise of retail magazines
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Are branded magazines the new mail order catalogue? An increasing number of retailers are dipping a toe in the editorial waters, both online and offline. We talk to Crane Brothers founder Murray Crane and Barkers’ 1972 magazine publisher and editor Duncan Greive about this trend, and what it takes for companies to get into the content-creating business.

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Postie Plus relaunches with a new look and a responsible retail model
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Following last year’s restructure, Postie Plus has adopted a “responsible retailing” model, dropping prices by 30 precent and taken on a new look crafted by Saatchi & Saatchi. Elly Strang talks to Pepkor South East Asia managing director Jason Murray to find out about its new persona and what the store has to offer the New Zealand market.

News
Volvo forks out $1 million to get Kiwis over to Sweden
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Scandinavian trends have worked their way into our homewares and design industry, but can they take on the car market? Swedish car brand Volvo’s latest campaign is pushing to get more Kiwis buying its cars through a deal that lets them travel to its motherland for free, so long as they buy a brand-new Volvo car.

News
Let there be lightsabers: the strange world of branded Star Wars merch
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Showerheads, chopsticks, condoms and a vast array of other Star Wars-related products have hit the shelves recently in an effort to tap into the hype around the new film. And while many of them border on the ridiculous, data from cloud-based point-of-sale company Vend has found that New Zealand retailers who are selling Star Wars-related products and memorabilia have seen a 430 percent increase in December sales so far, compared to 2014.

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