When I saw StopPress introducing Zavy’s Social Scoreboard, I couldn’t help thinking that comparing how the top 25 traditional media advertising spenders in New Zealand have performed on social media, is great, as far as it goes; but it is microbrands that have been the greatest beneficiaries of advertising on social sites.

Known as the uncanny valley, the unsettling feeling we experience when robots look like humans is, well, unsettling. Hunch managing partner Michael Goldthorpe dives in the world of marketing automation and what that could look like in the future.

Search engine optimization has been through a lot of change over the last few years and is now completely different from what it used to be. FCB’s head of search Ben Dubuc discusses why he thinks the term should be search experience optimization.

The time between leaders is a dangerous one. In medieval times they’d gloss over it by having messengers shout ‘The King is dead! Long Live the King!’ Which roughly translates as: ‘Yes, the king may have snuffed it, but don’t even think about getting uppity because the new one has already moved into the castle and is busy sharpening his favourite axe.’ BC&F Dentsu chief executive Paul Catmur takes a look at industry’s changing guard.

Michael Goldthorpe takes a look creativity and how it’s not a numbers game.

As part of our Programmatic Guide, KPEX CEO Simon Birkenhead looks at New Zealand’s programmatic industry and explains the rationale behind building a consortium of local media companies to create a brand safe environment with a scaled audience.

TRA partner Colleen Ryan takes a final look at the Byron Sharp versus Mark Ritson debate, looking at the power of remembering a well-marketed brand.

It’s 2018. That’s 125 years since women in New Zealand have been recognised as equals in the eyes of democracy. But what’s the story of equality in advertising? It doesn’t take much research to find articles about the changing faces of women in advertising – and yes, things are changing. But the casual sexism, the call-outs and the cover-ups have sparked a different kind of debate. Is misogynistic advertising a thing of the past, or do seeds of it still exist? To answer that, I’ve looked at different portrayals of women to see how things were then…and now.

TRA partner Connon Bray weighs in on the Byron Sharp versus Mark Ritson debate, deciding both marketing giants are wrong.

Responding to the ongoing Byron Sharp versus Mark Ritson debate about the value of brand perceptions, TRA partner Colleen Ryan takes a look at how brands need to get the balance of marketing just right.

Was Nike’s ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick a poor decision or an astute understanding of Nike’s target market? Graham Medcalf takes a look. PLUS: Share your thoughts.

Responding to the ongoing Byron Sharp versus Mark Ritson debate about the value of brand perceptions, TRA business director Greg Sampson takes a look at how the context is key.

TRA head of strategy Colleen Ryan takes a look at New Zealanders’ sense of humour.

Managing director at JustOne Ben Goodale takes a look at the increasing distrust of online data security and how to secure data privacy for future generations.

Everyone talks about the ‘new New Zealand’ – but what’s really changed? What does this mean for your business and brand? And why do we see the same well-worn imagery of a New Zealand of the 20th century, rather than the 21st?

TRA head of strategy Colleen Ryan takes a look New Zealand’s increasingly connected place in the world.

Jeremy Hunt, a director at Brand Spanking, shares his takeaways from the Experiential Marketing Summit in San Francisco.

We’ve all read various articles and heard chatter about the movement of agency services going ‘in-house’, moving into a consulting firm and/or being automated. Some of these changes are obviously justified but there’s some evidence that companies that move agency functions out of agencies may well end up producing worse work rather than better work. According to Simon Bird, it suggests there’s a sweet spot somewhere between idiot and global expert where open-mindedness and curiosity is maximised.