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Movings/Shakings: 25 November

On the tools

Fairfax Media has appointed Robert Hutchinson as its new product development director. He started last week and replaced Nigel Tutt, who joined Affinity ID as group general manager

He joins Fairfax from across the Tasman where he served as general manager, digital business development for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s commercial division. 

Trained as a graphic designer, he has 20 years experience spanning the digital spectrum, from online advertising to subscription products. His first stint with the ABC was in 2000, where he spent five years as their head of new media interface, responsible for the division’s creative direction, user experience and strategy.

For the past six years, he has led the ABC’s product development strategy and has been instrumental in driving significant growth through their e-commerce platform, content licensing, and developing new businesses for mobile and online platforms.

“It’s great to be back in New Zealand. K Road hasn’t changed much but Auckland definitely has. There’s a good feel to the place and I’m already feeling right at home,” he says. 

Fairfax has dealt with some big changes to its executive management team in recent times, with ex-chief executive Allen Williams moving to Australia, group executive editor Paul Thompson moving to Radio NZ, sales and marketing manager Sandra King moving to PPR, long-serving chief financial officer Randall Burt set to leave this week and, as mentioned above, Tutt going agency side. But with Simon Tong as chief executive, Andrew Boyle as chief operating officer, Sinead Boucher as group executive editor and Campbell Mitchell starting as marketing director, their new team is largely in place.

On the editorial side, Miriyana Alexander left the Sunday Star Times and moved to edit the Herald on Sunday and Auckland editor-in-chief Garry Ferris recently headed home to take on the editorship of The Southland Times.  

Facebook hunts for a new face

Facebook’s head of sales Claire O’Connell is shifting to a part-time role at Facebook from February next year. 

O’Connell has been at Facebook for four years, three of them in London, but she is planning on starting her own business. 

Facebook is currently recruiting for a replacement for the role, reporting directly in to Will Easton, the managing director of Australia and New Zealand.

Passing the baton  

After more than 40 years in public relations, 25 of them at Network Communications, managing director Dennis Lynch has stepped aside and announced the appointment of Antonios Papaspiropoulos, who joined as general manager in September after more than a decade abroad, as managing director effective 1 January.   

Lynch will become an associate in the company and continue to provide senior counsel as required. He says it has been a privilege to work for such great clients and colleagues over the years and he believes Network has achieved some outstanding results, including four years working with Team New Zealand, a two year campaign seeking to win regulatory consent for Air New Zealand and Qantas to form an alliance and heading up a global campaign to defend an asthma drug.

He says one of the greatest pleasures was to have provided a launch-pad for so many young people who have gone on to forge successful careers. 

“It’s great to have offered a helping hand to so many talented young people, even if a number of them have come back to haunt me as competitors.” 

Network is New Zealand’s oldest communications consultancy with offices in Auckland and Wellington. It provides communications counsel to the country’s biggest companies and best known brands—including Coca Cola, Nestle, Fisher and Paykel Appliances, and Sealord—as well as entities in the public, private and community sectors.

Twenty plus one

Jason Hall has taken up a role as Twenty’s new creative director, replacing Kenton Osmond, who had been with the agency for around three years. 

Hall was creative director of the Wellington offices of Rapp Tribal and prior to that, AIM Proximity. He is also owner of creative consultancy Hallelujah, a venture he started to service his own clients.

He made the move up to Auckland two weeks ago, and is now busy getting up to speed with the brands and clients Twenty supports, as well as settling in to his new home. And he says he made the decision to come north because he realised he was best to stick to his knitting: data-driven creative.

“This is Twenty’s point of difference in the market. It’s exciting to be able to work on briefs that are backed up by compelling insights and data informed fact. It’s been a wonderful welcome to Auckland from the team at Twenty. I look forward to being a part of an exciting future. Love the space too.”

One of his first tasks at the agency is to recruit a talented writer with a passion for direct and digital. 

Digital switches 

Video & Entertainment Network Asia (VeNA) has appointed Toni Knowles as general manager, New Zealand. 

Knowles spent three years at Facilitate Digital, where she held the position of general manager New Zealand, and she brings over 20 years’ experience in the New Zealand advertising market, the past 6-1/2 of those entirely immersed in digital and technology.

“It’s a hugely exciting time for online video advertising and video seeding, particularly as the demand from consumers for video content across all devices is growing at a rapid rate,” she says. “For brands and advertisers, video is such a powerful medium and delivers great results. I feel I can make a valuable contribution to the New Zealand business, and am looking forward to helping grow this category in New Zealand.”

Adam Hobson, founder and chief executive says her background combines sales and operations technology, which are core to the business.

“VeNA has a strong foundation in the NZ market to build upon, with fantastic publisher and technology partners. We’re committed to the NZ market, and really adding value for publishers and agencies here.” 

The role was previously held by Grant Hyland and before that Gracie MacKinlay. 

Over at Facilitate Digital, Stacey Perillo, currently ad operations manager at Mi9, has been appointed as business director and will replace Knowles

“Given Stacey’s extensive industry experience and high level of technical expertise, she comes extremely well credentialed to manage and develop our existing Symphony, FFA and Rich Media client base in New Zealand,” says Tom Peacock, chief operating officer. “We are very excited to have her on our team at a very interesting time for us as a company. 2014 promises to be an exciting year as we bring some really innovative product to market and, of course, New Zealand will continue to be a key market of focus for us.” 

PPR gets global nod

Professional Public Relations (PPR), the largest public relations agency in Australia and New Zealand, has been awarded the prestigious PR World Award for Most Innovative PR Agency of the Year 2013.

The annual PR World Awards recognise the world’s best in organisational performance, innovation, products, services, management, public relations and marketing campaigns.

According to a release, “the award follows a transformational year at PPR. The agency has rolled out an innovative channel agnostic client experience across the company’s seven Australian and New Zealand offices with account teams now providing a mix of owned, earned and bought strategies, services and channels to help brands tell and share their stories”.

PPR has also signed up for an exclusive strategic partnership with King Content and gained access to 1,500 professional writers, added new service offerings including the Style Counsel fashion PR and marketing agency, launched PPR Production with in house directors, producers, screenwriters and editing studio to complemented its art studio offering and acquired experiential marketing agency Sublime Activation. 

PPR, which is owned by WPP, has also invested in ensuring content can be distributed quickly and efficiently and in 2013 PPR developed and launched Point Shoot Send (PSS), a video distribution platform for brands to communicate using video with customers, staff, investors and other stakeholders.

All this has led to one of the most important developments in PPR’s 43 year history: the global rollout of its brand, with the launch of PPR Worldwide and new offices in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Austin and London.

“It’s an honour to be named the world’s most innovative PR agency of 2013 by the PR World Awards,” says Sally Haysom, PPR New Zealand executive chairman and executive director PPR ANZ. “As the marketing services industry has changed radically over the last few years we have proactively and deliberately transformed our business to become a truly channel agnostic communications agency with the approach, services and tools that brands and organisations need to share their stories in an incredibly crowded marketplace. New Zealand chief executives, marketers and internal communications teams are embracing PPR’s integrated approach to communications, which is supported by innovative products and services, such as content marketing.” 

Hunted

Melbourne and Auckland indie agency Hunter has bolstered its team with the appointment of Beverley Johnson in the newly created role of general manager. 

She has over ten years of stella experience having worked client side with brands as varied as Jeanswest, Pacific Brands, Coles and Jag. She also spent time in the UK as Head of Marketing for iconic high street fashion label, Warehouse. 

18 gun salute

Eighteen public relations practitioners have gained accreditation (APR) after successful completion of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand’s (PRINZ) 2013 accreditation programme.

APR is an internationally-recognised qualification for PRINZ members with at least five years practical experience in the public relations and communication management industry.

“These 18 practitioners are future industry leaders,” says APR chief examiner Dr Graeme Sterne. “They each undertook APR voluntarily, and on achieving the qualification demonstrate their commitment to ethical, best practice communications for their organisations and clients.”

Graduates were awarded their certificates at ceremonies in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch earlier this month.

The 2013 APR graduates are:

Auckland

  • Deepti Bhargava, Unitec Institute of Technology – Online Community Advisor
  • Suzanne Stickney, Winstone Aggregates – Communications and Marketing Specialist
  • Amber Gilmore, Auckland Council – Senior Integrated Communications Adviser
  • Angela Jones, Auckland Council – Senior Media Adviser
  • Duncan Croft, ATEED – Internal Communications Advisor

Thames-Coromandel

  • Laurna White, Thames-Coromandel District Council – Senior Communications and Marketing

Hawke’s Bay

  • Erin Harford, Giblin Group – Communications and Sponsorship Consultant

Ohope, Bay of Plenty

  • Sarah van der Boom, Cheeky Rooster Communications & PR – Communications and Business Manager

Wellington

  • Colin Marshall, Statistics NZ – Senior Media Adviser
  • Simon England, Pharmac – Communications Manager
  • Rob Addison, New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals, Communications Advisor
  • Grace Loftus, Statistics NZ – Communications Advisor
  • Stacey Smith, Independent Police Conduct Authority – Senior Communications Advisor

New Plymouth

  • Neil Holdom, Powerco – Corporate Affairs Manager

Christchurch

  • Janet Luxton, CORE Education Ltd – Marketing and Communications Manager
  • Angela Lamont, Airways – Communications Advisor
  • Anne-Marie Robinson, Christchurch City Council – Senior Communications Advisor

Dunedin

  • Megan McPherson, University of Otago – Head of Communications

Elsewhere in PRINZ land, two PRINZ members were selected as winners of the Global Alliance COMM PRIX Awards 2013: NZ Transport Agency in the Issues Management category and ANZ New Zealand in the Reputation/Brand Management category. 

Newskids

Cantabrian Mathilda (Molly) Noven has won the inaugural 3 News TV Guide Junior Reporter writing competition.

The nine-year-old impressed the competition judges with an original news report about a visit to her local SPCA ahead of their annual appeal. Her story has been published at 3News.co.nz/kids and will also appear in the next issue of the TV Guide.

The competition was judged by 3 News anchors Mike McRoberts and Hilary Barry, TV Guide editor Julie Ele  and TV3’s director of news and current affairs, Mark Jennings.

Noven has won a prize pack, a family trip family trip to Auckland including a visit to the TV3 newsroom, afternoon tea with Mike McRoberts and Hilary Barry, and VIP tickets to Coca Cola Christmas in the Park.

The judges also selected five highly commended entries—Katelyn Sharp (Onewhero), Sydney B Causer (Buckland’s Beach, Auckland), Hana Pilkinton-Ching (Porirua), Neena Davison (Mosgiel), Charlotte Barber (Porirua)— and they will also receive prize packs and have their stories published at 3News.co.nz/kids.

Dabbling in digital 

Metro Recruitment has recently added to its specialist recruitment services by opening up a new division, Metro Digital, which will be focused purely on digital recruitment. Hayley Knaggs has been hired as national digital recruitment manager. 

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