Running with Scissors
Margaret Hawker is set to join Running with Scissors as an Auckland-based creative strategist.
Hawker joins from Bauer Media where she leads the strategy for its in-house agency, The Media Collective.
Running with Scissors founder Friday O’Flaherty is says he is rapt to have someone with Hawker’s energy join the team.
“We have to continually evolve to ensure we’re providing the right services to our clients and can help them find innovative ways to engage their customers,” Hawker says. “Margaret will help us be better to work with and do better work.”
Commenting on her new role, Hawker adds that she’s excited to join an agency that has such a progressive approach to advertising.
“Marketing is more complex, involved, trackable and results-orientated than ever. It’s exciting to be a part of an agency that is working simultaneously on two sides of the world to provide smarter and faster solutions to their clients.”
Hawker starts with the agency in January next year.
Putting down the mic
Newstalk ZB has announced key changes to the 2018 line-up. Veteran broadcaster Leighton Smith will be signing off at the end of 2018, and Kerre McIvor will move into the morning spot. Andrew Dickens will take over hosting the noon–4pm show until Simon Barnett steps into the afternoon role fulltime in 2019.
After 33 years in the role, the award-winning broadcaster says it is nearing the time to step back and focus on other opportunities.
“After more than one attempt to surrender the microphone the time is right,” Smith says in an official statement. “I’ve been at this one microphone for longer than I would ever have thought. It’s been a privilege and pleasure and my gratitude goes to a very loyal audience. But there is a still a year to go.”
Jason Winstanley, NZME’s head of talk, acknowledged the impact of Smith over his years at the station.
“Leighton Smith is without question one of the most magnificent broadcasters New Zealand has ever seen,” Winstanely is quoted in the NZME statement.
“He has kept his loyal audience abreast of the news, the opinions and the analysis, each and every day. He always leads the agenda. We will miss his intelligence, his wit and most of all, his incredible voice each morning.”
Smith has worked alongside his producer, and now wife Carolyn Leaney for the last 30 years.
While she will also be departing her role, Winstanley says it won’t be the last we hear from them.
“We have some very exciting projects coming up with Leighton and Carolyn with the NZME family. Stay tuned.”
Winstanley also expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of McIvor stepping into the role.
“Newstalk ZB has always been home to the best talent in the business. And our new morning host is no exception. I am delighted to announce that Kerre McIvor will take over from Leighton Smith in 2019. Kerre is a sensational broadcaster and we can’t wait for her sharp, no-holds-barred approach to hit morning talk.”
McIvor has been working in New Zealand media for the last 30 years. She’s been a TV reporter, a magazine and newspaper columnist, and more recently a published author.
With Newstalk ZB for the last 20 years, she has entertained audiences on the ‘Nights’ show for 16 years and more recently co-hosted Afternoons.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” McIvor says in the statement.
“I’ve spent many years working towards this amazing position – and now the time has come for me to jump in. Leighton Smith is a living legend, I’ll do my very best to do him and the audience proud.”
Winstanley says she will move on from her Afternoon hosting role at the end of 2017.
“Kerre will return to hosting Sunday mornings until she takes over the weekday show in 2019. You will also see her across other NZME platforms, including the New Zealand Herald.”
Newstalk ZB Sunday Café host Andrew Dickens will host noon – 4pm, Monday to Friday from January 2018 until Simon Barnett steps into the Afternoon role full time from early 2019.
Ice blocks and rescues
Surf Life Saving New Zealand has announced a new partnership with Nice Blocks.
Founded in 2010 by friends Tommy Holden and James Crow, Nice Blocks are ethically produced from natural and organic ingredients.
The one-year partnership will see a raspberry flavoured Surf Life Saving Nice Block, which will be specially wrapped in the iconic red and yellow Surf Life Saving colours and feature the ‘Swim Between the Flags’ safety message.
It will be stocked at BP Connect and BP 2 Go stores nationwide throughout summer with 30c per unit being donated to Surf Life Saving New Zealand.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand CEO Paul Dalton says it’s exciting to partner with Nice Blocks ahead of what will hopefully be a long, hot summer.
“Not only are they helping us to raise much-needed funds through sales of Nice Blocks but they are helping to keep Kiwis safer at New Zealand’s beaches by featuring our all-important message of swimming between the flags,” he says.
Nice Blocks co-founder Tommy Holden says he and James have always been up for supporting their community.
“This essential rescue service and amazing charity is protecting our community in the water and we think they could use some help. Our donations will go towards helping Surf Lifeguards save lives this summer. Nice huh?”
A digital mind for charity
Not-for-profit organisation Variety has announced the appointment of Young Shand’s general manager of strategy and innovation Daniel Phillips to its board.
Variety is a children’s charity that works on alleviating poverty among the most vulnerable members of the society.
Phillips joins chairman Richard Splig, paediatrician Dr Ian Hassall and media personality Lizzie Marvelly among others on a board that already has a diverse range of skillsets.
Variety CEO Lorraine Taylor is pleased to be adding to the board at a time when poverty remains the biggest issue facing New Zealand kids.
She says it’s great to see so many heavyweights from across a range of industries getting on NFP boards like Variety’s – supporting New Zealand to make positive inroads toward solving our child poverty situation.
According to research, there are as many as 200,000 kids living in poverty across New Zealand at the moment.
