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Movings/Shakings: 9 March—UPDATED

Mike Knowles gets a slice of Farrimond, Tangible bids adieu to Julian Andrews, digital agency Gladeye shifts from a budgie cage to an eagle’s nest, CAANZ and The Sweet Shop announce their Young Lotuses, Audi and MIT share the love, Australasian promotional products don Bill Kestin takes up an international post, and say hello to our little friend, new Movings/Shakings sponsor The Pond

Grassy Knowles 

When we were speculating recently about the possibility of BNZ shifting its creative account, we mentioned that Mike Knowles had moved away from Sugar and was working with the agency on more of a contract basis. And now he has bought a share in Auckland agency Farrimond.

Fellow director Kelly Farrimond confirmed that Knowles started in January.

Companies office records show Knowles purchased 30 percent of the company and is now a director, replacing Michael Farrimond. He also upped his stake in Sugar in May last year from five to 15 percent.

And, in semi-related news, BNZ, which has made a host of major changes to its senior management team of late, is currently looking for a head of corporate affairs.

Singapore bound

A couple of changes at Image Centre Group. Tangible Media’s customer magazine publisher Julian Andrews is leaving the company to work on a project for McCann Erickson in Singapore and nGage’s business development and key account manager Murray Davis has taken up a new job as national sales manager at Hally Labels.

West to East

Auckland digital agency Gladeye has shifted from its “budgie cage” in Herne Bay to an eagle’s nest in St George’s Bay Rd in Parnell.

“You might have heard things have changed,” says Gladeye’s executive creative director Tarver Graham in a release. “… We’ve spread our wings and flown East, towards the glow of the rising sun. The new space is bright and roomy, and clad in gold-tinted windows to protect sensitive equipment from cosmic rays. We would love it if you could drop by. There’s a coffee here with your name on it. Not literally, unless you want us to write it on. We can do that.”

Here’s what you’ll see if you take them up on the offer.

Sweetness and light

The Sweet Shop and CAANZ have chosen Colenso BBDO’s Lachlan Palmer-Hubbard and Graeme Clarke as the creative team that will represent New Zealand at the ADFEST Young Lotus Workshop in Thailand.

The pair have done pieces of work for The New Zealand Book Council ʻBooks Shape Youʼ and Frucor Beverages ʻV Paintballʼ in eight finalist categories at this yearʼs CAANZ Axis Awards.

The pair said this, at exactly the same time: “Weʼre both very excited for the opportunity to represent New Zealand this year at AdFest. Travelling to Thailand is pretty cool, too. We feel all worldly and stuff, like P Diddy or pirates.”

“It was a strong line up of finalists this year and Iʼm confident that the New Zealand team will be very competitive in Thailand,” says The Sweet Shop’s managing director George Mackenzie.

To be eligible for this opportunity both creatives had to be under 30 and have been in advertising for a year. The ADFEST Young Lotus Workshop is an opportunity for young creative teams to grow their experience in the presence of award-winning industry gurus from the Asia Pacific region. The workshop takes place from the 15-17th March in Pattaya, Thailand.

Audi, partner

A long term strategic partnership between Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) and Audi New Zealand has resulted in the first technician landing full-time employment within Audi New Zealand.

This programme commenced in August 2011 and offers work training opportunities at Audi to MIT automotive engineering programme’s rising stars.

“Audi New Zealand is totally committed to employing and training the most talented staff we can find for our retail network’s expanding service needs,” says Dane Fisher, Audi New Zealand general manager. “Many graduates are unaware of career possibilities within the Audi brand and we need the cream of the crop, so the marketing department has been working to identify the highest quality candidates for our dealers.”

Initial apprentice placements have been made in Auckland, but Audi’s ambition is for the programme to provide opportunities for up to 12 trainees in the nationwide Audi New Zealand dealer network. MIT is the natural partner as it has New Zealand’s largest automotive engineering training capacity and can leverage links with other regional education providers.

“Audi and MIT are both bcg2 clients and introducing them made perfect sense for this marketing initiative,” says bcg2’s managing director Michael Jarvis. “Our industry isn’t only about making ads and bcg2‘s approach is to find ways to add value to the whole of our clients’ businesses. Plus it feels good to know someone is off on their career with the best possible beginning.”

Product placement

William Kestin, the chief executive of the Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA), which represents over 100 New Zealand companies, has been elected as president of the International Federation of Promotional Products Associations (IFPPA). And he says his posting will be beneficial to New Zealand’s $234 million a year industry.

“It’s the first time someone from our region has had the job in the federation’s 20 year history. My appointment will give New Zealand a louder voice at the international promotional products table.”

IFPPA members include promotional product associations from the US, Canada, Mexico, UK, many parts of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Kestin said IFPPA faced many challenges, including the changing international safety and labour standards and ethical representation in production, creativity and accountability.

“Education is paramount, with many corporates often burnt by using unethical non-APPA members when purchasing promotional products, or worse still, Chinese factories who claim to manufacture ‘direct’ but often exploit Western naiveté which can result in costly product recalls.”

APPA’s 742 members represent promotional product companies that provide a wide variety of promotional and advertising services.

“When people think of promotional products they often think of cheap giveaways. But the promotional product industry is much more than that,” he says. “It’s tangible advertising for all companies, regardless of size, which is measurable and includes integrated campaigns to compliment every marketing strategy. The steady growth in our industry illustrates how successful and creative promotional products are in the marketing mix.”

 

 

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