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Year in Review: Steve Bayliss

A 60th anniversary, a little promotion that went large, a series of new infomercial style ads, another consistently cheeky performance from Stickman and the end of Real magazine made it a big year in the Foodstuffs corner. Here’s what group general manager of marketing Steve Bayliss made of it.  

1. Favourite campaign that isn’t yours

NZI.  Bad’s Not Going Anywhere.  Making ordinary extraordinary.  Love it.

2. Favourite campaign that is yours

Fairly much anything Stickman.  Meat Weeks in particular are always an opportunity to have fun, but my favourite this year was Loose Change Week with the Line “I sure hope that was a coin”.  

Perhaps humour that appeals more to those who also find fart jokes funny, but it stimulated plenty of conversation and just enough complaints to make it worthwhile. Note to self: have some more fun with vegetarians again next year. And politicians could also be gagging for it.

3. Least favourite campaign

Jeez Ben.  Why do you ask us to be so mean spirited at Christmas?  I’m going to take the soft option. They can’t like me any less, so stamps and cutlery.

4. Your own biggest success

Little Shop. Easy that one. But to be fair you just never could have predicted the success. A big bet (Steve who? Didn’t he used to work here?) that became a sensation. Breathe again.

5. Most impressive performance

Black Sabbath with Ozzy at Vector Arena. Twenty thousand retro madmen in black t-shirts, a bit like a Kevin Roberts’ theme party. At one point in the concert Ozzy called for the arena to be lit up with cellphones. Seventeen people responded with new school technology. Fifteen thousand meantime sparked up a trusty Bic lighter. Health & Safety, take a back seat pal. Not really the answer requested perhaps.

6. Biggest move

Hats off to Paul Maher and the whole MediaWorks family. After starting the year with enough debt to sink the economy of most Eastern European countries, they can look forward to Christmas dinner with satisfaction and a good measure of pride. They’ve restructured, been resilient, stayed focused on key people and properties, keep a solid client focus and then hit one out of the park with season two of The Block NZ. Congrats all.

7. Best innovation

Dunedin business Pacific Edge with their CXBladder cancer test. Simple, cost effective, non-invasive. Home grown with global application. Just awesome.

8. Best brand

Dual winners. Whittaker’s and L&P. A marriage made in heaven. Why’d it take y’all so bloody long?

9. Best stoush

Bricks vs online shopping.  Tonnes of bleating about why online has an unfair advantage. A hint here folks – it ain’t 15 percent GST when you add back in shipping costs. It is choice, range depth, quality, convenience and price.  I really admire The Warehouse in this space. No excuses, just getting on with working out how to participate and compete successfully.  Inspired move acquiring the capability and brand franchise in Torpedo7. 

10. Heroes

I reckon media planners and buyers this year. It has been pure chaos out there from start to finish. Even the ever reliable TV market has experienced massive swings in share and viewership levels throughout the year. Wine sales in supermarkets have been jolly good this year. It’s a safe bet the media departments have been major contributors to the growth. Thanks.

11. Villains

Gluten. Really? Two years ago I would have thought that’s the stuff we use to make jelly.

12. Most memorable marketing moment 

I struggled a bit here. There seemed to be lots of good in 2013.  But nothing that truly stood up and shouted “I’m the one. The true champion. Pick me.”  So I’ll politely pass.

13. A few predictions for 2014

Ah.  The political shenanigans of 2013 will look positively saintly compared to 2014.  I’m predicting a stonkingly entertaining bun-fight of epic proportions. Supermarkets will conversely play nicely all year and Stickman will not take the piss out of anyone. 

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