Customer insights platform Ideally has appointed international brand marketer Maura Halpin to the newly created role of Marketing Lead, effective immediately.  Since launch in August 2023, Ideally has announced a $2.15m seed investment and has grown to nearly 20 staff across Australia and New Zealand, as well as serving more than 80 clients, including Telstra, Lion and Arnott’s. Reporting directly to Co-founder & CRO Joshua Nu’u-Steele, Halpin’s immediate remit will be to develop and implement Ideally’s overarching marketing strategy. Co-founder & CRO Joshua Nu’u-Steele, said ..read more

Ad tech industry veterans Paul Kent, Andrew Hammond and Blake Gorman have joined forces to launch Deep Media, a specialist consultancy that aims to reshape the Amazon advertising landscape in Australia and New Zealand.  The trio were integral to the team that launched Amazon’s ad tech capabilities in Australia. They have extensive experience leading media and technology organisations, including Nine Entertainment, OMG and InMobi. Kent, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Deep Media, explains: “With Deep Media, we’re on a mission to unlock the exciting potential of Amazon’s advertisin ..read more

Clemenger BBDO has just appointed global creative director Adrián Flores as Chief Creative Officer. Adrián returns to Australia after more than a decade in creative leadership roles internationally, at agencies including Publicis New York and London, FCB New York, Marcel New York, and VaynerMedia. He joins from New York-based Robot, the brand consultancy arm of The SpringHill Company, a consumer and entertainment group co-founded by basketball legend LeBron James and his business partner Mav Carter. Adrián spent three years as Vice President Creative at the marketing and media powerhouse ..read more

Creative agency Curative have teamed up with the Mental Health Foundation to create the 2024 Pink Shirt Day campaign. The campaign centres diverse voices and poses an important question to remind New Zealanders of the power of supporting others against bullying. New Zealand has some of the highest bullying rates worldwide. Coming up on Friday May 17, Pink Shirt Day is a chance for everyone in Aotearoa to help eliminate bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusion.  “Pink Shirt Day is a chance to raise awareness of the importance of being an Everyday Upstander aga ..read more

PrettyGood, a recently launched brand and media business, has welcomed global advertising and marketing expert Jonathan Lyon as co-founder and chief product officer. Lyon brings over 25 years of marketing leadership experience, having held senior roles at OMD New Zealand, Digitas NYC, TEDx Auckland, and Wunderman in London, where he drove strategies centred on human insights at scale. Lyon will work with PrettyGood CEO and co-founder Hamish Smith to make marketing solutions more affordable for small and medium businesses across Australasia, while allocating a share of the revenue to support co ..read more

Contact and Special are enlisting the help of rule-stickler penguin, Nigel, (from their recent ad, “Flatties”) to motivate Kiwis to reduce their energy consumption during peak hours. Contact is investing in creating more renewable energy sources, but need everyone’s help to make a difference for New Zealand. That’s why it created Good Plans, as a way for Kiwis to change their energy behaviours. The new ad tells the story of a stand-off in a kitchen between a flatmate who wants to turn on a dishwater whenever they feel like it, and a flatmate who wants to wait until 9pm (or 9am on weekends) whe ..read more

Experienced radio and television broadcaster Ryan Bridge has been confirmed as the new host for Newstalk ZB’s Early Edition programme. Bridge has held various radio and television journalism roles including two and a half years as co-host on TV3’s AM Show. Early Edition is New Zealand’s top rated pre-breakfast radio show*, running from 5am to 6am every weekday on Newstalk ZB and covers the latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business. Jason Winstanley, NZME Chief Audio Officer, says: “Ryan is a popular, talented broadcaster with significant radio exper ..read more

In the first quarter of 2024, The Out of Home Industry introduced its inaugural Awards – The Speccies, where it recognised and celebrated Aotearoa’s creative talents adept at captivating audiences, the strategic prowess of media planners in executing campaigns, and the clients who championed innovation to captivate and engage audiences. The Q1 finalists have been announced and will now proceed to the end-of-year voting to determine overall category winners: Best Use of Technology/Data Out of the Box Best Use of Channel Be Seen Best Use of Technology/Data Advertiser: Fire & Emergency NZ C ..read more

Independent PR and communications agency Raise Communications has been appointed by PREKURE, a professional health coach education organisation, to provide ongoing public relations services. Rebecca Campton, PREKURE Marketing and Revenue Manager says, “I’m thrilled about our partnership with Raise Communications. They really understand what we’re all about at PREKURE. “Their connections and strong commitment to our cause is helping us raise the profile of the crucial role that Professional Health Coaches have in shifting the focus of healthcare towards a preventative whole-person view of healt ..read more

Despite having to wake up before 5am to start work, journalist Stewart Sowman-Lund is having a blast two days into his new role as The Spinoff’s Bulletin editor. Containing the top stories from around Aotearoa, both on The Spinoff and beyond, The Bulletin is a curated email newsletter that drops into subscribers’ inboxes after 7am every week day. Sowman-Lund has made the move to editor from his former role at The Spinoff as live updates editor – and as a self-confessed news junkie, Bulletin editor was definitely a position he was aiming for. In his new role, he uses his afternoons to identify ..read more