News

Write Away wins several new accounts

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:55:15 +1000

Sydney-based PR consultancy, Write Away Communication + Events, has won several new projects and clients.

Buffalo Inc, Japan’s leading global provider of networking, storage and multimedia solutions has appointed Write Away to manage its Australian public relations program.

Affordable and easy to use, Buffalo’s product range is aimed at home and small business users.

Buffalo joins Write Away’s other technology clients including Ricoh, Uniden and GE Digital Cameras.

Write Away has also been appointed to launch the range of jill-e designs digital camera and electronic equipment bags in Australia.

Already well-known in the US, the bags are a fashionable alternative to the traditional black bag. They are targeted at business and leisure travellers as well as busy families and their increasing array of electronic devices.

Also this summer, Write Away has been charged with launching the Zoku ‘quick pop maker’, a non-electrical appliance that makes healthy ice blocks for children and adults.

Dan Hale, Director of Hale Imports which is launching the product here, said he was drawn to the agency’s experience with food, kitchen appliances and cooking.

“Following the hugely successful launch of the Zoku in the United States and UK, we recognised an opportunity to create a buzz in Australia. We came to Write Away knowing that the agency has a great track record in food and lifestyle PR.”

The Zoku account fits within the consultancy’s existing portfolio of food and lifestyle brands including Breville, Kambrook, Villeroy & Boch and Emilia Glem.

Cancer Council Australia has reappointed Write Away to manage the public relations program for its sun protection merchandise range for summer 2010/2011.

Its high quality sunscreens, sunglasses, hats, protective clothing, sun care cosmetics and shelters will be the focus of a comprehensive media relations program.

Write Away Principal Jody Hammond believes the partnership is a good fit with the agency’s existing B2B and B2C clients and experience in the not-for-profit sector including a recent project with RSPCA.

Woosh Wins Budget Eyewear

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:15:22 +1000

Four Month Campaign to Grow Brand Awareness Among Consumers and Community

Consumer communications agency Woosh has today announced it has won a four month campaign to promote Budget Eyewear, a Luxottica retail brand company which has operated in Australia since 1977.

With a national chain of over 110 outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand, this is the first time that Budget Eyewear will use public relations to raise its brand profile and grow awareness around eye health in both Australia and New Zealand.

“Two Australian agencies and one New Zealand agency were invited to pitch for this campaign,” said to Penny Parkinson, Budget Eyewear’s Marketing Manager. “Woosh was selected for a number of reasons, not least the team’s obvious passion for the brand. Their interesting and different ideas also really gelled with us, as did their overall drive to get the Budget Eyewear brand out there.”

Budget Eyewear’s initial brief was to increase appointments and sales as well as create brand fame, credibility and point of difference. It was on the latter point in particular that the Woosh team quickly realised that this campaign would be most successful if it harnessed the passion and experience of Budget Eyewear’s workforce.

“Engaging with select members of the Budget Eyewear team prior to the pitch was enormously insightful. We quickly realised that here are some folk who are not only truly professional, they are hugely passionate and then some about the state of eye care in Australia and over the Tasman,” said Simon Murphy, CEO of Woosh. “As a result our proposed campaign will have both a strong consumer and community focus.”

Woosh was launched in 2009 to represent high-profile FMCG and lifestyle brands. Headed by Rebekka Thompson-Jones, the division blends expertise in social media with innovative consumer PR insights. Woosh has already successfully designed and managed a number of high profile campaigns for clients that include Woolworths, Tiger Airways and the World Wildlife Fund.

“We are over the moon to have been selected by Budget Eyewear for this campaign. It is a privilege to be working with an organisation that has caring for the community already at the centre of its cultural core,” said Murphy.

Contacts:

Budget Eyewear – Penny Parkinson, 0466 771 578

Woosh – Simon Murphy, 0434 708 104 or Rebekka Thompson-Jones 0401 090 034

PRIA In-house Benchmarking Study

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:33:20 +1000

The Public Relations Institute of Australia has today announced that it will be conducting the inaugural PRIA In-House Benchmarking Study in the coming weeks.

"The study report will provide participants with additional planning data and provide PRIA with information to improve member services," said PRIA CEO, Jon Bisset.

The study has been prepared by reference to the long running PRIA RCG Annual Benchmarking Study, the University of California’s annual generally accepted practices study and the UK Department of Trade & Industry survey. The PRIA questionnaire has been refined with input from a sample of Australian PR Department managers.

"In a general sense benchmarking can be a powerful business tool if used properly," says Bisset.

"Firstly, it provides data about the environment in which an organisation operates and secondly it provides data which might point to opportunities to improve operational effectiveness."

"Benchmarking will allow participants to formally identify those areas of their activities and operations where they are leading the pack or where their practices, policies or procedures are not matching those which are widespread in the environment."

Surveys will be sent out in early September to 1,000 businesses and Government Departments in Australia. Participants will receive copies of detailed reports comparing their organisations performance to benchmarks.

Survey highlights will be presented at the 2010 PRIA National Conference in October in Darwin.

CP Communications wins three new accounts

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:38:27 +1000

Sydney public relations & social media agency, CP Communications, has won three new accounts: Women on Boards; Reed Business Information’s online vertical business directories; and Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics.

CP Communications will be responsible for managing strategic public relations for Reed Business Information’s vertical online directories (Infolink, Ferret, GoHospitality & FatCow) and the PR and social media for Women on Boards, and Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics.

Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said, “We are absolutely thrilled to win these new accounts.”

“Each client presents a diverse range of PR and social media opportunities that we’re excited to creatively and strategically pursue. We’re really looking forward to working with these companies and achieving some great results,” said Ms Pollard.

DRPR launches PR Mentor for small businesses

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:28:58 +1000

Sydney-based PR agency Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (DRPR) is launching a new training and mentoring program for small businesses, PR Mentor, to kick off on Friday, 17 September.

PR Mentor is a cost effective 12-week group training and mentoring program specifically tailored to small businesses and start-ups. It provides participants with the knowledge and tools required to start raising the public profile of their organisation, in an interactive collaborative environment.

Kim Larochelle, account director at DRPR and developer of PR Mentor, said the concept behind the program came from the frustration of seeing the great PR potential of small businesses and start-ups which are often not able to commit to a full public relations program.

“There are about 650,000 small businesses in NSW only and micro business is one of the fastest growing sectors in the state’s economy. Although PR can make a significant contribution to their growth, these small and micro businesses have traditionally been under-serviced by the PR industry,” Kim said.

“From a PR perspective, small businesses are faced with a challenge: most of them have a different and interesting story to tell and are very passionate about their business, yet they don’t have the time, skills and resources to promote their business.

“PR Mentor is the result of many discussions we had with various small business owners and networks which helped us identify the most cost-effective structure for our program,” she added.

The program consists of a series of six three-hour group workshops held fortnightly over a 12-week period as well as three one-on-one sessions of one hour each. It is limited to six participants from different small businesses who come to share experiences and ideas and learn new skills to promote their business.

Each group workshop includes training and mentoring from Kim, tangible exercises to start developing your public relations program, practical PR tools to take away with you and an exchange of ideas among like-minded business owners.

PR Mentor takes participants through a range of PR concepts including components of a communication plan, elements of a successful website, liaising with the media, effective media releases, social media and more.

The program begins on Friday, 17 September and runs fortnightly on Fridays from 8 to 11 am at the DRPR office in Chatswood, NSW.

For more information, visit http://www.drpr.com.au/public-relations/small-business-pr.html

Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (DRPR) is a mid-size communications consultancy offering a mix of traditional public relations services and contemporary media practices.

Dennis Rutzou Public Relations can be contacted on (02) 9413 4244 or by visiting www.drpr.com.au.

Dennis Rutzou Public Relations

Phone: (02) 9413 4244

Fax: (02) 9413 4263

21/47 Neridah Street

Chatswood NSW 2067

Visit our website at www.drpr.com.au

Fleishman-Hillard Sydney appoints high-profile digital leader

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:04:53 +1000

Fleishman-Hillard Sydney today announced the appointment of Scott Rhodie as vice president, Digital Media, to lead the firm’s digital media offerings in Australia.

A digital public relations and social media specialist, Rhodie brings a wealth of experience in public relations, journalism and digital communications to the Fleishman-Hillard team.

Rhodie, who started his communications career as a journalist for The Sun, has become a prominent character on Sydney’s social media scene and is one of the organisers of Digital Citizens, an organisation dedicated to sharing knowledge and discussion of social, political, ethical and professional issues related to new technologies and the social web.

Walter Jennings, general manager of Fleishman-Hillard Sydney, said the appointment better equips Fleishman-Hillard to respond to clients’ growing demands for digital and social media. “Fleishman-Hillard is very excited to welcome Scott Rhodie to this role,” Jennings said. “He is one of Australia’s most prominent and vocal netizens, and he has great perspectives on how to navigate in the digital world. Scott further strengthens our offering in Australia, as he joins an established global network of digital communicators.”

As he moves to his new role from his previous position as social media director at House Party, Rhodie is eager to work with a broad range of Fleishman-Hillard clients. “I am very excited about the variety of clients I have the opportunity to work with, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with my digital colleagues throughout the Fleishman-Hillard global network,” Rhodie said.

Rhodie joins a regional digital and social media team that includes such experts as Napoleon Biggs, who heads up Digital Integration across Asia Pacific for Fleishman-Hillard and is based in Hong Kong.

In his most recent position, Rhodie created the new digital and social media agency House Party within HotHouse. Previously, Rhodie worked as a senior account manager at Zing Public Relations, working on social media campaigns and online public relations for Lego, McDonald’s, Optus and Toshiba. Earlier in his career, Rhodie worked as a journalist in the U.K. for publications including The Sun and Scotland on Sunday.

Follow Scott Rhodie on Twitter @ScottRhodie

For more information contact

Jaya Myler, 0422 202 881

About Fleishman-Hillard

Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's leading strategic communications firms, has built its reputation on creating integrated solutions that deliver what its clients value most: meaningful, positive and measurable impact on the performance of their organisations. The firm is widely recognized for excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork, integrity and personal commitment. Based in St. Louis, the firm operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America through its 80 owned offices. Fleishman-Hillard was named “Asia Pacific Network of the Year” in 2004 and again in 2008 in the Asian PR Awards, held by Haymarket, publishers of MEDIA and PRWeek magazines. For more information, visit the Fleishman-Hillard website at www.fleishmanhillard.com.

Fleishman-Hillard is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to more than 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

PRIA consultancies concerned about pitch costs and idea theft

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:00:32 +1000

There has been considerable discussion over the years regarding the protection of the intellectual property of public relations consultancies when they pitch for business. There are often concerns that clients and prospects don’t value the strategic advice and counsel which is often provided during unpaid new business pitches.

The advertising industry has charged for creative concepts for many years. Clients in that sector often pay pitch fees or at least, pay for costs involved in developing the pitch.

The PRIA Registered Consultancies Group recently conducted a survey of registered consultancies to establish some industry benchmarks and collect some information on the relevant issues in relation to pitch fees and reimbursement of pitch expenses. 65 consultancies responded to the PRIA RCG survey. Half of these consultancies were small (1-5 consults) and the other half represented larger firms.

60% of consultancies reported they had never been paid to present a new business pitch and 70% reported they had never been reimbursed the cost of pitching. Most that had been paid for expenses reported they were for travel to meet the client, or to take one or two briefing meetings with the prospective client.

Typical feedback on the depth required to present was this comment “PR industry needs to educate clients about the difference between a pitch/proposal and a plan. A plan should always be paid for, preferably after appointment”

Serious intent to purchase was the reason given by 40% of respondents for wanting pitch fees. Some comment indicated concern about ‘idea shopping’ during pitches. 38% of respondents believe that pitch fees should cover the cost of strategies presented, and nearly 25% believe that pitching is a promotional cost of the consultancy.

Most consultancies believe that the size of the tender will determine the limit of information required to be presented in the pitch. 20% believe they should only ask for credentials and just over 40% believe a limit of 1-3 creative ideas would be appropriate.

Pitching against an unlimited number was standard practice for about 20% of respondents. Over 75% indicated that they were happy to pitch against up to three other consultancies. . Several consultancies indicated that they would not pitch unless they were able to meet the client beforehand.

Over 10% of consultancies have taken action against organisations that have used intellectual property that was presented in a pitch but not paid for. There was a strong range of comments indicating that many more would have taken action, except the cost of legal proceedings or the burden of proof was a huge barrier to defending their intellectual rights.

Over 50% of consultants believed that prospects would not ask them to pitch if they insisted on a fee. 30% believed that some prospects would pay a pitch fee,

The PRIA Registered Consultancies Group will consider the results of the survey and ideas to improve the pitch environment during its national conference in Sydney on 6th November 2010.

Ogilvy PR and The Reputation Group target Melbourne and more

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:06:47 +1000

The Reputation Group is the latest agency to join forces with Ogilvy PR, with the highly regarded communication agency to become a cornerstone of Ogilvy’s Melbourne offering.

The Reputation Group will significantly extend Ogilvy’s Melbourne PR team, bringing its extensive local networks, impressive campaign successes and particularly strong social marketing capabilities into the business. Recent successes for the Victorian agency include public relations activities for the DonateLife campaign and the Melbourne and Sydney Good Food and Wine Shows.

As part of the move, The Reputation Group’s Lelde McCoy will take on the new role of Managing Director of Ogilvy PR in Melbourne.

“This is an exciting opportunity for both Ogilvy PR and The Reputation Group,” said Ogilvy PR Australia’s Group Managing Director, John Studdert.

“As the largest, most specialised agency in Australia, Ogilvy PR already offered significant expertise to our clients, not least from working closely with our partner agencies in Ogilvy Group Melbourne,” said John Studdert.

“We anticipate this combined offering will not only attract new clients and skilled industry professionals but will also become a significant value-add to our existing clients.”

“This move is a natural fit for both agencies,” said The Reputation Group’s Managing Director Lelde McCoy. “There are many synergies across the businesses. We also share a common approach to client service, delivery of award-winning work and the development and nurture of our talented creative teams.”

“By joining forces with The Reputation Group’s outstanding team, we will further consolidate Ogilvy PR’s position as the number one agency in the Asia Pacific,” added John Studdert.

Ogilvy PR is part of Ogilvy Group Melbourne and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group.

For further information:

Rebecca Tilly

STW Group

0410 501 043

Bupa Australia selects Porter Novelli as public relations partner

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:46:36 +1000

Following a competitive pitch process, Porter Novelli Sydney has been selected to provide public relations consulting services for Bupa Australia, Australia's largest privately managed health insurance provider, which operates the trusted and respected brands MBF, Mutual Community and HBA.

Porter Novelli was awarded the three-year contract following an intensive selection process involving several of Australia’s most experienced agencies. The consultancy will work with Bupa Australia on a brand-building, stakeholder and community relations and corporate reputation brief.

Bupa Australia’s Director of Marketing, Product and Corporate Affairs, Mark Engel, said Porter Novelli would work closely with the Bupa Corporate Affairs team at both a strategic and a day-to-day level to provide an even greater range of corporate communications and public relations services to the Bupa Australia business.

“We look forward to working with Porter Novelli to develop an integrated public relations strategy that not only aligns with our overall strategic brand and marketing objectives, but also supports our business on its journey towards becoming Australia's favourite healthcare company. This partnership will assist us in further enhancing our brand position and reputation amongst key stakeholder groups, as well as help us to reiterate the ways we help our members live longer, healthier, happier lives.”

Richard Muller, Managing Director, Porter Novelli Sydney, says: “We are honoured to be engaged by Bupa Australia, a leading healthcare provider and part of the internationally renowned Bupa Group. Our selection by Bupa caps off significant new client acquisitions over recent months. At Porter Novelli we take an integrated approach to public relations, drawing upon the creativity and experience from our different practices to achieve great results for our clients. We believe this approach will help build the Bupa brand and raise its profile as a healthcare leader.”

Porter Novelli's appointment to Bupa Australia is the latest in a string of major client wins over the past six months. MYOB – Australia and New Zealand’s largest provider of business software solutions and services – engaged Porter Novelli following a competitive multi-agency pitch to strengthen its brand positioning and corporate reputation. Corporate Express and Power & Data Corporation have selected the agency to drive brand awareness, while PC Tools has engaged Porter Novelli on a consumer lifestyle and corporate communication brief extending to other markets in the Asia Pacific. Porter Novelli has also recently undertaken a brand ambassador project for MasterFoods, and has been appointed to advise on significant health and human services projects for both Federal and NSW government departments.

communikate et al strengthens its team with two new appointments

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:26:15 +1000

Leading Adelaide public relations and marketing firm communikate et al has expanded with the appointment of Lara Paholski to its consulting team and Simone Davies as Finance Manager.

Lara has more than 12 years experience in the communications industry and joins the consultancy as an Account Manager.

She has held senior positions in both the private and public sector operating in the banking and finance and advertising industries, residential and urban renewal, transport, infrastructure, arts and urban planning sectors for the past 12 years. In these roles she has been instrumental in delivering strategic corporate communications programs.

Prior to working in public relations, Lara worked for leading advertising agency Clemenger BBDO Worldwide for two years. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of South Australia and a Diploma in Advertising from the Advertising Federation of Australia.

Simone is a qualified accountant with 12 years experience in finance and accounting. She previously worked as Financial Controller at the National Wine Centre and has held numerous financial and accounting roles with retailer Just Group in Melbourne, Spotless Services and United Water, and has been an auditor with the South Australian Government.

About

communikate et al is one of Adelaide's largest integrated marketing and communications consultancies with 16 staff. Clients include Adelaide Casino, Community CPS Australia, HASSELL, Extrastaff, Finlaysons, St John's Grammar, The Fairies and CIBO Espresso.

Further media information please contact:

communikate et al - (08) 8331 1444

Kate Rayson - 0439 959 034 - krayson@communikate.net.au