NZ Marketing Issue 78 2024

As we go to print, the industry’s still reeling from the dramatic developments of Warner Bros Discovery’s proposed Newshub closure and TVNZ’s axing of beloved and profitable shows like Fair Go and Sunday. It’s a tough time for the media industry in New Zealand, and our thoughts are with all of those affected by these changes. To get a deeper – and more positive – view of the evolution of media in Aotearoa, turn to page 92. Bigger isn’t necessarily better for creativity, and New Zealand’s smaller media agencies have been winning pitches, grabbing headlines, attracting talent from global networks, and scooping the pool at local – and international – industry awards. In late 2023, several of these Kiwi indies formed IMANZ (Independent Media Agencies New Zealand), to demonstrate the…

Kyle Bell Head of Marketing at Live Nation Entertainment on the power of brand activations at a favourite festival. Karla Fisher Lead Business Partner at DDB on helping McDonald’s take a bite out of summer. Andrea Meredith Chief Experience & Delivery Officer at Merkle on crucial CX imperatives to note now. Sinead Boucher CEO of Stuff on the proposal to make technology giants pay for the local news they use. Jennifer Gunn Head of Sustainability, Ad Net Zero at the Commercial Comms Council on getting to grips with greenwashing. Natasha O’Connor CEO of OOHMAA on what’s up with Out of Home advertising and the reach of the classic billboard. Diane Clark Head of Marketing & CX for Four Square on rebooting a much-loved brand. Stanley Henry CEO of The Attention…

The NZ Marketing Awards are set to change, with YouTube becoming the primary naming sponsor. This year, our exciting celebration of industry excellence will be rebranded as the YouTube-NZ Marketing Awards. The YouTube-NZ Marketing Awards will laud the collective expertise in strategic and creative thinking that underpins Aotearoa’s top campaigns. Its prestigious accolades will recognise exceptional professionals and their work that has shaped successful businesses across all aspects of the discipline, honouring visionaries who’ve pushed the boundaries of marketing as we know it. YouTube has a rich history of recognising the most innovative and creative campaigns. As marketing has evolved, the video-sharing platform has become an epicentre of creativity, a canvas onto which brands can paint their stories in vibrant hues that resonate with their audiences. “Everyone is on YouTube,…

In 2024, Federation is an agency that’s leading transformation and defying downturn trends. One of New Zealand’s most wellestablished independent advertising agencies, it’s a company that’s built a reputation for continually zigging in a zagging industry. In recent months, it has announced a string of senior appointments, including awarded creative leader Brad Collett as Chief Creative Officer; internationally recognised Dan Bye, a double-global Effie winner, as Chief Strategy Officer; and the promotion of Cambridge University sustainability-qualified Olly Walker-Boden to the role of Managing Director. Federation views 2024 as the shake-out year for many brands and organisations – a year in which economic downturn intersects neatly with unprecedented opportunity via rapid strategy acceleration and transformational change that fully optimises future results. CEO Sharon Henderson says they know a thing or two…

THE CASE FOR CONTENT-FIRST THINKING Content Director at Digitas New Zealand, Chris Brunner, addresses the power of content-first thinking in the era of information technology. Content has long been the engine powering businesses to succeed in the information age. As we enter the ‘intelligence age’, heralded by democratised, generative AI, content quality and structure are more important than ever. By putting content at the forefront of the creative process, brands can ensure substance is built into every marketing effort. Because content is everywhere and required by all, content-first thinking unifies stakeholders around tangible outputs. Brands and their agency partners often take a channel-by-channel approach to content; one group thinks about advertising, another thinks about the website, another thinks about customer communications. We have a habit of rushing to the outputs…

TREND 1: IT’S TIME TO BE REAL Having grown up with the internet, Gen Zers are considered digital natives, unfamiliar with a world before the world wide web. Since they were born into this environment, they know social media typically involves the sharing of the highest highs but never the lowest lows. After years of being exposed to picture-perfect Instagram feeds, Gen Z is flipping the switch and using social media as a place in which to be their most authentic. BeReal took off in 2023, and as its name suggests, is all about being real. More than 20 million users get a random notification from the app every day, prompting them to take a picture in the following two minutes of themselves ‘being real’. “As Gen Z, we have…