The pr report september 2013 hr2

the monthly newsletter for the Australian PR industry

SEPTEMBER 2013

1. PPR = Australia’s #1 PR Agency, Ogilvy #2 (were #1 last year)

2. Keep Left PR wins PR award; CEO Caroline Catterall (pic, right)

3. Cannings Purple promotes Greg Galton (below left)

4. Kelly Bennett launches agency in NZ: OnePlusOne (below middle)

5. STW’s Danny Pearson launches Connect2Gov (below right)

www.expertguide.com.au

Be quick! This month = Top 25 PR Agencies by size Next month = Top 35 Specialist/Independent/fast growth PR Agencies Report The report will be split into the following categories:

1. The Top 25 Specialist (Boutique) PR agencies 2. Top 5 Independents 3. Top 5 fastest growing agencies

1. The Top 25 Specialist PR agencies: Specialist agencies will be grouped into 5 categories: a) Health & Wellbeing (incl pharma), Financial/Investor relations, Technology/IT&T, FMCG & experiential, and

Public Affairs & Government relations b) A “specialist” or “boutique” agency is defined as an agency specialising in one sector, with 51% or more of

agency revenue coming from one sector. 2. Top 5 Independents: not owned by any of the global holding companies (WPP, Publicis Omnicom etc) 3. Top 5 fastest growing agencies: highest % growth in revenue over two accounting periods

Please send the following information to [email protected]

1. Agency revenue for 2012 and 2011 (or last 2 financial reporting periods) 2. Please note that revenue information will NOT be published in the report

Deadline: 10th October The report will be published on 16th October. Thank you for considering this request and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Kind regards Glen Frost Publisher, The PR Report Tel: 02 9489 9010 Email: [email protected] P.S. The 2012 report is here: http://goo.gl/uP5Pa

Snippets Storyhunter is a new video journalism platform: pitch content http://bit.ly/13onbn0 Tools for Journalists, also relevant for PRs: http://www.journaliststoolbox.org/ Flourish PR have won the PR account for Melbourne’s Luna Park PR Week UK (owned by Haymarket), will cease printing a weekly magazine, and go monthly. UK PR Industry plans schools outreach campaign: http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/article/1208162/industry-plans-schools-blitz-put-pr-map/ State of the news media 2013: Pew Research trends in TV, print http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/overview-5/

Account wins

Magnum PR wins PR for Broadway Shopping Centre Broadway Shopping Centre – located in Sydney’s Inner West - has appointed Magnum PR to manage its Public Relations activity in an effort to increase its mainstream media appeal and position it as an essential and enticing destination for consumers. Following a competitive pitch, Magnum PR was chosen to amplify the shopping centre’s recent rebrand. As part of the ongoing retainer partnership, Magnum PR will also work closely with Broadway Shopping Centre’s brand agency, Onement. Magnum PR has won other new business recently, including: • DèLonghi • 3M New Zealand • Havenhall • Soodox • Betaglucare • Aussie7Summits

Maxted Thomas wins Wella Professionals Maxted Thomas PR has won the PR account for Wella Professionals, the fourth P&G professional haircare brand to join the agency’s client portfolio. After a competitive pitch process, which involved re-pitching for the Clairol Professional, Sebastian Professional and NIOXIN brands it currently works with, Maxted Thomas PR was awarded the entire ANZ professional haircare business. The win sees Maxted Thomas PR working across the brand’s colour, care and styling ranges (Wella Professionals Care and System Professional) as well as working on exciting initiatives such as Trend Vision, Red Forum and Wella Professionals’ stable of high profile ambassadors – some of the industry’s leading artists.

CP Communications wins Rooty Hill RSL social media account CP Communications, a leading public relations and social media agency, has won the social media account for fast growing entertainment, function and leisure company RHR Group. The RHR Group portfolio includes the largest RSL Club in Australia, Rooty Hill RSL, and a just opened world-class Sydney Gymnastic and Aquatic Centre (SGAC). CP Communications won the competitive pitch and will develop the social media strategy and execute the day-to-day management of all of their social media channels. CP Communications has also won the PR account for Workible, the LinkedIn for the flexible workforce, an innovative workforce management app which connects employers with people looking for flexible work options. CP Communications will build Workible’s reputation and profile as a thought leader in its space through targeted and results driven public relations and social media strategy. Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said, “We look forward to partnering with such interesting and dynamic businesses, all on the cusp of extensive growth. Through smart public relations and social media strategy, CP Communications will support these companies to achieve their communication and business goals.” CP Communications merges traditional PR tactics with cutting-edge social media strategies that engage consumers as well as businesses. Current clients include Hilton, Edge, Catch (a division of Cirrus Media), Columbia Aged Care Group, Lee Hecht Harrison, The Leadership Circle Asia Pacific and Macquarie University’s Faculty of Business and Economics.

Agent99 wins Evian Water project Global food manufacturer, Danone, has appointed PR agency Agent99 and brand experience agency BEcause to manage the Australian version of its global Evian Live Young campaign. This is the French water brand’s first appointment of an Australian-based brand experience agency.

Bang PR wins Top Gear Festival account Following a five-way pitch, Bang PR, part of the M&C Saatchi Group, has been appointed as the consumer PR agency for Top Gear Festival Sydney in 2014. Top Gear Festival Sydney will return in 2014 with more power, speed and impressive stunts than ever before, with Bang at the helm of the Festival’s media relations and content amplification strategies to share all the highs and ‘ohs’ synonymous with the Top Gear brand.

S2i Comms wins Silversea account S2i Communications has been appointed by Silversea to create and implement the cruise line’s public relations and communications strategy in Australia and New Zealand. Silversea, a provider of expedition and classic fleet luxury cruising, selected S2i Communications following an extensive pitch process. The appointment is effective immediately.

F4 Consulting wins two new clients and expands team F4 Consulting has won two clients, Dare Iced Coffee and Initial Hygiene. Lion has appointed F4 to work on Dare Iced Coffee. F4 will work collaboratively with Lion’s other agency partners to plan and implement earned media programs to support the core brand as well as innovation over the next twelve months. F4 also works with Lion on a number of other brands including Dairy Farmers, PURA, and King Island Dairy. Initial Hygiene has enlisted F4 to manage its consumer, trade and business media to support the transition of the well-known Pink Hygiene brand as it becomes Initial Hygiene in Australia. A major media relations program is planned including an exposé on some of Australia’s worst hygiene habits. F4 will also develop a new company wide internal communications program for the Rentokil Initial Group.

Click PR new hire and 5 new clients Click PR has marked its third birthday with a slew of new client wins and a key new staff appointment. Click’s new clients: • Kawo - SaaS social media platform helping international brands enter • Oneflare - local services marketplace • Startup Spring - the first national festival for tech startups and entrepreneurs • Beat the Q - order-ahead app • Diamond Emporium - online customised diamonds and jewellery Kerrie O’Callaghan joins Click PR from a communications role with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Prior to that, she was an account manager for Fuzion Communications in Ireland, and was the Head of Communications for a Sydney-based tech startup.

NEW FUTURE PR wins 7 new accounts NEW FUTURE PR have been appointed to manage the PR for a host of new clients:

1. Anathoth Farm – gourmet jam and chutney producer. 2. Argan Life –provider of authentic Moroccan Oil products, launching into the Australian market later in the year. 3. Barker’s of Geraldine –jam, chutney, fruit syrup and condiment producer, launching into the Australian market later

in the year. 4. Earthwise – eco laundry products. 5. Mr Aristotle – boutique, luxury experience provider. 6. Tutor Bee – one-to-one, online tutoring service. 7. Yoga Village – Sydney Yoga studio.

GTI Tourism wins Park City (USA) for Australian market Leading tourism PR, marketing and representation agency GTI Tourism, has been appointed as the Australian representative office for the world-class ski destination, Park City Utah, effective immediately. As Park City’s representative in the Australian market, GTI Tourism will be responsible for raising the profile of the destination for summer and winter escapes, through an integrated programme of marketing, public relations and social media in Australia.

Spectrum and Max promote key staff, win 3 new accounts The Spectrum Group, comprising Spectrum Communications and Max Australia, one of Australia’s independent technology-focused public relations firms, has promoted three key staff, both reporting to Group Managing Director, Laura Skelley. Aaron Crowther takes a newly created role across both agencies as Group Business Director, while Alex Brewer and Rachel York have been appointed General Managers of Spectrum Communications and Max Australia respectively. Spectrum has won new clients SDL and Tableau Software, and Max Australia has won the ManageEngine PR account.

Thrive PR wins PR account for Cake Bake & Sweets Show Cake Bake and Sweets Show, a new exhibition dedicated to all things baking and sweets coming to Australia in March next year. Organisers National Media have appointed thrive pr + communications to manage both traditional and digital PR for the event. The show is modelled on the British expo of the same name, and expects to bring in 20,000 visitors over the three-day event.

Undertow Media open NZ office, win new clients Consumer PR agency Undertow Media has opened an Auckland office to service its FMCG, tourism, beauty, healthcare, sport and property portfolio. The company now has 25 staff and a high profile mix of clients from consumer multinationals Jetstar and Kathmandu, to property giants Mirvac and Cbus Property. “Ten years on, our culture and philosophy remains the same – a team and client base that is highly engaged and always moving forward. With a strong presence in Victoria, it was a natural progression to look at expansion elsewhere. We have multiple clients operating heavily in the New Zealand market so it was a perfect next step – and we won’t be stopping there,” says Founder, Jane Martino. The growth sees a number of personnel movements within the team, most notably the promotion of current CEO Jess Nunns to Group CEO. Jess Nunns’ new role will encompass strategic direction for Undertow Media NZ as well as scoping new opportunities in like-minded fields and territories. Former General Manager of the Consumer division, Greer Bland (pic, right), has headed back to her homeland to establish the office in New Zealand. The office opened with a number of existing and new clients keen to ramp up their NZ media presence. These include Kathmandu, Tupperware, Intrepid Travel and Ocean Spray. A new client win for the New Zealand office is fashion company, Witchery. Bland has been replaced by Shelley Hammond, who built her thirteen year communications career in PR agencies before moving client side, into the media intelligence industry. Hammond joins General Manager of the Corporate Division, Sally Branson, who started with Undertow Media four months ago, following six years as Media Affairs Manager for the US Embassy. These developments follow a surge of client wins and new projects for the agency this year, which have so far included Fairfax Media, Lavazza, five:am organic yoghurt, Adairs and the Sandhill Road Group (owners of Bridge Road Hotel, Holliava, The Post Office, The Richmond Club Hotel and most notably the recently relaunched Prahran Hotel) and being appointed to the supplier panel for GSK pharmaceuticals.

Launch Group wins five new clients Launch Group will be managing the communications for ASX listed property information group Onthehouse Holdings, ingogo, a taxi services start-up, asset management consultancy and software as a service provider Assetic, and Macleay College, a private college/school with courses in journalism, advertising and business, as well as the parent company for marketing influence agency Social Soup and research house Pollinate.

Bite wins 5 new clients Bite has built on its digital & content marketing client portfolio with addition of three global brands in Australia. Brother International, Epicon and Goldenbreed look to Bite Australia for consumer, enterprise and retail campaigns. Bite’s digital asset creation work for printing, imaging and sewing multinational, Brother International centres on the development of a retail training app to assist Brother sales staff better promote and educate Australian retail stores on its product portfolio. For HP solutions provider, Epicon, Bite has been brought in as a strategic content marketing and digital partner to fully rebrand the company, developing a new web site and digital marketing collateral to be communicated across enterprise and investor audiences in Australia, Singapore and the US. Heritage surf label, Goldenbreed has appointed Bite to fully rebrand the company’s positioning to break into new markets with an integrated campaign focusing on website overall, search, social strategy and digital asset creation. Bite Australia has won two new clients in the enterprise security space. Senetas, a provider of high-speed data network security solutions and Gemalto, a digital security provider, have both selected Bite to represent them in ANZ and, in the case of Gemalto, around selected markets in Asia.

Recognition PR wins UXC Eclipse account UXC Eclipse, the largest Microsoft Dynamics partner in the Asia Pacific region, has appointed Recognition PR to provide ongoing public relations activities in Australia and New Zealand. UXC Eclipse is a provider of business solutions to the enterprise and mid-market. Its offerings include applications business consulting and project management, applications development, corporate performance management and business process management.

ICON International Communications wins 2 new clients ICON gets a green thumb with Harrison’s Landscaping and the Big Shift Sustainable Design Competition ICON has been appointed by Harrison’s Landscaping, a Sydney based landscape design company, to develop an integrated communications campaign to promote the blossoming business. ICON’s work will span traditional, digital and social media as well as incorporate profiling opportunities at industry events. Another client win for ICON resulted from a competitive pitch to help build the profile of The Big Shift Sustainable Design Competition and its founder, Eminè Mehmet – the only carbon neutral design competition focused solely on the use of sustainable materials in furniture. The aim of the competition is to bring sustainable materials and the concept of sustainability in design to the masses by designing eco-furniture for public and retail spaces.

BENCH PR wins Trend Micro and Call Journey BENCH PR has expanded its security and cloud portfolios with the addition of global security company Trend Micro and leading Australian communications provider Call Journey to its growing client list.

Appointments

Cannings Purple promotes Galton as Director, Investor Relations National PR and strategic communications consultancy and STW Group (ASX: SGN) subsidiary, Cannings Purple, has promoted Greg Galton to Director of Investor Relations. Galton joined Cannings Purple in the role of Associate Director in 2011. He has more than 17 years equity markets experience as both an institutional investor and stockbroking research analyst and has held senior investment management research roles at Colonial First State Global Asset Management and RCM Capital Management. Cannings Purple also promoted Zoey Tyson from Consultant to Senior Consultant in the investor relations team following the successful completion of her Master of Finance from Curtin University.

Hughes Public Relations appoints Hershman Adelaide corporate communications consultancy Hughes Public Relations has appointed experienced marketer Jamie Hershman. Jamie’s role will see him lead business development and strategic marketing programs linked closely with business outcomes for the consultancy and its diverse client base. With more than 10 years managing local and international teams in both fast moving consumer goods and business-to-business focused industries, Jamie has previously held marketing and business development leadership roles in Adelaide and Sydney with organisations including the Skycity Entertainment Group (Adelaide Casino), Natralus Australia, and Medvet Laboratories.

Keep Left hires General Manager, wins new clients Public relations agency Keep Left has appointed Stephen Ronchi into the newly created position of General Manager – Corporate, bolstering the agency’s B2B and corporate offering. Ronchi brings over 15 years of corporate communications experience to Keep Left and has a strong pedigree in delivering end-to-end internal and external strategic marketing programs for some of Australia’s biggest organisations including ANZ, Sensis and Powercor. He joins existing General Manager Tara Poole and Keep Left’s founder and CEO Caroline Catterall on the agency’s leadership team. Ronchi’s appointment coincides with a couple of new client wins for the agency. Keep Left has been appointed as agency of record for Silicon-Valley based Australian technology company Nitro, who specialise in the design and development of PDF reader and writer software as well as cloud based technology. Keep Left has also been appointed by Intellectual Asset Management company Watermark to develop and implement a change management strategy to support the company’s business transformation internally and externally.

Kimberly-Clark appoints head of Corp Affairs and Sustainability Kimberly-Clark Australia & New Zealand has appointed Jacquie Fegent-McGeachie to the new position of Associate Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability reporting to the Vice President and Managing Director of Kimberly-Clark Australia and New Zealand, Robbert Rietbroek. Jacquie joined Kimberly-Clark in 2011, initially as Sustainability Manager, before her role grew to also include Corporate Social Responsibility. The new position of Associate Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability will see Jacquie leading internal and external relations, government and stakeholder engagement, corporate sustainability strategy and community investment. As the newest addition to the Kimberly-Clark Australia & New Zealand Executive Leadership Team, Jacquie will also be involved in corporate strategy and business development. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, Jacquie held senior consulting roles, most recently at Ogilvy Earth and Ogilvy Public Relations, where she advised leading Australian and global businesses on strategic communications, corporate sustainability strategy, media and public relations, and brand and marketing communications strategy.

Killip joins Media Stable as Marketing Director Randal Killip, formerly of Cubit Research Media, joins Media Stable. Media Stable is an online directory of experts, commentators and professional opinions that new and traditional media are using all over the country. It is used by PR companies, business owners, CEO’s and MD’s from over 50 different sectors. The media has free access to the directory while the experts pay an annual subscription to have their expertise seen by media professionals.

Special offer for readers of The PR Report: Experts who register in the month of September and mention the PR Report will get a 18 month subscription for the price of 12 months. Offer closes 30th of September 2013. Conditions apply. Email [email protected] to register interest.

Agency News

Maverick PR and NRMA graffiti roads to get message to Government Maverick PR, part of the STW group, has been working with NRMA Motoring & Services to lobby federal government for road funding in the lead up to the September 7 election. In a highly visual statement, the activity utilised the very thing motorists want to see more funding for – NSW roads. In a bid to ensure road and infrastructure issues remained on the political agenda this election period, Maverick PR in partnership with NRMA created a visual petition on key roads in the form of giant 3D pot holes, road cracks and markings to represent the dire state of many NSW roads. Consumers and media in each location were invited to share their opinions (in the most physical sense) and ‘Have Their Say on Roads’ by chalking messages for change on the road ‘canvas’ in order to bring to life the issues in most need of attention.

Stakeholder liaison was also managed by Maverick PR, working with local councils, mayors and media in each region to secure sections of roads to populate with messages and petition for more funding. “We were tasked with giving motorists a voice this election. Recruiting a 3D chalk artist to recreate what motorists see and experience on a large scale every day ensured that the key road issues were represented in an authentic way. The activity provided consumers with a real way to communicate with the politicians. With over 3,000 messages chalked, nominated roads were jam packed with messages from the public highlighting the road and infrastructure issues in each area,” said Melissa Grove, PR Director, Maverick PR. “Getting cut-through in a Federal Election campaign is always hard work, so we knew we would need to execute a campaign that people could relate to, get engaged with and was different to anything else other organisations were doing,” said NRMA Head of Media Peter Khoury. Mass media coverage was generated for the campaign and was complimented with social media outreach inviting all NSW motorists to post a message via Facebook that could be scribed on the road.

SenateSHJ launches content marketing venture: Kamber Communications consultancy SenateSHJ and digital strategist Adam Vincenzini have launched Kamber, a new content marketing and social media consultancy. Kamber will provide unique advice and expertise to clients to help businesses behave in ways that make them valued online participants. It will offer a range of services including social media and content strategy, social media and content audits, content production (in all formats with a big focus on video), content visibility (including search engine optimization and video seeding), social media channel management and monitoring and moderation solutions. Neil Green, SenateSHJ Chief Executive said Adam’s appointment as the managing partner of Kamber and as the head of SenateSHJ’s social media and content strategy, extends the comprehensive communications advice Senate SHJ already offers to its clients. The launch of Kamber also allows us to explore new business opportunities outside the Group which has offices in Australia and New Zealand. “Adam shares the SenateSHJ ethos of providing smart thinking and strategic and creative solutions for clients. He is passionate about ensuring that any online communication must be relevant and helping clients understand the opportunities and implications of online investment. “Adam is a highly regarded social media and content marketing consultant who has held senior agency roles in Australia and the UK. He has worked for clients including IKEA, Westpac, Coca-Cola, Suncorp, Treasury Wines Estates, Costa Coffee and AXA. Most recently he was the head of social media at DDB Worldwide’s Mango. Adam Vincenzini said the new agency would help companies shape their online behavior by defining the needs of the end-user, not the other way around: “Our focus will be on helping clients create sustainable strategies and programmes that add genuine value to the communities they operate in. The name Kamber is derived from ‘Camber’ which has several meanings but is predominantly associated with motor vehicles. We liken content marketing and social media to Formula One racing – it moves incredibly fast, changes constantly, and requires continual innovation and adjustments to keep ahead of the pack.”

NZ PR: Bennett launches One Plus One Communications Kelly Bennett, previously the founder and director of TBWA’s Trans-Tasman agency Eleven PR, has launched a new consultancy, One Plus One Communications. Stephanie Lowe, formerly Director of OMD’s Fuse PR Division and a PRINZ award-winning consultant in her own right, has joined him as a member of the senior executive team. Bennett joined TBWA\ in 2006 from a senior communications role within the Royal Bank of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. He established then grew Eleven PR to successfully become a network of connected offices with Trans-Tasman clients.

STW launch online Gov’t relations firm; Connect2Government STW Group government relations (owner of Hawker Britton and Barton Deakin) in conjunction with Danny Pearson have launched Connect2Government, Australia’s first online government relations advisory service. Connect2Government is a focused online offering aimed at helping small/medium enterprises and other organisations without the resources to use third party advisers. The service will provide affordable advice and strategies for businesses wanting to take a do-it-yourself approach to government relations. This is an innovative digital business bringing professional government relations expertise to a new sector of the business and NFP community. Connect2Government • Online: www.connect2government.com • On Twitter: @connect2govt

Keep Left wins PR Daily Nonprofit PR Award Public relations agency Keep Left has been internationally recognised for its work with St John Ambulance Victoria, taking out an award in renowned industry website PR Daily’s inaugural Nonprofit PR Awards. Keep Left was awarded Best Community/Nonprofit Partnership for the St John Heart Start campaign, which launched the charity organisation’s community defibrillator program. Following a number of tragic cardiac arrests during various sporting pursuits across Victoria in 2011, St John developed the Heart Start program to equip sporting clubs across the state with life-saving equipment and associated training. Keep Left worked closely with St John to launch the campaign in early 2012, encouraging clubs to sign up and generating broad awareness about the issue in the media and wider community. Keep Left’s CEO Caroline Catterall said: “Keep Left’s approach with Heart Start was to draw attention to the issue, get the community involved and provide a clear solution for sporting clubs and the community. “To date, St John has delivered $1.6 million in gifted or subsidised defibrillator units and associated training. During the 2012 winter sports season there were no known deaths that resulted from cardiac arrest, despite defibrillators being used on a number of occasions to save lives.” PR Daily’s Nonprofit PR Awards shine a spotlight on the work of communications professionals working for public-service organisations who have excelled in their field. The Best Community/Nonprofit Partnership category received one of the highest number of entries this year.

Articles

Australian Pet Blogger Awards launched The inaugural 2013 Australian Pet Blogger Awards is calling all bloggers, websites and pet app developers to enter for the chance to be recognised and rewarded by the pet industry and media and support their favourite pet welfare organisation. Final entries close on Friday 15th November. A luncheon to announce the winners will be held on Friday 29th November at Centennial Parklands Dining Wine Room, Sydney. Entries are open to various types of bloggers ie; mums, lifestyle, travel, food, etc on the condition that their blog contains posts about pets. There are also Awards for Best Pet Website, Best Twitter and Facebook and Best Pet App. Dogs Life Magazine, the leading national pet magazine, is a major Partner of the Pet Blogger Awards and will be covering the Awards extensively online and in the magazine. The Awards recognise the best of the pet blogging community and is an opportunity for the pet industry to get together annually and to support pet welfare organisations. Most importantly, the Awards will significantly increase the profile of the Australian pet industry and its significant contribution to the Australian economy as well as heighten the awareness of pet companies amongst pet owners and lovers. Each Award category will be supported by a pet company which will donate $5000 of services or products to the winners chosen pet welfare organisation. The overall winner, the 2013 Australian Pet Blogger of the Year, will choose a pet welfare organisation which will receive a full page colour advertisement in Dogs Life Magazine valued at $6,000. The winner and the pet organisation will be profiled in Dogs Life. For Further Information: Louise Lees, Four Paws PR M 0418 543 498 E [email protected]

Ex PR seeks damages from TRUenergy following alleged harassment http://www.smh.com.au/business/-2slip.html TRUenergy is now called EnergyAustralia, and former PR/Investor Relations head, Kate Shea, seems to be a favourite of the AFR’s Editor. The case has been covered extensively in the Fairfax media, including on the cover of the AFR (see right). AFR’s cartoonist, Clement, even did a cartoon on the case for the legal section. The AFR article reported Shea’s income as close to $500,000.

De Wintern secures rights to Teleforum The De Wintern Group (De Wintern) has secured the rights to Teleforum. Developed by Broadnet, Teleforum is a way to market ideas, products and services to large audiences and was used by the Liberal Party in the lead up to the Federal election. A Teleforum is a virtual ‘town hall meeting’ that allows the user to talk to audiences from a few hundred to millions at the one time.

Birth of the new online consumer Is your organization scared of comparison websites? It’s not just retailers, but banks and insurance companies that are now having their products compared, rated, open to review, and even offering users a referral service. Comparison websites are huge, and growing. Rather than looking at comparison websites as a threat, can companies work with them to engage the audience in a beneficial way? In this article Michelle Hutchison, from Finder.com, offers her opinion on how this is possible. By Michelle Hutchison Gone are the days of bricks and mortar-only banks. These days, if you’re not digital, you’re obsolete. But it’s more than simply setting up a dot-com application portal – you’ve got to provide an ongoing service that’s comprehensive yet simple to use as well as backing it up with great online customer service. Banks are realising this. Here’s Finder Fact: the Big 4 have collectively sent out over 1800 tweets in the month of August (2013). Of those tweets, over 83 percent were reply tweets directed at customers. Westpac especially made use of its social media presence during the debacle that was its nine hour online banking outage on August 1, 2013, sending out over 250 tweets that day alone. NAB too made great headway, their Social Media Command Center aiming to expand the bank’s customer service repertoire. Even looking at just digital functionality, most banks now have an intuitive online portal for their customers and responsive design websites or apps to cater for the mobile market. The really clever banks, lenders and credit unions are getting savvy when it comes to reaching their customers, stepping outside the norm and teaming with new online channels like comparison websites. It’s a market that’s been growing overseas and is finally making its way to becoming mainstream in Australia. In the UK for instance, Moneysupermarket has proven that the financial comparison space is a lucrative one, the company currently valued at close to 1 billion pounds (or well over 1.5 billion AUD) according to stockopedia.co.uk. The website holds top spots in market share for a variety of products and ranks first in terms of traffic for comparison websites in the U.K. (Alexa). finder.com.au is poised to be the Australian version of Moneysupermaket (well we think so!). It lists consumer products like mobile phones and online shopping coupon codes as well as financial products like home loans, credit cards and insurance. Since 2006, finder.com.au (link: http://www.finder.com.au/) has helped consumers to find better deals and banks to acquire customers. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. For banks especially, they get to showcase their wares on an even footing with the competition, and that sort of transparency is enticing to customers.

Newsmodo signs up pool of 10,000 contributors As a percentage the month on month increase in contributors is more than 44% on average, and we've just about hit the 10,000 contributor mark. Average visits per month on the site is 45,000 visits per month, increasing 2x since the previous month. With top visitors streaming from UK, India, US, Australia and South Africa. As an example of some of the success Newsmodo is having in Australia, the company sent The PR Report this example: Pic: a story from a Newsmodo contributor was published by Woman's Day (print edition) and News Ltd (online edition) and New Idea (print edition).

Expert Guide launches specialist accounts for PRs

Australian online expert database Expert Guide has rolled out a new membership exclusively for PR consultants this month. The move to provide PRs with an agency-specific account will now give consultancies the ability to promote their clients on a national platform used by hundreds of journalists. Features of the PR accounts include the ability to enlist multiple administrators who can manage their own client profiles and enquiries, submit unlimited press releases for publication on the website and Twitter, access journalist callouts for comment through the unique Ask An Expert service, and receive around the clock technical and media support. Expert Guide is the brainchild of Cole Lawson Communications managing director Margaret Lawson (pic, right), who launched the website in 2004 after identifying a need for a simple, online platform where journalists could search for and connect with experts. Lawson said the new PR offering was a cost effective way to ensure clients remain visible and accessible to the media 24/7, giving clients the opportunity to showcase their expertise on a credible, national platform. “We now have both Australian and international journalists using Expert Guide as their number one point of contact for expert commentary, consultation and interviews,” she said. ”The expansion will enable us to work alongside PR agencies as a complementary media relations tool. “We know from experience that Expert Guide gives expert individuals and organisations the best chance at being recognised and contacted by the media, so the next logical step for us was to make that system of continuous promotion available to PR agencies as well.” Expert Guide will be running discounted promotional deals for PRIA registered consultancies and subscribers to The PR Report on all PR accounts from now until 31 October. There are two account types available for PR agencies: Basic - $495/year or $43/month – allows 1-25 experts to be listed and one admin login Full service - $795/year or $70/month – allows 25+ experts to be listed, 4 admin logins, and access to full account benefits See full details on next page.

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PRs in the Media Apart from the alleged harassment case involving former TRUenergy PR, Kate Shea, other PRs have been in the media recently. Holden’s PR guy, whilst in Texas, in a bar called the “Bling Pig”, well, you can imagine… (see pic, left) Pic, right; image of article about Sweaty Betty PR agency owner, Roxy Jacenko, who was the focus of a half page article by Fairfax journalist, Andrew Hornery; the genesis of the article was Hornery’s original reporting of the seating plan at an important Australian fashion event.

Woolworths becomes top media brand Findings by Roy Morgan Research reveal that Woolworths’ free monthly "Fresh" is not only the fourth most-read magazine in Australia but the most-read in its category, Food & Entertainment. Say what you will about this country’s magazine publishing industry, it’s never dull. Whether titles are being canned, readership wars are being waged, or staff being laid off, something’s always going on. The latest development? Findings by Roy Morgan Research reveal that Woolworths’ free monthly Fresh is not only the fourth most-read magazine in Australia but the most-read in its category, Food & Entertainment. In the 12 months to June 2013, 1,678,000 Australians aged 14+ (or 8.8% of the population) reported reading the latest issue of Fresh. Long-time heavyweights Woman’s Day (1,929,000 readers), Women’s Weekly (1,776,000) and Better Homes and Gardens (1,763,000) took the top three positions. Fresh was the most-read magazine in the Food & Entertainment category – with a lead of 988,000 readers on its distant rival Super Food Ideas. Third place went to Australian Good Taste.

Opinion

Fonterra shows - again - how not to manage a crisis by Tony Jaques, Director of Issue Outcomes Pty Ltd The Fonterra botulism-in-infant-formula scandal has a long way to run, with four separate inquiries planned. But the crisis engulfing New Zealand’s largest single exporter has already exposed some dramatic examples of what not to do. When Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings jumped on a plane and headed for his company’s critical Chinese market, it was the right decision. However when he got there, he told the world’s media that “human errors in life do happen” and launched into a long explanation about the “rules of microbiology” and how some strains of botulism are less toxic than others. That might be true, but it was extraordinarily unhelpful to protect the reputation of the biggest player in an industry which generates 25% of New Zealand’s exports. It was certainly no help to worried customers, no help to panicking Chinese housewives, and no help to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key who said the scare threatened New Zealand’s entire export industry around the world, not just dairy sales to China. Most importantly it exposed what appears to be a culture of inability to take control and make decisions. Knowledge of the problem existed within the company for many weeks before it was made public, and even then it was mishandled. As one commentator told the National Business Review: “Releasing a statement just after midnight is treating the media with contempt. That’s not even trying to be transparent.” In Managing Outcomes last month we highlighted that there is a multiplier effect from repeated crises which creates cumulative longer-term reputation damage lasting years. In 2008 Fonterra was caught up in the Sanlu melamine milk contamination crisis in China, and earlier this year Fonterra delayed disclosing minute traces of an agricultural chemical in its milk on the grounds that it was “not material.” As a Chinese government spokesperson commented last week: “Mistakes should not be repeated again and again. Three times and you are out.” Fonterra is far from “out,” but reputational damage to the company and New Zealand’s “clean green” image is very real, not to mention damage to the New Zealand dollar, which took a hit when Fonterra unwisely announced the problem had been caused by a “dirty pipe.”

Further reputational damage will undoubtedly result as four separate inquiries start to dredge through the whole ham-fisted affair. First, the company announced an internal management inquiry; then the Ministry of Primary Industries called for a "compliance investigation"; and that was followed on Monday by announcement of an expert committee to be chaired by Fonterra independent Director Sir Ralph Norris, former CEO of the Commonwealth Bank. At the same time, the NZ Government has said it will hold its own full inquiry, with details expected next week. If past history is any guide, most inquiries set out to hunt for someone to blame, and that hunt is almost always successful. The final outcome will be months away, but - despite a divisional Managing Director quitting this week - it seems certain that Fonterra's top executives will have to shoulder most, if not all, of the blame

DJ & Free Surfer looking for PR Agency Boston Switch, a DJ and Free Surfer based in West Australia, is looking for a PR company that can provide the following: Feature Articles: - Surf Magazines (Surfing Life, Waves, Tracks, Surfing World etc.) - Music Magazines (Drum Media, Triple J Mag etc.) - Mainstream Media (West Australian, Sunday Times etc.) Radio (Triple J, Nova etc): - Interviews - Guest Mixtapes Online Exposure (Photos, Videos, Mixes): - Surf Websites, Blogs - DJ Websites, Blogs Increased Social Network Exposure: - Facebook - Instagram Plus any other form of relevant exposure About Boston Switch: “This year I headlined the local stage at 3 festivals Southbound, Future Music, Groovin’ The Moo and opened the stage at Summadayze. I also hosted and performed the official after party of the Margaret River Pro. I'm currently sponsored by companies such as Rusty Clothing, Clearwater Surfboards, Skullcandy, Shapers Fins & Sole Wax. I also hosted a DJ event that raised over $2000 for Disabled Surfers Association and performed my own mini east coast tour. During winter I spend 3 months in remote north Indonesia surf guiding and shooting surf photos with photographer John Barton.” Contact Details: Name: Blake McDonald aka “Boston Switch” Email: [email protected] Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bostonswitch Blake is currently based in remote Indonesia and without a telephone, so email would be best in the first instance. Blake returns to Australia in mid-October & can be contacted on 0451 006 874

Professional Development WorkshopsSydney – October to December 2013

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Intermedia Consulting has announced a new series of professional development publiccourses to help build the key skills that high performance PR professionals need.

October 17: Talking Money: Agency Economics &Budgeting

In agencies we sell time but clients buy outcomes.How is the humble timesheet related to agencyprofitability? This workshop focuses on the core skillsof understanding how an agency makes money,drawing up budgets and negotiating fair and profitableprograms with clients.

“The training was really informative. I felt like it wasreally relevant to my level.”

“The workshop highlighted not only issues and areasfor improvement, but also proactive solutions.”

https://talkingmoney.eventbrite.com.au/

November 7: Conflict Resolution SkillsAs your PR career moves up, you come across biggerand uglier problems and interpersonal conflicts are themost difficult. This half day workshop focuses on keyconflict resolutions skills with interactive roleplaying toembed new skills.

https://conflictresolutionskills.eventbrite.com.au/

November 28: Account Director MasterClass – Full dayThe Account Director plays a key role in PRagencies managing and generating business.This Master Class focuses on the core skillsof account direction: strategy, planning,relationship, money, results and evaluation.

What past attendees have said about theAccount Director Master Class:

“The AD Master Class left me with all thetools to go back to the agency andimplement key changes".

"Excellent, excellent training. So incrediblyrelevant to the job with so many valuableinsights and ways to improve my AD skillset."

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December 5: Delegate or Drown

Delegating is an integral part of a publicrelations manager’s job yet many seniorprofessionals receive very little training how tobrief and manager others to do work. Thisworkshop provides the essential skills todelegate to others.

What past attendees have said about theDelegate or Drown:

“I particularly liked the management styleanalysis and tips on recognising thedifferences in others.”

https://delegateordrown.eventbrite.com.au/

JOBs

PR Senior Account Manager – Haystac Sydney Are you a passionate PR professional with a love of consumer brands? Do you have a strong network of media contacts and a solid understanding of how the media operates in Australia? Haystac Sydney is looking for an established Senior Account Manager to join its award-winning Sydney office. The successful candidate will be part of a thriving team working on high profile local and global brands. This person should have a can-do attitude and strive to deliver best-practice communications programs. Reporting directly to the Account Director and responsible for end-to-end project delivery, the Senior Account Manager will: • Assume total responsibility for every aspect of day-to-day management of client campaigns • Effectively delegate tasks across the team, ensure work is carried out to the high standards we set and clients are happy with our results • Provide strategic counsel to clients on a day-to-day basis relating to campaigns, competitors, opportunities and issues • Actively research and identify opportunities for organic growth and new business The successful candidate’s results-driven focus, natural networking skills and ability to work well in a fast-paced environment will be key to success. As part of Haystac you will have access to some of the best minds in the business and be part of a global marketing communications network with a focus on career development and opportunity for progression. Experience we’re looking for: • 5+ years of related PR industry experience, preferably within an agency • PR experience in consumer brands across traditional and social channels • Undergraduate or post graduate studies in public relations, marketing or equivalent • A strong network of Australian media contacts and a comprehensive understanding of the media in Australia • Excellent communication and relationship building skills • Adaptable, assertive, and a team player • A huge desire to learn and develop What’s in it for you? • Access to members of the Aegis Media group to share best practices and encourage personal development • Being part of a dynamic and rapidly expanding agency If this role sounds like you, please apply online via the Job Vacancies section of our website www.aegismedia.com.au or send your CV directly to [email protected] Due to the high volume of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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Late news:

AMPR wins new clients AMPR has won the following additions to the consumer division - Mondelez Australia’s Cherry Ripe, Cadbury Super Team and Cadbury Crispello, TOMY's high performance toy Battroborg and Cambridge University Press – History of Australia book launch. The fashion team has won accounts for; Jeanswest Jnr, SACHI, Alias Mae Shoes and lingerie brand Kiss Me Deadly. AMPR has won the fashion brand Forever New, iconic accessories brand MIMCO for its spring racing campaign and Melbourne jewellery label Edenborough Evans. For the third consecutive year, AMPR will manage the publicity for the Paspaley Polo in the City series, which has fast become one of the most sought after events on the social calendar. AMPR’s lifestyle division continues to expand with the addition of Martin & Pleasance Natural Medicine’s Vital Greens and Rescue Remedy, hospitality accounts 400 Gradi, 90 Secondi and Fenix as well as leading female hygiene brand TOM Organic. The team has also grown with the recent addition of Lizzy Peters as Senior Account Manager. UK born Lizzy has over four years experience in public relations across consumer, retail and fashion accounts. Most recently she managed the launch of popular UK online fashion retailer very.co.uk.

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