In June 2010, Konica Minolta and the Vodafone Warriors launched the third annual League in Libraries programme in Auckland.

The Alexander Communications team was challenged to show kids that ‘reading and writing is cool’, and to encourage them to learn that reading is a valuable life skill whether they dream of becoming a rugby league player, doctor, firefighter or dancer.

Children were invited to write a short story or poem about their favourite Vodafone Warriors player for the chance to win a reading and writing session at an Auckland library with some of the team’s players. The four selected libraries that hosted League in Libraries 2010 were Pakuranga Library, Waitakere City Library, Glenfield Library and Manurewa Library.

Konica Minolta has received an overwhelming response from Auckland schools since the programme began in 2008. From just two schools, the programme grew to 50 schools (more than 500 entries) in 2009.

Each year, Konica Minolta has the tough job of choosing eight winning schools from the many entries. Not only do the students get to meet their favourite Vodafone Warriors players, but each of the eight schools receives two Canterbury of New Zealand rugby league balls and tickets to a Vodafone Warriors home game.

In addition to the library literacy sessions, League in Libraries 2010 included a surprise school visit from Vodafone Warriors NRL Reading Captain Jerome Ropati. Dropping by Northcote Primary School, Ropati presented overall winner Finn Nicholson with a signed Vodafone Warriors shirt, and tickets to a Vodafone Warriors home game for his entire class. Finn’s winning entry was a brilliant short story about the Warriors hat-trick win against the Brisbane Broncos which included colourful descriptions like ‘fighting over the ball like lions’.

Because League in Libraries Auckland received such a great response, there is consideration for a national campaign. To get the ball rolling, some of the Vodafone Warriors took the programme to one lucky Christchurch school – Central New Brighton School. Two classes were selected to meet some of the Vodafone Warriors players and take part in a League in Libraries activity afternoon. 

Results

The local community newspapers were very supportive and super-keen on the involvement of the Vodafone Warriors. We achieved excellent coverage in the Eastern Courier, Howick and Pakuranga Times, North Shore Times, Upstart Magazine, Christchurch Mail and Pegasus Bay News.

Popular children’s television show Studio 2 Live (TVNZ) were most interested in this initiative and sent host Matt Gibb along with his television crew to capture the action at Pakuranga Library. 

The clip included interviews with Vodafone Warriors NRL Reading Captain Jerome Ropati, team mate Michael Luck and stories read by participating students from Oranga School and Sunnyhills Primary School.

TVNZ's ONE News Breakfast host Tamati Coffey with children at the Kids Cook at LynnMall kitchen

Inspired by the huge popularity of MasterChef, LynnMall Shopping Centre briefed the Alexander Communications team with a creative cooking concept to encourage kids to embrace healthy eating and learn basic cooking skills.

During the July school holidays, kids were invited to don their chef’s apron and hat and come down to the Kids Cook kitchen at LynnMall. For $5 per class, children got the chance to create a delicious and nutritious 5+ A Day approved recipe with all proceeds going to the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD).

More than 370 children participated in the cooking classes over the two-week period, creating pizza, fruit parfait, oaty pancakes and pizza kebabs in the Fisher and Paykel kitchen. Fresh produce and products were supplied by Countdown and Healtheries.

Kids Cook at LynnMall was an event for the whole family to take part in, and with the Family Cook-Off challenge, several families took up the opportunity to submit their favourite family recipe online. Team Madison and Team Hannah took out the top two spots and were challenged to a cook-off on Sunday 18 July. 

The special guest judges – Nestle Hottest Home Baker winner Toni Causley, Deputy Mayor of Waitakere City Penny Hulse, and TV personality Trudi Nelson – had a difficult time deciding between the two dishes created by Team Madison and Team Hannah. In the end, Team Madison won the overall prize for their chicken pesto wrapped in bacon, while Team Hannah received a runner-up prize.

The Saxon Twins Olivia and Hayley with a variety of pizza toppings

In addition to the funds raised from the children’s cooking classes, LynnMall Shopping Centre was proud to present an even bigger cheque to the Foundation for Youth Development, with money raised from a charity auction that took place after Family Cook-Off.

The celebrity guest visits by Sticky TV’s Sam Wallace and Auckland Blues players caught the attention and interest of shoppers who passed by the Kids Cook kitchen.   

The concept received great reviews. Kids Cook at LynnMall was an unforgettable learning experience for everyone who participated.  
 

Results

TV1’s Breakfast programme broadcast live from the Kids Cook at LynnMall kitchen on Friday 2 July 2010. The five weather segments were presented by Tamati Coffey outside LynnMall Shopping Centre and around the Fisher and Paykel kitchen. 

The community papers and children’s publications were also supportive and keen to find out what the children created. We achieved front-page coverage in Education Weekly, a feature in the Western Leader and coverage in the Titirangi Tatler.

We were also supported radio stations The Edge, Easy Mix and The Breeze also supported Kids Cook at LynnMall by giving ad-lib mentions about the programme.

There was an excellent response from online media with posts at Eduvac.co.nz, Freshinthekitchen.co.nz, whatnow.co.nz, familytimes.co.nz and on various event-listing pages – Eventfinder.co.nz, whatsonmsn.co.nz and eventsyahoo.co.nz, among others.

Auckland Blues Communications Assistant James Rigby filmed the players’ visit to LynnMall and as a result, the footage is now featured on Youtube.com, Aucklandrugby.co.nz and worldcuprugbynewzealand.com.

Campaign Overview

It’s a word you’re more likely to see in the context of the art-filled drawing room of a Henry James novel than in today’s world of instant obsolescence, but ‘curio’, defined as something unusual and worthy of collecting, was unearthed as the name of a new range of exclusive, single-estate and at times single-block wines from the Mud House Wine Group in 2009.

The inaugural Curio Collection, hailing from five different vineyards in Marlborough, Nelson and Central Otago, launched with five varietals. Each wine was carefully selected on the blending table from a myriad of single-vineyard fruit parcels, from which only the stand-out examples were deemed worthy of the Curio label. 

The wines were launched into some of the best restaurants and fine wine retailers around the country, including Bisque, Circa, Capitol, Museum Hotel and Ambeli in Wellington; Sticky Fingers and Annies in Christchurch; and in Auckland, O’Connell Street Bistro, The Engine Room, Rocco, Cibo and Soul Bar & Bistro.

The unique and artistic label design was a distinct characteristic of this young, stylish and carefully considered range of wines.

AC was asked to help launch the new Curio brand and connect the range with wine writers and consumers to help make it jump out on restaurant wine lists and on the shelf.

Results

Curio partnered with a number of key events around the launch to connect with the artistic elements of the collection.  

First, it came on board as a key supporter of the spectacular Breast Cancer Research Trust’s Art for a Cure exhibition. Held at Hopetoun Alpha, the exhibition featured artworks created by some of New Zealand’s most preeminent artists inspired by leading Kiwi musicians. The artworks were auctioned for the charity and complementary glasses of Curio wine were served to guests at  the opening function and final auction.

In addition, Curio was the wine sponsor at one of central Auckland’s most stylish art spaces, the Gus Fisher Gallery. Curio partnered with the gallery to serve the wine at two highly successful New Zealand art exhibitions, Marti Friedlander Looking Closely and Len Lye Art that Moves. A special wine tasting with Curio wines was also held for the public at the gallery during the exhibition.

AC focused on boosting the profile on the new wine and getting it in front of the leading wine writers in New Zealand to swirl, sniff, and sip to their hearts’ content!

The Curio Collection was well received by the wine writers, with reviews featuring in nearly all of the country’s major provincial daily publications. This included the NZ Herald’s Viva magazine and the Herald on Sunday’s Detours as well as The Press, the Otago Daily Times and the Marlborough Express.

Special promotions were also set up with Life & Leisure and Mindfood magazines to promote the wine.

2008 CURIO d’Auvergne Vineyard Wairau Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer reviews:

Viva Wine Columnist Jo Burzynska described the Curio d’Auvergne Vineyard Wairau Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer as a “gorgeously textured wine, with layers of mineral and hints of rose petals, seasoned with savoury spice and finishing with a fresh twist of citrus peel.” NZ Herald 4 November 2009

 ”A perfectly balanced, delicate and slippery gewurztraminer that sings turkish delight, ginger, rose petal and soft citrus.  Musky, fruit-laden flavours enhanced by wild yeast ferments and time in oak give it a sexy, spicy finish. Available from fine wine stores and selected restaurants and bars”.  Bay of Plenty Times 9 November 2009 

 ”…My pick of the bunch is Curio d’Auvergne Vineyard Wairau Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2008.  It smells so good you don’t want to stop sniffing the harmonious mix of musk rose, mango and cloves.  On the palate it’s like sucking on Turkish delight before it sets; luscious fruit flavours with silky texture made all the more interesting from barrel fermentation and wild yeast.”  Capital Times – Wellington 21 October 2009 

2008 CURIO Bendigo Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir reviews:

 “Great packaging is one of the appeals of this spicy young Central Otago pinot noir.”  Joelle Thomson, Herald on Sunday Detours, 13 December 2009 

 “Ah, that’s what a good pinot noir is all about – it’s light, ruby-red translucent colour belies its rich and full flavoured character, with satisfying length. Currants and vanilla were evident. This pinot is velvety smooth, with no furry tannin feeling. Ideal with piquant cheeses and scrummy appetizers.”  David Killick, The Press, 11 January 2010 

 ”An attractive, lush wine with soft, overly ripe, sweet fruit, oozing cherries, strawberries and boysenberries, supported by darker tones of toasty oak, and finishing with a firm, spicy grip”.  Charmian Smith, the Otago Daily Times, 18 November 2009

2008 CURIO Ganes Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc review:

 ”Despite its tender age, this lovely wine is full of personality. It does what classic sauvignon blanc does best – slightly acidic and bursting with apricot, passionfruit and gooseberry flavours.  There’s a weight and complexity underpinning all these delights which stamps this as an outstanding wine.” Chris Moore, The Press – Christchurch, 27 January 2010 

 “Juicy, tangy, with tingly acids and some underlying warmth. The aroma rolls on through to the palate – we enjoyed the pleasant grassy/tropical blend in this full-bodied wine. The flavours are quite intense out to the finish, which is herbal, drying and warming. A really nice example of Wairau Valley sauvignon blanc.”Deborah Walton and Peter Morice – The Marlborough Express 18 February 2010

Curio Castles Vineyard Awatere Sauvignon Blanc 2008 review:

 “Quite a ripe Awatere style though it shows typical concentration. Green capsicum and mineral flavours with a stone fruit influence. A bold and appealing wine with character.”

Bob Campbell, December 2009 www.bobswinereviews.com

“Typically funky, pungent Awatere sauvignon, with wonderfully exuberant fruit oozing herbs, salad leaves, and mineral, complex, and textural makes a definite statement.”  Charmian Smith, the Otago Daily Times, 21 October 2009 

It’s not everyday that a national sporting tournament is played out in the centre of a shopping mall. However, shoppers at Bayfair Shopping Centre in Mount Maunganui found themselves centre court during August 2009 when a massive glass court was erected in the mall to host the A1 Homes NZ Women’s Open. Around 18,000 spectators descended on the mall to witness a piece of the fast-paced action.

Having seen examples of the glass courts erected overseas, Bayfair and Bay of Plenty Sport decided it would be a great way to bring the sport to the masses, staging the event in the centre of the mall in full public view – from all corners!

It was also the first time in 13 years a NZ Women’s Open tournament had been played in New Zealand, another great story.

The AC team focused on profiling Bayfair’s innovative approach – a NZ first – hosting the tournament in the centre as well as celebrating this milestone event with the local community and high-profile Tauranga personalities.

Results

What better way to commemorate this event than with the darling of New Zealand squash and one of our most successful international female squash players of all time – Dame Susan Devoy! Dame Susan was invited to play a match against the Bay of Plenty’s rookie MP Simon Bridges – a challenge which she accepted without reservation.

This event captured the attention of the public, attracting around 100 onlookers and media keen to see their local MP take on the sporting legend. Despite a considerable absence from the court and retirement from professional squash, Dame Susan showed Simon a thing or two about the game. Needless to say, Simon was an excellent sport!

The event made national TV, when Breakfast took the opportunity to show coverage of the match on the politician’s regular young gun segment that week. The Breakfast hosts had quite a chuckle, at Simon’s expense, about his technique and bravado in challenging such a sporting great.

The NZ Herald, Bay of Plenty Times, Sunlive and Classic Hits Tauranga also covered the event, relishing the opportunity to see their local MP put himself up for the challenge.

The rather unique setting for the national squash tournament was the focus of a piece on prime-time current affairs show Campbell Live. The article titled ‘Squash open gives new meaning to window shopping,’ looked at the angle of reinvigorating public interest in the sport and the innovative approach of taking it to the people in a glass court in the centre Bayfair. Journalist Emma Keeling described the court as ‘oasis for sport’s lovers in a desert of shopping’

Jack gets stuck into a good book. Image courtesy of North Harbour News, By Caralise Moore

The NZ owned book and stationary group were looking for 12 bright bookworms to become the nation’s kids choice reviewers.  Each reviewer would receive a monthly book pack to be read, reviewed and posted online for other children to access and also critique.

Open to three age categories, 7-10, 11-12 and 13-16 years olds, Paper Plus was inundated with over 500 applicants for this very special job!

Results

The Kids’ Choice Reviewers initiative received great nation-wide community coverage with young readers becoming stars overnight.

The Alexander Communications team spread the word about this exciting and engaging campaign to schools, education publications and to local papers.  Some of the coverage received was seen in the Hutt News, Kapiti Observer, The Daily Post, Education Weekly and in the Mt Roskill Intermediate school notice!

We also secured a 90FM radio interview of one of the selected book reviewers; Jordan Willis-Love, a 10 year old student from Waterloo Primary School got her first taste of fame commenting on her experience and interest in reading and reviewing.

Click on www.paperplus.co.nz/kids-club/reviews/ and enter the interactive website where young readers can read our Kids Choice Reviews, discover new books and post their own comments.

Congratulations to our 12 Kids’ Choice Reviewers and to all the young readers around the nation…keep up the good reading!

Campaign Overview

Kim Crossman and Ido Drent celebrate with young friends after finishing the Fit2Fly adventure course. Image courtesy of the Western Leader, By Luke Parker

This July the school holidays were a buzz with excitement over the Botany Town Centre and LynnMall Shopping Centre Fit2Fly adventure course. In conjunction with the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD), the malls help launch the Fit2Fly campaign for the second year running.

The adventure course was set up to encourage kids’ activity and to put their skills to test, all for a good cause; the $1 entry fee went directly to the FYD’s Project K programme. 

The two week campaign gained positive media attention, especially with some celebrities who showed their support.  Studio 2 and Shortland Street stars Faye Smythe, Kiel McNaughton, Kim Crossman and Ido Drent all tested their adventure skills as did sporting stars from the NZ Breakers Acadmey and Steelers Counties Manukau.

Results

The Fit2Fly adventure course drew crowds of excited school holiday children; over 2700 children tested their skills on the specially built course and $2900 was raised for FYD’s Project K Programme. 

Sunrise TV included four live crossover weather segments, several ad-lib presentations and interviews from Botany Town Centre, concluding with Josh Aston giving it his all on the course. 

The NZ Women’s Weekly featured a lovely story about Shortland Street’s Faye and Kiel’s involvement in the campaign.

Howick & Pakuranga Times, Eastern Courier and the Western Leader were just some of the community papers who covered the Fit2Fly campaign with articles and great action images of children out on the course. 

Fit2Fly also received great radio coverage with the ZM Black Thunders visiting Botany Town Centre on two different occasions, the two Robbies from The Breeze testing out the Lynn Mall course and Desiree Clark securing an interview on Big FM. 

We also gained great online media coverage hitting both social and educational sites.  The holiday event could be found on Eventfinder and on supporting radio station’s websites, Shortland Street’s network as well as school and educational websites.

Manu Vatuvei and students from Ranui Primary school share a good book. Image courtesy of Photo Sport

In June 2009 Konica Minolta together with the Vodafone Warriors launched Rugby League Reads in Auckland.

The AC team was challenged to show kids that ‘reading is cool’ and to encourage them to learn that reading is a valuable life skill whether they dream of becoming a rugby league player, doctor, fire fighter or dancer.

Children were invited to write a short story or poem about their favourite Vodafone Warriors player for the chance to win a reading session at an Auckland library with some team members. There were four select libraries who hosted RLR 2009, a big thank you to Pakuranga, Waitakere, Glenfield and Manurewa libraries.

Konica Minolta received an overwhelming response from 50 Auckland schools and over 500 individual entries; unfortunately, they could only select eight winning schools.

In addition to the library readings, RLR 2009 included a surprise school visit from Manu Vatuvei. Dropping by Room 11 at St Thomas’s school, winner Zac Chan was presented a signed Warriors shirt by Vatuvei.

Results

The local community newspapers were very supportive and super keen on the involvement of the Vodafone Warriors. We achieved excellent coverage in the East and Bays Courier, Howick and Pakuranga Times, North Shore Times and the Western Leader.

The Vodafone Warriors Community Ambassador Manu Vatuvei was especially appealing and gained coverage in the New Zealand Herald on two occasions; Warriors fire young literary imaginations and Warriors at school spread the words.

Select Vodafone Warriors were also interviewed on radio; Kevin Locke and Manu Vatuvei featured on Newstalk ZB with Mike Hosking discussing their views on literacy and joking about each others reading skills.
Brent Jameson was interviewed on both BigFM and Radio Rhema regarding the RLR programme.

Online media also played a role on helping generate awareness about RLR with articles featured on times.co.nz, nzherald.co.nz, stuff.co.nz, infonews.co.nz and voxy.co.nz

Since 2008, Paper Plus has held a series of successful Books & Bubbles events across New Zealand.  Alexander Communications have assisted Paper Plus in bringing these events to life, together with the marketing team, since the very beginning.

Paper Plus Books spokesperson, Kerre Woodham features as host in these events with (usually) one to two guest authors. This year, Alexander Communications was briefed to take these events to the next level with five high profile ‘metro’ events in the main centres.

Tarts for Tea was the first of the five metro events, held on Mother’s Day, Sunday 10th May 09 at SKYCITY. Proceeds from each event went to Cure Kids, Paper Plus’ chosen charity.

Kerre Woodham had the entire venue in stitches of laughter with her witty, but highly appropriate sense of humour. The marketing team headed up by Lyle Hastings have enjoyed an excellent relationship with Kerre Woodham. Kerre has a natural affinity for books. She throws herself  at the task of being the advocate of  good reading on behalf of Paper Plus. Kerre interviews Stephanie Jones from Alexander Communications on Newstalk ZB “Kerre’s Cafe” every three week on her favourite pics too.

High profile authors Mary Lambie, Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Suzanne Paul and Wendyl Nissen were invited to take part in the event as guest panelists and to promote their books.

Alexander Communications distributed a media release together with a box of tarts to mainstream and local media, inviting them to attend the event to which we had a positive response. New Zealand Woman’s Weekly featured the event with five double passes to giveaway on their website. Denise, Suzanne and Wendyl were each interviewed by Kerre Woodham on NewsTalk ZB and Mary by Mel Homer on EasyMix. The event was also featured online on eventfinder.co.nz, classichits.co.nz, thebreeze.co.nz and coastfm.co.nz, Scoop, Voxy and InfoNews.

Ticket sales went extremely well with the event becoming a sell out and having to turn away people, and the online ticket purchasing website shut down. More than 500 guests filled the room and had a roaring good time as each author and Kerre spoke about their books. Each guest was treated to a goody bag including a full size product from key sponsor L’Oréal Paris. Prizes included a $500 pamper pack from L’Oréal Paris, a ‘Mother Daughter’ necklace from Pascoes and a hamper from Dulcie May Kitchen.

A Prime News reporter attended the event to film the guest speakers and featured a segment on the Sunday 10th May news at 5.30pm.

Many of the guests on the day indicated that they would definately attend another event. Watch this Space!

The Botany Angels show off their goody-gift baskets

Campaign Overview

Christmas, can often bring stress onto families as they battle the queues at supermarkets and shopping centres, looking for inspiration for that perfect gift for family and friends.

Botany Town Centre took the unusual step of hiring two ‘Botany Angels’ to circulate the centre, committing random acts of kindness onto shoppers to try and make the shopping experience a little less stressful.

Alexander Communications (AC) was briefed to develop a PR campaign to launch the Botany Angels and create awareness of the activities in centre. Glossy feathered wings were imported from the USA and the Botany Angels descended on Botany Town Centre daily between 11 – 24 December.

Results

Reaction to this campaign could have received scepticism; however the concept was taken whole heartedly by both media and the public with an overwhelming response.

 AC created beautifully packaged ‘Angel Packs’, filled with an angelic feather, candle and chocolates which were distributed to key media. Included in the pack was a media release announcing the arrival of the Botany Angels, highlighting the purpose of the Angels as rewarding customers and showing the spirit of goodwill.

The Botany Angels were interviewed by TV One’s Breakfast on the first morning (11 Dec), announced on The Breeze and Easy Mix and local papers Howick & Botany Times and the Eastern Courier visited the centre to photograph and interview the Angels.

The Botany Angels became famous in their own right with shoppers stopping to mention they had seem them on Breakfast – Paul Henry even mentioned “that is a nice thing for a shopping centre to do”.

We interviewed Carey Smith for our “Inspired People” Blog on www.nzherald.co.nz about 12 months ago. In this interview he mentioned how he had planned to write a book.

So many people do. But Carey delivered on his promise. We feel proud to have been part of the team that helped to make it happen.

• We encouraged Carey to create a web 2.0 social networking & sharing enabled site
• We linked him up with another client of ours www.publishme.co.nz who helped him create and publish the book.
• We worked with his great web team – Big Fish Marketing - to assist him in creating a site that would display his media links and enable people to read up great testimonials and download chapters
• We syndicated some of his content onto mainstream online media to generate some hype
• We shared our enthusiasm for his book and the content on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin
• We networked him into Unlimited, (the mag), NZ Business, NZ Marketing , ASB Business Breakfast TV and also press and mentions on radio and other online sites.
• We have bought some of his great books and plan to share them amoung our other clients – the people who can benefit – leaders.
• It was a great project to work on from beginning to middle. The end is no where in site as his books are now selling on www.publishme, www.trademe.co.nz, www.nile.co.nz  and a host of other sites.
• We are encouraging him to write again.

About Carey Smith

The basis of many of my achievements has been an annual letter that I write to myself. The book Deliver is part of one of those promises, and I have had great enjoyment in bringing it together. I hope that it becomes something that I can continue to build on.

At a Glance

• Chief Executive of Ray White New Zealand. Ray White New Zealand has more than 125 offices nationwide, transacting approximately $5 billion worth of property sales per annum.
• Chief Executive of The Loan Market New Zealand. The Loan Market New Zealand has 38 brokers facilitating $600 million in loans per annum.
• Entered the Real Estate Industry at the age of 17 and joined Ray White Group in Australia in 1990 as an Auctioneer and Development Associate
• Assisted in the changeover and conversion of United Realty to Ray White Zealand, which I have led for the past 10 years
• Currently involved in the international expansion of Ray White
• Inaugural recipient of the Chairman’s Cup 1996 and White Family Trophy 2005.
  Author of the book Deliver.
• Ex-Rugby League player and current referee.
• Proud, family oriented Father