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.

Andrew Patterson of Radio Live interviews Mike Taylor, Managing Director at Pie Funds, on his experience of running his own fund at the age of 30 – Audio

Click this link to hear the interview.

Mark Lowndes, of Lowndes Associates talks about this subject on www.unlimited.co.nz. He recently chaired his firm’s Business Intelligence Series workshop for more than 90 senior businesspeople on the topic of clean technology, or cleantech, and its progress in New Zealand and globally. As a result, he shares some insights on how New Zealand is poised to take advantage of what might be called the ‘cleantech revolution’

Click the link to find the whole article on the Unlimited website.

The clinical psychologist designing Auckland’s long-awaited residential eating disorders service for Challenge Trust wants it to have a kitchen located at the heart of the home.

Martin Johnston interviewed Clive Plucknett (pictured left), CEO of Challenge Trust and also Chris Thornton. He wrote about the new service in the Weekend Herald on August 21st.

Click this link to follow through to the story on www.nzherald.co.nz

Clive was also interviewed by Susan Pepperell from the Sunday Star-Times who wrote the article ”Auckland to Get Eating Disorders Unit” on the 15th August. You can read further on the Stuff website where the article is republished.

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.

Maria Slade investigated this story for The Herald on Sunday. The article quotes Jim Bibby, Jurgen Fitting, Jason Vlaar and Auckland University franchising expert Gehan Gunasekara.

German chainsaw manufacturer Stihl is using New Zealand as a test market for its concept of a nationwide chain of franchised power tool retailers, called STIHL SHOP™

The latest three store openings in Hawera, Masterton and Cambridge takes the group to a total of 56 stores nationwide (generating $80 million in annual revenues) – within reach of its goal of 65 stores by 2011.

Before 2002 the outdoor power equipment market was merely embryonic. This changed when STIHL decided to develop a retail chain of locally owned stores under its own brand; called STIHL SHOP™. The outcome for STIHL after years of groundwork is improved store branding and infrastructure, investment into human capital through training, a focus on customer service and top position in the now highly competitive retail category.

Click here to see the print story republished online at www.nzherald.co.nz

Business execution specialists Results.com were in the SME spotlight on 24 June, when CEO Rod Hill appeared on TVNZ’s NZI Business to discuss how the company helps businesses grow in New Zealand and overseas.

Rod spoke with Corin Dann about their success in working with business owners who are ambitious enough to seek outside help to scale their business. Something he says has happend more often since the recession. He says businesses often struggle to balance the different conflicting goals internally and a qualified team that can independently help them define a clear plan and an executable strategy for implementation has been a recipe for success for many of their clients.

Founded in New Zealand, Results.com has set up offices in Calgary and is now expanding into Los Angeles with a growing portfolio of international clients.The worldwide expansion of Results.com was a strategic goal of the founding directors, who bought the url last year in anticipation of the establishment of a global brand.

Its operation as part of a global network has assisted business growth in New Zealand by providing ready access to world class research, case studies and top shelf business speakers such as Tom Peters, Jim Collins and Jack Daly.

Results.com also hosted Jack Daly, sponsored by Telecom for his Winning Sales Strategies full day seminar on 30 July 2010.The event attracted over 430 business leaders and recieved exceptional reviews.  View images from the seminar here.

The event was held at the Ellerslie Racecourse Event Centre in Auckland ran from 8am to 5pm, with a morning session from 8am to 12:30pm on winning sales strategies, and an afternoon workshop from 1:30pm to 5pm on sales management. Auckland Mayor John Banks delivered a keynote speech to open the afternoon session.

Click here to view the full interview of Rod Hill, CEO of Results.com

Here are a few photo’s to give you a feel for the event:

Rod Hill was also interviewed by Michael Wilson for TV3 News . Click here to see what he had to say:

“While small and medium enterprises – SMEs – are experiencing some positive flow on from the economic recovery, cashflow is still a major problem. Business advisor Rod Hill of Results.com says some tax incentives might be needed to get more investment into SMEs.

Mike Taylor Managing Director of Pie Funds continues to turn heads in the world of funds management.  This month he features in Unlimited magazine in an interview by Nicola Kean. 

The Upstart discusses the humbling beginnings of Pie Funds and the idea that lead him to start it all; a vision to manage money for family and friends. 

With the support of a few key mentors Taylor has grown Pie Funds two fold and manages a $7 million investment fund. To date,  the fund has returned an impressive 105% over the past year and has seen the number of investors double in the same time.

Click here to read the full interview and find out how close Pie Funds came to closing.

Mike Taylor also appeared on NZI Business speaking to Corin Dann about the Foreign Debt issue, click here to see the video.

The Switch Business principals have been busy at it again, this weekend featured in the Herald on Sunday; Buyers Face A Lengthy Wait by Maria Slade they discuss the growing number of waiting business buyers.

The Switch Business Men; Paul Devcich and David Newport

Co-owner Paul Devcich says they have people “biting their arms off” trying to get information on new businesses placed on the market. 

There is a demand from genuine buyers right now, but owners may have been advised to sit tight until profits returned to levels of previous years and consider selling later.  

However, might be a different situation in few years if all businesses owners held on there would eventually be a glut.  “If someone if looking in this market now, they can do the transaction” says Switch co-owner David Newport.

The Bayfair Shopping Centre $15 million refurbishment is progressing smoothly, with the artist’s impression provided exclusively to the Bay of Plenty Times this week.

May 13, the Bay of Plenty Times featured the artists impressions in a front page spread ‘Revealed – New Look For Bayfair’ and including a comparative black and white image of Bayfair the way it was in 1985, with only 27 retailers.

The refurbishment is well under way and will be completed in November.  Local shoppers will welcome a new JB Hi-Fi to the area, along with five other new tenancies and a new glass feature in the eastern entrance way. 

Follow the link here for the full Bay of Plenty feature or here to see what happened when Simon Bridges visited Bayfair last month.