2012 Parker & Partners Politzer Prize winners announced: Barry Haase MP takes the Politzer Prize!

Parker & Partners is pleased to announce the winner of this year’s prestigious Politzer Prize. Western Australian Member for Durack, Barry Haase’s photo “A perspective on cultural resilience” beat more than 60 high quality entries to take the main award. He was awarded the Politzer Prize on Tuesday night at Parliament House, along with a cheque for $5,000 to go to the charity of Mr Haase’s choice – The Royal Lifesaving Society.

Parker & Partners’ Managing Director, Sarah Cruickshank congratulated Barry Haase MP: “His picture is not only visually stunning; it perfectly encapsulates the theme of this year’s Politzer Prize – Resilience – designed to portray the spirit of the Australian community and environment to fight back against adversity.”

“This year’s competition theme was inspired by the significant natural disasters and resultant human challenges faced by so many Australians at the outset of 2011, and our participants put considerable thought into their entries accordingly” she said.

“Barry’s photo tells a great human story of a 105 year old Indigenous elder still living alone, medicine free, in Mr Haase’s electorate of Roebourne, Western Australia, and outliving the built environment around him.”

Ms Cruickshank commended the more than 30 Federal parliamentarians who participated this year. “Their support for Politzer is evidence of the great respect, pride and passion each of them has for their constituencies. We are thrilled that each year the number of entries continues to grow.”

“Our Politzer Australian Political Photographic Competition has been embraced by parliamentarians from across the political spectrum and it is great to get a glimpse of our politicians’ genuinely creative flair – something not normally seen in the hectic pace of their day-to-day lives,” she said.

The winning Politzer entry, along with the 13 Finalists, were selected by a panel of leading press gallery journalists including: Mike Bowers, David Speers, Malcolm Farr, Lenore Taylor, Simon Benson and Steve Lewis.

Mr Bruce Scott MP, a previous Politzer winner, this year won the A-PAC Award, selected by Politzer Prize sponsor, the Australian Public Affairs Channel, for his photo “Colours of the outback races”.

“Parker & Partners has a longstanding tradition of supporting the not-for-profit sector, through our pro bono work for a range of community based organisations, and our annual sponsorship of the Federal Press Gallery Midwinter Ball. We are very pleased to present our annual $5,000 donation to Mr Haase’s charity of choice.”

Competition background: Parker & Partners, Australia’s leading bipartisan public affairs firm and part of Ogilvy PR Worldwide, launched the Politzer Prize in 2006 as an annual photographic competition for Australia’s Federal politicians to showcase their passion for their communities. All Members and Senators are invited to submit a photo, with the finalists comprising the annual Parker & Partners Australian Political Calendar, and vying for the prize of $5,000 to donate to a charity, school or non-government organisation of their choice. The final 13 photographs to be included in the 2012 calendar have also been announced. Photos entered can be viewed on: www.politzer.com.au.

Parker & Partners would like to thank the supporters of the 2012 Politzer Prize:

Canon Australia and A-PAC – Australia’s Public Affairs Channel.

Winners:

Winner – 2012 Politzer Prize

• “A perspective on cultural resilience” Mr Barry Haase MP, Member for Durack

Commendation – 2012 Politzer Prize

• “Human Resilience” Dr Mal Washer MP, Member for Moore

Winner – A-PAC Award

• “Colours of the outback races” Mr Bruce Scott MP, Member for Maranoa

Full list of participants

• Senator the Hon Mark Arbib, Minister for Sport, Indigenous Employment and Economic Development;
• Senator Simon Birmingham, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment;
• The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade;
• Senator Carol Brown, Senator for Tasmania;
• Mr Darren Chester MP, Member for Gippsland;
• Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation, Industry and Science;
• Senator Alan Eggleston, Senator for Western Australia;
• The Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Chief Government Whip;
• Mr Barry Haase MP, Member for Durack;
• The Hon Joe Hockey MP, Shadow Treasurer;
• Senator Gary Humphries, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Materiel;
• The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage;
• Mr Stephen Jones MP, Member for Throsby;
• Senator Barnaby Joyce, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Water;
• Senator Helen Kroger, Senator for Victoria;
• Mr Andrew Laming MP, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health;
• Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Member for Fraser;
• The Hon Sussan Ley MP, Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning;
• Mr Michael McCormack MP, Member for Riverina;
• Senator Christine Milne, Deputy Leader of the Greens;
• Mr Scott Morrison MP, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Productivity and Population;
• Mrs Jane Prentice MP, Member for Ryan;
• Mr Bernie Ripoll MP, Member for Oxley;
• Ms Amanda Rishworth MP, Member for Kingston;
• Mr Alby Schultz MP, Member for Hume;
• The Hon Bruce Scott MP, Second Deputy Speaker;
• Mr Patrick Secker MP, Member for Barker;
• The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Deputy Prime Minister;
• Mr Dan Tehan MP, Member for Wannon;
• Senator Matt Thistlethwaite, Senator for New South Wales;
• Dr Mal Washer MP, Member for Moore;
• Senator Larissa Waters, Senator for Queensland; and
• Mr Tony Windsor MP, Member for New England.

For further information, comments or images, please contact Peta Lange on 02 6215 4200.

Ogilvy PR campaign showcased at PRIA leaders’ event

At a Public Relations Institute of Australia Leadership Breakfast Lelde McCoy shared success strategies from Ogilvy PR’s award-winning “To donate life, discuss it today-OK” campaign developed for the Organ and Tissue Authority.

The public relations campaign has won both Australian and international awards.

Lelde told the audience that the campaign had a clear outcome in mind – getting more Australians knowing and sharing each other’s organ and tissue donation wishes.

“Whilst most Australians support donation, the campaign needed to convert this support into the actions required to ultimately increase family consent rates. It also needed to address the misconception that it is enough to register your intentions regarding organ and tissue donation on your driver’s licence.  In Australia organ transplantation will only proceed if family consent is given.”

Ogilvy PR’s strategy was to increase Australians’ knowledge so that they could make an informed decision, promote family and community wide discussion through the media, correct misconceptions through helpful resources and social media channels and provide information and practical tools to facilitate grassroots involvement by the sector.

Key campaign tools included a Family Discussion Kit, leaders’ Action Kits, and a campaign launch with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, a heart value transplant recipient.

Lelde said that throughout the six week campaign there was an ongoing conversation with the Australian public.

“This campaign lent itself to the telling of inspirational stories about donor families and transplant recipients. We used a variety of mediums including Facebook. Media, especially TV doctors were helpful in getting our message across. Community organisations working in the sector were also actively involved, implementing information activities at a grassroots level.”

The campaign resulted in 429 pieces of positive media coverage. Significant support was generated through building an online community for DonateLife – Facebook fan numbers increased by more than 1,000 per cent. The DonateLife network held 95 events and community leaders publicly supported the campaign.

In terms of outcomes, levels of family discussion increased by 10%, of which 83% were rated by respondents as memorable conversations. Knowledge of family member’s wishes increased by 7%; and  awareness that family consent is requested before donation can proceed increased by 9%.

Importantly, 2010 organ donation figures show that 309 donors and their families saved or significantly improved the lives of 931 Australians in 2010. This is the highest annual total of transplants in Australia’s donation and transplantation history.

Ogilvy PR’s Pulse gets gong for creative kitchen

Ogilvy PR’s leading consumer and brand agency, Pulse Communications, has been recognised for its innovative work to put Malaysian cuisine on the map in Australia, last night receiving a State Award for Excellence from the NSW branch of the PRIA.

The ‘ Special Events/Observance’ category award specifically recognised  Pulse for the creation of the Malaysia Kitchen Australia, an event that transformed Sydney’s State Theatre Laneway into Australia’s first ever Malaysia Kitchen Food Market.

Malaysia Kitchen Australia was part of a broader campaign undertaken by Pulse in conjunction with MATRADE (Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation), aimed at raising awareness and consideration of Malaysian cuisine in Australia.

Pulse will now be on the shortlist to receive a national PRIA Golden Target Award in the ‘Special Event/Observance’ category, with winners announced at a Gala Dinner held in conjunction with the PRIA’s National Conference, on 24 and 25 October.

Pulse MD Matt Buchanan said the entire team was thrilled with the formal recognition “The Malaysia Kitchen Australia program is a very exciting and rewarding project for us and we’re thrilled that it’s been recognised in the state PRIA awards. It’s a well deserved win by a very hard working and dedicated team who are committed to making Australian’s as passionate about Malaysian cuisine as we are.”

Another team from Ogilvy PR was also up for an award at last night’s event.  Howorth was shortlisted for the Business-to-Business Marketing category in the awards, for its work on the Telstra Productivity Indicator for Telstra Enterprise and Government (TE&G).

Canon Australia appoints Ogilvy Public Relations Australia for Consumer Imaging account

Canon Australia has today announced the appointment of Ogilvy Public Relations Australia to handle public relations for Canon Consumer Imaging.

Following an exhaustive and highly competitive four-way pitch, Ogilvy PR’s success was announced by Andrew Giles, Public Relations Manager for Canon Consumer Imaging.

“We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Ogilvy PR,” Mr Giles said. “We were looking for a team to take public relations to the next level and Ogilvy PR presented an outstanding, thoughtful and creative pitch.

“What set them apart was that they spoke to us about our business, and not just about PR. They really understood what we want to achieve and linked it to a clear, creative strategy that showed the connection between PR and business results,” he said.

Mr Giles thanked Hill & Knowlton, which has held the account for the past nine years, for their many contributions to the Canon business over that time.

Kieran Moore, Ogilvy Public Relations Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, said the win had sent a buzz through the consultancy.

“Canon is one of the most innovative and respected brands in the world and their approach to leading new ways of thinking around communications strategy and planning integration – from advertising, media buying and PR – makes it an exciting seat to have at the table,” Ms Moore said.

“Canon wants its agencies to challenge them and to work in partnership to do exciting, integrated campaigns that get real cut through and lead to tangible business benefits. This is a brief that plays into Ogilvy PR’s unique strengths, where we can bring together specialists from our entire cross consultancy team in branding, consumer activation, product, strategy and planning and digital influence.

“We look forward to a long lasting and mutually challenging relationship.”

The relationship with Canon Consumer Imaging will involve Ogilvy Public Relations in product and brand PR and thought leadership in the area of consumer marketing and adds to the Canon Business Imaging account which Ogilvy Public Relations won in December 2010.

Ogilvy PR will formally commence work on the Canon Consumer Imaging business from 1 October 2011.

Blockbuster bites back!

Blockbuster Australia approached Howorth in 2010 to develop a public relations campaign as part of the planned roll out of a $3.5 million brand repositioning campaign – their biggest in ten years.

Despite being wholly owned by Franchise Entertainment Group and maintaining strong business performance, Blockbuster Australia was perceived to be affected by the financial challenges faced by Blockbuster Inc in the US –fuelling misconceptions around the viability of the business domestically.

Howorth set out to:

• Address the immediate challenges resulting from the coverage of Blockbuster Inc.;
• Use the launch of the brand repositioning as a platform to generate positive stories around Blockbuster Australia’s market position and the health of the industry in Australia;
• Engage the franchisees in the brand repositioning campaign and communicate the role franchisees play in driving the success of the company.

To tackle the misconceptions resulting from the US, Howorth developed key messages around the independence of Blockbuster Australia from its US counterpart and the stability of the local business. Statements were distributed to domestic media in response to further developments in the US and media that had previously covered the issue.

Howorth recognised the importance of incorporating the franchisees in the public relations strategy as it is they who drive the business and owner operated model which makes the local industry unique. Howorth worked directly with franchisees to seek potential local media opportunities to change perceptions at a grass roots level and support local business objectives.

Finally, in preparation for the brand repositioning launch pre-briefings with top-tier media were arranged to: create buzz around the evolution of the brand; explain the rationale behind the repositioning and its role within Blockbuster’s long-term business objectives; and share Blockbuster Australia’s point-of-view on the future of the industry.

As a result of the PR launch of the brand repositioning in October 2010, the US challenges had been disassociated, the business’ health was reinforced and pre-conceived perceptions on the industry and future of the business had begun to shift.

Over the months of July to November 2010, the PR campaign reached 7,278,413 online readers, 224,089 TV viewers and radio listeners and 991,255 newspaper readers – a total of 8,493,757 Australians.  Key messages were prevalent in prominent headlines, such as:

• Blockbuster adopts social hub strategy, The Australian
• Blockbuster invests in rebranding campaign, Franchising
• Blockbuster Australia leaves bankrupt US chain’s woes behind, Dynamic Business
• Blockbuster Australia gets a makeover, Retail Biz
• Blockbuster Repositioning Campaign, Sky News

Going like Blockbusters, Australian Financial Review

Don’t Be A Tosser, Bin Your Butts

Challenge: On 1 July 2007, the Victorian Government banned smoking inside licensed venues. Butt litter was expected to increase significantly unless action was taken. Cigarette litter already constituted 56% of Victoria’s litter stream. Sustainability Victoria recognised the need for a campaign to change smokers’ behaviours.

Insight: When targeting butt litter messages to smokers, the public relations campaign needed to be mindful that socially many smokers already felt persecuted. The campaign’s message couldn’t point the finger at them or lay blame. The campaign’s creative ‘Don’t be a Tosser – Bin Your Butts’, therefore used humour to capture their attention.

Following extensive research and stakeholder consultation, a campaign was developed focussing on changing smokers’ behaviour at venues identified most at risk of increased littering. Harnessing hospitality industry and local government involvement activities aimed to minimise pressure on local governments and pubs and clubs and make it easier for them to take an active role in the campaign. This included providing bin infrastructure and promoting cleanliness.

Campaign: The public relations campaign encouraged a collective approach to reducing butt litter between the smoker, licensed premises, local government and state government. Campaign toolkits were provided to pub and club owners and local government staff. An incentive scheme was introduced to encourage licensed premises to buy appropriate butt bins. Radio, bus shelter and convenience advertising and a state-wide media campaign raised awareness of the issue and kept it on the public’s agenda. ‘Butts Champs’ took to the streets handing out ‘Don’t be a Tosser’ personal ashtrays and extensive media publicity highlighted the problem and what needed to be done about it.

Results: The campaign achieved a major increase in the number of smokers binning their butts, and no increase in butt litter, demonstrating that smokers’ behaviour changed.  Butt littering behaviour fell by almost half. Independent evaluation found 73% of targeted venues actively supported the campaign and 66% of Victoria’s local governments participated in the campaign. Media publicity firmly placed the issue on the public’s agenda –212 positive electronic and print media items were achieved over four months with the majority highlighting key messages.

The public relations campaign was awarded an International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Excellence Award and a Public Relations Institute of Australia Golden Target Award in the environmental category.

Ogilvy PR Australia turns 10

As far as birthdays go, it’s been a beauty.

Ogilvy Public Relations’ Australian operation has turned 10 and while most birthdays are a reason to reflect on the past, we decided to celebrate the occasion by looking forward to the next decade.

In partnership with the Australian chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Ogilvy PR commissioned research asking PR professionals their thoughts on the industry in 2021: What would our role be? What would be the industry’s biggest threat? How would we measure success?

Eighteen qualitative interviews were conducted with leading industry opinion leaders to help inform the quantitative study questionnaire. That questionnaire was answered by 300 Australian PR communications professionals during July.

Some of the findings were in accord with our expectations, others surprised us. A summary of the key findings can be found here and if anyone requires a full copy of the research results they can contact Katherine Scott at katherine.scott@ogilvy.com.au

But research should lead to something so we set about deciding just what we could do to ensure that Ogilvy PR maintains its position of professional and intellectual leadership in Australia for the next decade and beyond.

So we pledged to:

• Permanently stop measuring communications effectiveness by the much derided ‘Advertising Equivalent Value’ (AVE) in 2012 and evaluate the newly proposed ‘Value Metrics’ guidelines developed by the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communications;
• Bolster our strategy, planning, creative and insights capabilities by a further 15% in the coming year by redefining and reinvesting in existing roles. As the only Australian PR agency with a Strategy and Planning Director and a dedicated strategic communications research and insights brand Ogilvy PR will also begin the search for a creative director this year;
• Apply a unique 360 degrees communications filter to all briefs to further capitalise on a future where employee empowerment is paramount and digital engagement is an integral part of every consultant’s skill set; and
• Embark on an ambitious in-house training program aimed at giving consultants a better hands-on understanding of the operational demands of business and clients.

In company with IABC, we announced our plans and unveiled the research at two major events.

The first, in Sydney in front of a gathering of around 70 existing and prospective clients and industry professionals, featured a lively panel discussion moderated by Ogilvy PR Australia’s CEO Kieran Moore. Panellists were Nick Baker, the executive general manager of marketing for Tourism Australia, Ogilvy PR’s regional CEO and President Steve Dahllof, Leanne Joyce, IABC board member and group manager – communications with AusTrade, Professor Jim Macnamara, the deputy dean from University of Technology Sydney’s faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Tam Sandeman, the managing director of Impact Employee Communications, Ogilvy PR’s internal communications company.

A Melbourne event the following day attracted a crowd of around 90 people, with Steve Dahllof reprising his Sydney appearance on a panel which included renowned futurist James Cowley, Andrew Maiden, Telstra’s executive director – communications, Jacqui Moore, the group general manager marketing for Country Road, and Tony O’Dea, the manager – campaigns and research for the Victorian Department of Justice. Sarah Wilson, the prominent journalist and blogger, beautifully handled a last-minute transition from panellist to moderator when Q&A’s Tony Jones was an 11^th hour scratching due to ill-health.

The research findings and Ogilvy’s response garnered plenty of media coverage, with The Australian and a number of industry publications covering the issue. In fact, a week after the announcement the article was still tracking as the ‘most read’ article on www.campaignaisa.com

Research, action, reaction . . . it makes a good campaign template and puts the fizz of the future into a birthday bash.

Peripheral Vision: PR communication in 2021

A study into tomorrow’s industry, by today’s industry – read the full report here.

MONDAY 25 July

The practice of public relations is set for major change with Ogilvy PR Australia tomorrow announcing a number of initiatives aimed at taking the company – and the profession - into the next decade.

On the back of research jointly commissioned by the company and chapters of leading Australian industry body the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Ogilvy PR has pledged to:

• Permanently stop measuring communications effectiveness by the much derided ‘Advertising Equivalent Value’ (AVE) in 2012 and evaluate the newly proposed ‘Valid Metrics’ guidelines developed by the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communications;
• Bolster its strategy, planning, creative and insights capabilities by a further 15% in the coming year by redefining and reinvesting in existing roles. As the only Australian PR agency with a Strategy and Planning Director and a dedicated strategic communications research and insights brand the company will also begin the search for a creative director this year;
• Apply a unique 360 degrees communications filter to all briefs to further capitalise on a future where employee empowerment is paramount and digital engagement is an integral part of every consultant’s skill set; and
• Embark on an ambitious in-house training program aimed at giving consultants a better hands-on understanding of the operational demands of business and clients.

Respondents overwhelmingly agreed (76%) that the term ‘PR’ will be dropped in the next decade as the role and nature of agencies and the discipline itself changes. Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, said the public relations industry needed to redefine rather than rename itself.

“We believe the age of spin, after being on life support for several years, is now dead. While we don’t agree with dropping ‘PR’ from our discipline, we think this shows that companies, organisations and individuals are demanding authentic communications advice that focuses on the reality of reputation – in the real world context of business and organisational needs,” Ms Moore said.

Ogilvy PR, Australia’s largest and most awarded agency, undertook the research with the Australian chapter of IABC to mark the company’s 10^th anniversary in Australia. The research involved 300 online quantitative surveys among Australian PR and communications professionals, informed by 18 qualitative interviews conducted with leading industry figures.

The overall theme of the study was PR communications in 2021 and the responses showed that the biggest threat to the industry was the need to quantify and redefine the way PR outcomes are measured, while the “socialisation of brands” – the ability of companies to be seen as an integral and benign part of a target audience’s lives – was highlighted as the main role (67%) for PR in the future.

“This research further emphasises that communications is both an art and a science,” Ms Moore said. “More than ever before, brands must remain authentic as audiences are looking for engagement that interests, excites, amuses and provokes thought. PR practitioners need to become even better story-tellers as they relate a brand’s messages in compelling ways, whether you’re client or agency-side.”

Translating an organisation’s stories was ranked as the most important quality for PR communication practitioners in the next decade (25%) by those on both sides of the agency and client fence.

With commentators predicting labour shortages once the huge baby boomer demographic moves into retirement, the research found a strong expectation that employee value will rise in the next decade. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents thought that by 2021 employees will be an organisation’s most critical brand ambassadors and 78% agreed that employees will expect to play a role in shaping company brands of the future.

“That finding aligns with all the research and experience we have gathered through our employee communication consultancy, and it’s why we are going to further stress to our clients the necessity for internal and external communications to create a united front.” Ms Moore said.

Key research findings and industry reaction can be found at: http://www.ogilvypr.com.au/category/peripheral-vision-study

For a full copy of the research results please contact:

Katherine Scott

Strategy and Planning Director

Ogilvy PR Australia

katherine.scott@ogilvy.com.au

About Ogilvy PR Australia

Ogilvy PR is the largest and most awarded public relations agency in Australia, scooping more than 50 Australian and global trophies in the last two years, including the top honour amongst all WPP owned PR agencies. Ogilvy PR is made up of specialist agencies including: Howorth (business and technology communications), Pulse (consumer communications), Impact Employee Communications, Parker & Partners (bi-partisan public affairs specialist), Ogilvy PR Health and Cannings (corporate communications). Ogilvy PR Australia is jointly owned by WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing, content and communications services group.

About the IABC Chapters of Australia

Founded in 1970, The International Association of Business Communicators provides a professional network of over 15,500 business communication professionals in over 80 countries. Australian members are drawn from a cross-spectrum of organisations, including the corporate, consulting, government and not-for-profit sectors. Our overriding commitment is to contribute to the success of our organisations through effective communication practice.

Methodology

• The research study was led by Ogilvy Illumination, Ogilvy PR’s strategic communications research specialists and the online questionnaire was administered by ORU
• 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with leading industry opinion leaders to help inform the quantitative study questionnaire
• 300 online quantitative surveys undertaken in July 2011 amongst 300 Australian PR communications professionals
• Almost 50:50 split between respondents from agency side and client side
• 69% female respondents, 31% male
• 61% of respondents from the private sector and 35% of respondents from Government or NGO/non-profit sector (3% selected ‘other’)
• 16% identified as from employee engagement discipline, 13% from consumer communications, 14% from cross-specialty disciplines, 11% from technology communications and 8% from public affairs, 8% health, 8% corporate, 8% public sector
• 60% NSW, 28% Victoria, 5% Queensland, 4% ACT, 1% SA
• 4% recent graduates or trainees, 15% 2-5yrs experience, 22% 6-10yrs experience, 23% 11-15yrs experience, 27% 16-30yrs experience

Square Kilometre Array – the world’s biggest telescope

Issue: Ogilvy Public Relations was engaged by the Department of Innovation Industry, Science and Research (DIISR)  to get the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) public behind the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) bid to bring the world’s biggest telescope to Australia. With the bid element of the project nearing crunch time (early 2012), it was time to ramp up public awareness, build excitement and most importantly gain the public’s support.

Challenges: Ogilvy PR had to overcome several challenges in order to successfully execute the campaign objectives:

• Creating the news hook: Given there were no new bid milestones during the campaign activity period, Ogilvy PR had no timely news hook to engage media around.
• Making a complex message relevant and engaging for the public: The SKA is a technical scientific feat had previously only received interest from the science community. The radio astronomy jargon had to be broken down and the question “why should I care about a telescope?” had to be answered before gaining the support of the ‘man on the street’ for the project.
• Overcoming negative perceptions such as the project cost and environmental impact:  The SKA will cost the international community over $2 billion to build – to some, a perceived waste of tax payers’ money. Many Australians were also feeling uneasy about the way in which 3,000 dishes would change and impact the Australian landscape.

Public Relations Strategy: To create mass awareness and gain the support of the Australian public, Ogilvy PR developed a number of media opportunities to feed to the media over the three month campaign period. In order to build these opportunities, Ogilvy PR:

• Put a personal face to the story: Science commentator, author and radio presenter, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki was engaged as the campaign ambassador; a spokesperson which the Australian public could relate to and who transcends the science community, taking the story out of the “geek” world and into the everyday. Dr Karl took part in a media tour supported by additional spokespeople relevant to different audiences and media outlets

• Created a unique media experience: To provide media with new and exclusive content, Ogilvy PR coordinated a media visit to the proposed SKA site in Western Australia. TV, online and print journalists attended capturing photographs and footage of the site coupled with interviews with various key spokespeople

• Generated tailored stories that would spark interest with the different audience groups:Ogilvy PR created a number of different angles to bring to life the bid for different media. This ensured the SKA message reached everyone from school children to young males, from the working professional to the tech savvy individual.

Outcome: Ogilvy PR achieved 50 pieces of coverage, exceeding the KPIs by 185%, with a campaign reach of over 38 million Australians. Coverage highlights included: The Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph, ninemsn, News.com.au, Sunday Times, The Age online, Herald Sun online and Today Tonight. The overall return on investment for the DIISR came in at 6:1. Having successfully brought the message of the SKA to the Australian public, Ogilvy PR look forward to the SKA bid announcement, due to take place in February 2012.

Ogilvy at 100 – Australia Celebrates

June 23, 2011: On the day its global founder would have turned 100, Ogilvy Australia companies are today reminding the industry that the early principles of advertising and communications are still as relevant as they were 50 years ago.

The companies have joined forces to run full-page advertisements in both today’s edition of The Australian and The Australian Financial Review to remind the industry of the pedigree of Ogilvy himself and to think about what his views would be if he were operating in today’s industry.

Ogilvy Australia’s Executive Chairman, Tom Moult, explained: “David Ogilvy’s principles, approach to his work and his clients is as relevant today as it was when he was conquering Madison Avenue.”

“Although the industry and the way we practice have changed dramatically, David Ogilvy would have embraced all aspects of digital marketing and the opportunities it presents to brands, organisations and the industry.

“To work at a company founded by David Ogilvy is inspiration in itself.  It’s that kind of legacy that pushes you to explore ideas and ways of thinking, and drives you to new and better things.  We wanted to pay our respects to the great man, but also to celebrate just what made him such a pioneer in this industry and how that can inspire people today,” he added.

Anniversary celebrations will be in held in Ogilvy offices around the country with themed parties, competitions and events throughout the day to further engage all staff with the philosophy and approach of their founder.

One of the advertising industry’s most famous and lauded figures, David Ogilvy began his business career as a door-to-door salesman of Aga cookers in Scotland.  He founded his agency in 1948 with no clients and a staff of two, building it into an empire that was eventually acquired by WPP in 1989.  His books Ogilvy on Advertising and Confessions of an Advertising Man are among the most influential and widely-read publications concerning the industry.  His famous campaigns for Schweppes, Guinness, Rolls-Royce, among others, remain highly influential, and his legacy led him to be widely known as “The Father of Advertising”, as well as gaining him the honour of a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

The anniversary celebrations in Australia were initiated and coordinated by Ogilvy’s Young Turks, members of the internal Young Turks training, mentoring and development program introduced by Moult earlier this year.

Ogilvy Group companies within Australia include Ogilvy & Mather, Ogilvy PR Australia, OgilvyOne, and Ogilvy Group Melbourne.  They are part of STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group.

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