Ogilvy 360˚ Digital Influence appoints seven new specialists on the back of strong and continued growth

Sydney, July 13, 2011: Ogilvy’s social media practice 360˚ Digital Influence, part of STW Group, has added another seven employees to its team on the back of significant growth and demand for social media expertise. Ogilvy will also unveil a further two appointments in August.

Since the April 2009 arrival of Brian Giesen, Regional Director of Ogilvy 360˚ Digital Influence, the practice has grown to 14 specialist practitioners. In that short time, the practice has seen revenue growth of 440%.

Graham White, Managing Director of Ogilvy 360˚ Digital Influence Australia, said the practice has experienced rapid growth from day one. “Our growth, both in people and financial performance, reflects the ongoing demand from clients across the Ogilvy Group for strategic counsel and the creation and execution of powerful social media strategies – integrated with other marketing and communications disciplines.

“We’re seeing clients continuing to push more funds into ongoing social media activity. As such, we are also adding two more hires in August to ensure we can fulfil that demand and continue to be at the forefront of social media and digital engagement in Australia.”

Ogilvy 360˚ Digital Influence also became the most awarded social media team in the region after winning ‘Digital Agency of the Year’ by the region’s highly coveted Holmes Report Specialist Agencies of the Year Awards in April.

Giesen said the practice was extremely proud to receive this award as it recognised the consistent and disciplined delivery of outstanding work by the team.

“This is an excellent achievement which is particularly rewarding given the challenges of growing demand as digital influence skills and successful execution become increasingly important to all of our clients,” said Giesen.

“We’re thrilled to have another new wave of experienced talent joining us. They bring with them an array of knowledge and expertise in strategic digital planning, video content creation, analysis and analytics and community management.”

The seven new hires include two Digital Strategists and five Digital Analysts. They are:

• Lachlan Hibbert-Wells, joining as a Digital Strategist from Daemon Group where he was a Digital Planning Director;
• Megan Anhalt, joining as a Digital Strategist from US-based DoSomething.org, where she was Director of Media and Talent Relations;
• Mitch Phillips, joining from OMD as a Digital Analyst to work across a number of the practice’s consumer and natural resources sector clients;
• Gregory Tan, joining as a Digital Analyst from an online retail start-up in Melbourne;
• Mark Redshaw, joining as a Digital Analyst after three years as a researcher and sub-editor at online business information service, IRD Group;
• Melanie Vaz, joining as a Digital Analyst after working in Ogilvy PR since 2009. She is currently completing Award School through the Communications Council;
• Nathalie Bulsing, joining as a Digital Analyst following four years as a microbiological analyst in The Netherlands.

Ogilvy 360˚ Digital Influence is Ogilvy’s industry-leading social media and word of mouth marketing practice designed to help brands in an era of changing sources of influence. It is part of Ogilvy PR Australia, a joint venture between Ogilvy PR Worldwide and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group.

Ends

For further information:

Tessa Sexton

STW Group

+61 421 098 674

Ogilvy Public Relations named Digital Consultancy of the Year

We’re very excited to announce that Ogilvy Public Relation’s 360˚ Digital Influence team have just been awarded “Digital Consultancy of the year” by the Holmes Report, in its Asia-Pacific Specialist Agencies of the Year awards. A coveted global award, the accolade makes 360˚ Digital Influence the most awarded social media team in the region and recognises its consistently outstanding work, innovation and growth.

Brian Giesen, Regional Director of 360˚ Digital Influence, said, “All of our clients are embracing digital – it’s where their business, communications and marketing is going.  In just two years in Australia, we’ve achieved phenomenal growth across Ogilvy with our disciplined approach to developing and executing social media strategies for our clients. That growth is demonstrated through our fiscal performance, which in 2010 grew by 300% compared to the year before. Our team has also grown from three at the end of 2009 to nine at the end of 2010. We are in the process of expanding that team further following continued growth in the first quarter of 2011.”

More information about the Awards can be found here:

http://www.holmesreport.com/news-info/10171/Holmes-Report-Names–AP-Specialist-Agences-Of-The-Year.aspx

Highlights from the citation include:

“Top quality digital and social media work is supplemented by a commitment to thought leadership. Regional practice leader Thomas Crampton maintains one of the best blogs in the region, and is a frequent speaker at local events, and the firm has produced Asia specific content focused on the growing importance of digital and social media in the region.”

Take a look at Thomas Crampton’s blog here http://www.thomascrampton.com/

Ogilvy expands social media practice

Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence Recruits Three Key Hires

Sydney, 13 August, 2010: Ogilvy 360 Degree Digital Influence has further expanded its social media capability with the recruitment of three new specialists into its practice.

In response to increasing client demand, Lucille Snape and Annie Hammel join the Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence team as Digital Strategists and Koby Geddes as a Digital Analyst. Lucille previously worked at Euro RSCG, Koby at OMD Australia and Annie at Hachette Filipacchi Media in the US.

The appointments come just 12 months after award-winning strategist Brian Giesen moved from Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence in Washington DC to head up the Australian operation, and help manage the Asia Pacific practice.

“Since the appointment of Brian our team has quickly grown to six specialists who are full-time social media practitioners,” said Graham White, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence’s Managing Director in Australia.  “This reflects the growth, adoption and opportunity for social media in our clients’ communications programs.

“There is no doubt that Australian organisations, both public and private sector, are rushing to embrace social media,” he added.

Brian Giesen, Regional Director, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence, said: “Social media is not just a new channel. It represents a fundamental consumer behavioural shift that requires marketers to change how they market, how they are organised and importantly how they measure success.

“Consumers get social media. But companies, by contrast, have been playing catch up,” Giesen said.  “The good news is they’re learning fast that it’s not optional and that a comprehensive strategic approach to integrate social media is essential.

“For Ogilvy, it’s of critical importance to have an expert team to guide them through it. The addition of Lucille, Annie and Koby to our existing team will further strengthen Ogilvy’s social media capabilities and our ability to deliver successful, strategic campaigns for our clients,” he said.

“We anticipate further hires in the near future,” he added.

Ogilvy PR is part of STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications services group. Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence is Ogilvy’s word of mouth marketing discipline that integrates the power of social media with digital marketing.

For more information contact:

Graham White

Managing Director, 360 Digital Influence

T: 02 8281 3810 / 0404 840 533

Foursquare for Business

Social Media has changed the way businesses are operating across Australia, with consumers spending an increasing amount of their time on Twitter, Blogs, Facebook and other forms of Social Media.

Companies can no longer afford to ignore discussions online about their brand. Working in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, Ogilvy’s specialized Social Media team has created a series of tutorials to help companies take those first steps.

The latest in the series, “Foursquare for Business”, will take place on August 19 at 1PM Sydney time.

Foursquare is the hottest new social media platform that is taking Australia and APAC by storm.

Part game, part social network, Foursquare allows people to “check in” wherever they are via their mobile devices, become “Mayor” of their favourite locations, and earn fun “badges” along the way.

Foursquare presents some tremendous opportunities to brands and businesses of every size. From Microsoft’s launch of Office 2010 via a Foursquare Mayor Meetup in Australia to Dominos Pizza seeing an increase in profit through a Foursquare program, this new social media platform is proving it’s worth its weight in ROI.

Join Ogilvy’s award-winning Asia-Pacific Social Media team, including Brian Giesen and Thomas Crampton for a free 30-minute online seminar powered by Citrix GoToWebinar.

Attend this live, interactive Webinar to learn:

1. What is Foursquare and why is it so addictive?
2. How do you use Foursquare to achieve a communications or business objective?
3. How should you assemble a strategy?
4. What NOT to do with Foursquare?

Space is limited for this 30-minute Webinar* and registration is required.

Sign up here http://www.asiadigitalmap.com/2010/08/foursquare-for-busines/

The Red Chair Series, an interview with John Bell

Go to the Ogilvy PR YouTube channel.

The Red Chair Series, an interview with Thomas Crampton

Go to the Ogilvy PR Australia YouTube channel.