Senior Washington DC practitioner to head Social@Ogilvy in Australia

Sydney – May 16, 2013: Yianni Konstantopoulos, former strategy and business development leader at  Washington DC agency Blue State Digital, will join Ogilvy Public Relations (PR) Australia in the newly-created role of Group Managing Director for social@Ogilvy in July 2013.

The appointment follows an extensive international search for one of the most sought-after social and digital media positions in Australia. Yianni joins Ogilvy PR from Blue State Digital, which is one of the world’s leading digital strategy agencies with clients across nonprofits, brands and campaigns to build communities that take action.

Ogilvy PR/Australia CEO Kieran Moore said the appointment followed an exhaustive process.

“It was vital that we got the right person to fill this position. The digital space is one which has changed and grown enormously over the past few years and we wanted to ensure that social@Ogilvy continued to lead Australia. Yianni is well-suited to help our clients fully leverage social media to build their businesses – from marketing, communications, CRM, sales enablement and shopper marketing,” Moore said.

“We needed someone who could work with a client list that includes many of the world’s biggest brands and lead and inspire our outstanding team. Yianni’s career shows he is that person and we’re absolutely delighted to welcome him to Ogilvy PR.  We look forward to him not only continuing the great work that Social@Ogilvy is doing but to really shaking up the digital space in Australia,” she continued.

Konstantopoulos will work with the wider Ogilvy & Mather family to provide world leading social media solutions, including social consulting, social listening, social media marketing and communications, measurement, social shopping, social care and social selling.

“Ogilvy PR already has some of the world’s and Australia’s biggest brands among its client roster and I’m looking to using our collective digital expertise to create innovative campaigns that excite the public and align with clients’ business and communication objectives,” said Yianni . “At the end of the day, it’s about engagement and impact and I’m thrilled to join the Ogilvy PR team who share that perspective.”

Before joining Blue State Digital, Yianni held senior positions at Washington creative design studio, Avendi Media and international executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles.  He has also consulted to both the World Bank and the United Nations.

social@Ogilvy is part of Ogilvy PR Australia, a joint venture between WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications group.

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For more information contact: Sandra Renowden STW Group

Ph: +61 403 823 218

About social@Ogilvy:

social@Ogilvy is the largest social media marketing communications network in the world. Named 2011 Global Digital/Social Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, the practice leverages social media expertise across all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines, offering an extensive list of services within the foundational business solutions – Listening and Analytics; Social Business Solutions; Social Media Marketing and Communications; Social Shopping; Social CRM; Social Care; and Conversation Impact. For more information, visit social.ogilvy.com and connect with us at www.facebook.com/socialogilvy, www.twitter.com/socialogilvy, www.slideshare.com/socialogilvy or visit our Twitter profile @socialogilvyau

About Ogilvy Public Relations

­­­­­­­­­­­Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. Ogilvy PR is a unit of Ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY), and one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world.  For more information, visit our website at www.ogilvypr.com or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypr.

 

 

High turnover quickest way to the bottom

Kieran Moore  From:The Australian  April 29, 2013 12:00AM

A RECENT article in The Australian’s Media section spoke of how entry-level salaries in the advertising industry were paying no more than they did a decade ago, failing to keep pace with inflation and driving young talent to other industries.

Fortunately, things are somewhat better in public relations.

While most in the advertising and public relations industries would agree that things are relatively tough out there, the smart agencies decided many years ago that salaries were only one element to having an engaged team.

Paying below par is crazy – firstly, because you don’t attract the best and brightest and, secondly, if you do manage to attract them they disappear pretty quickly. Once the word gets around, you find the people you have spent time and money nurturing and teaching will be lured off by big money offers as fully, or at least partly, formed practitioners.

The old adage “pay peanuts and you get monkeys” still remains true.

The smart move is to benchmark salaries against industry norms and offer a good salary commensurate with the person’s experience.

It’s an exciting time to be in the industry. The digital landscape changes on an almost daily basis. With the rise of mobile, digital and social media public relations practitioners are an integral part of marketing strategies on every level. We expect even our entry level starters to have a skill set which wasn’t invented a few short years ago. It’s simply short-sighted to expect highly skilled and smart operators to come with a low price tag.

High turnover is costly, both in monetary and morale terms, and most smart organisations realise it’s the quickest way to the bottom.

But I am also firmly of the view that the people who work only for the money are usually the ones that you are generally happiest to wave goodbye. Sure, they have to be paid in line with their peers but experience has shown that it is other, less tangible, things that keep the good ones working harder than I sometimes think we have a right to ask.

If you aspire to attract the best and the brightest and expect a lot of your people, then start offering a lot. But, and I think this is crux of the issue, I suspect the best and the brightest also want to know that there’s some sort of a deal going on: we expect them to perform and they expect us to do more than just pay them. Most people want to be challenged and to be allowed to challenge. They want to be trained and mentored from when they start and even as they move up the ranks. They want to work bloody hard but still have plenty of fun.

Recently I was involved in some research on Gen Ys – the group born after 1980 who people decry as being commitment phobic – and found that when asked which factors would put them off a potential employer, the top deal-breaker, with 88.4 per cent, was if a company didn’t offer a competitive salary but in second and third were if the company did not make an effort to be environmentally responsible (77.5 per cent) and if the company did not make an effort to engage with the community (64.5 per cent).

Respondents were also asked if they would consider changing employers if they discovered the company they worked for was being socially or environmentally irresponsible, to which 68.8 per cent answered “yes”.

The research is far from definitive but backs up the findings of other researchers who have consistently found that younger workers are looking for more than just cash.

In my opinion, I believe the best and the brightest also relish the opportunity to work on the biggest brands and the most exciting campaigns. And when they leave – and some of them do, and sometimes for big money offers – they want to know that they are much better off for the experience. And, if we are lucky, they come back with more experience and a broader outlook on life.

The corporates call it an Employee Value Proposition – but really, it is just good business.

Kieran Moore is the Australian chief executive of Ogilvy Public Relations

 

“The Give and The Get” of Ogilvy PR

The experts call it an Employee Value Proposition, but for Ogilvy Public Relations’ CEO Kieran Moore it’s “the give and the get.”

Moore unveiled the company’s EVP on Tuesday (April 23), explaining to the Ogilvy PR team that it was seen as the way to inform current and prospective employees of the values and expectations that Ogilvy PR had of its employees and of what values and benefits the employees could expect in return – the give and the get.

“It’s how we position ourselves as an employer so we continue to attract, engage and retain the best people,” Moore said. “It’s at the heart of what makes us stand out among PR consultancies in Australia. It’s supported by our values and our vision and it clearly calls out the kind of people who will thrive and enjoy their time here.”

Moore also unveiled an Employee Benefits Booklet which outlined the “get” part of the deal and stressed to staff that the EVP was a “living policy” designed to be updated and improved through on-going feedback.

Ogilvy PR is currently aligning all its processes and actions with the four pillars of the EVP: Grow, Know, Mojo and Show.

‘Grow’ outlines to employees the opportunities for learning and professional growth within the company – opportunities which come from fellow employees, from the international Ogilvy network, from clients and from the organisation’s regular lunchtime lecture program.

“Know” represents the need for employees to work hard, to challenge themselves, to be creative and curious, to question and collaborate.

“Mojo” is the buzz and benefits of working for a family of boutique agencies under the umbrella of a national and international network, while “Show” represents the time taken to nurture relationships with colleagues, clients and the community, along with the recognition and excitement that comes from great work.

As Moore says: “At Ogilvy PR we take our work seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.”

Corporate Affairs Roundtable Lunch

(L-R) Ogilvy Public Relations’ Mathew Jones and David Bell, the Hon Warwick Smith AM, and Ogilvy Public Relations CEO Kieran Moore at the Sydney Business Chamber Corporate Affairs lunch in Sydney on 18 April.

Mr Smith, the Chair of the Australia-China Council, spoke about emerging opportunities in Asia, and what Australian businesses can and should be doing to take advantage of the growth in our region and on our doorstep. The event also marked David Bell’s first week with Ogilvy. David joined Australia’s largest public relations company as Group Managing Director – Corporate after a long career in banking and telecommunications, including heading up the Australian Bankers Association.

Ogilvy Public Relations is a proud and long-time sponsor of the lunch series, which invites speakers from a broad range of fields and backgrounds to address an audience of corporate affairs professionals from Australia’s largest and only truly global city. The topic was one that is very appropriate for Ogilvy, the first international marketing and PR firm to open in China, and the first to open an office in Myanmar.

Ogilvy Public Relations Australia works with its partner agencies across the region on behalf of international and Australian organisations looking to undertake cross-border activity that requires communications, public affairs and public relations support. For more information about our work in Australia and Asia please contact David Bell on 02 8281 3200.

PRIA Reinvigorates and Revamps Golden Target Awards

The Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA), the national industry body for public relations and communication professionals in Australia, has announced significant changes to its annual Golden Target Awards (GTAs).

“Established in 1981 and ever evolving to keep pace with the PR and communication industry, I am delighted to announce that chair Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR Australia, Tracy Jones, Creative Territory (NT) and Adam Thomson, Leverage PR (SA) have joined forces to reinvigorate our Awards” said Terri-Helen Gaynor, National President, PRIA.

In consultation with a number of the industry’s best, some significant changes have been made to the Award categories, entry process and the length of entries. The changes have come about to ensure that the GTA’s continue to reflect the constant changes within the PR and communication industry.

The number of sector categories has been reduced from 16 to 11 with some categories redefined to better reflect the nature of the work and campaigns within the Australian PR industry.   This year’s GTAs will introduce a number of new “Best Of” categories including Young PR Professional of the Year, PR Consultancy of the Year and In-House PR Professional/Team of the Year.   Another new category, Best Use of Analytics, recognises the value of research and insight in creating compelling, audience and insight-led campaigns.

Entry for the awards has been simplified, with a single entry replacing the previous two-step process.  The entry word length has been halved from 2000 words to 1000 words and the Awards have been pushed to quarter three of this year with entries opening on July 1, 2013.

“The Awards which have a long history of recognising PR excellence have been revamped to reflect the dynamic nature of the PR and communications industry. We believe these changes will give the Awards an injection of excitement and energy. We are really excited about the changes and believe that they will generate a great platform to celebrate the great work of many great PR practitioners in Australia” said Kieran Moore, Chair of the Golden Target Awards Committee.

For Full Category Descriptions Click Here

For Further Comment:

Terri-Helen Gaynor MPRIA

National President

Public Relations Institute of Australia

Ph: 0409 870 022

E: THGaynor@reputation.net.au

Industry heavyweight joins Ogilvy PR Australia

Ogilvy PR Australia has announced that David Bell, Westpac’s former General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, will join the consultancy in the newly created role of Group Managing Director, Corporate.

Mr Bell comes to Ogilvy PR following a distinguished career in communications, high-level management, corporate brand reputation and government. Prior to Westpac, Mr Bell was CEO for the Australian Bankers’ Association and has headed corporate affairs at both NRMA and Telstra, and served as Managing Director for prominent public affairs company Gavin Anderson & Kortlang (now Kreab Gavin Anderson).

In his new role Mr Bell will oversee a number of the companies and product offerings within the Ogilvy PR group, including leading public affairs company Parker & Partners, employee engagement and change communication consultancy Ogilvy Impact and sustainability communications practice OgilvyEarth.

Kieran Moore, Ogilvy PR’s CEO, welcomed Mr Bell’s appointment, which comes after a nine-month international search.

“David is a highly-credentialed practitioner who will bring an enormous amount of knowledge, insight, energy and connectivity to this role. We are delighted to have him on board to add further impetus to already strong brands,” Ms Moore said.

“The current managing directors of each of the companies will remain, but we see David’s role as drawing together our existing strong abilities in areas like thought leadership, issues and crisis, corporate reputation and housing them under one umbrella so we can offer them as a more compelling option to the market.

“We wanted someone who would be able to draw on the obvious synergies that exist between the various Ogilvy PR brands and David’s background and ability makes him the ideal candidate for such a senior role.”

Mr Bell said he was looking forward to the challenge of further enhancing Ogilvy PR’s standing as Australia’s leading agency.

“There is no agency respected more in Australia, and none with as impressive a client list,” he said. “I see this as an incredible opportunity and challenge to take a number of our brands, services and people and make them even more successful.”

Mr Bell will commence at Ogilvy PR on April 15. He will be based in Sydney but will work throughout Ogilvy’s Australian offices.

Ogilvy PR is a joint venture between WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communications service group.

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For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Tilly, STW PR on 0410 501 043

About Ogilvy Public Relations

­­­­­­­­­­­Ogilvy Public Relations (Ogilvy PR) is a global, multi-disciplinary communications leader operating in more than 85 offices across six continents. In 2012, Ogilvy was named Cannes Lions Network of the Year and Most Effective Agency Network by the Effie Global Effectiveness Index, named Public Affairs Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report, won Consumer Consultancy of the Year in Asia Pacific (Holmes Report), and won the WPP global, top award (WPPed Cream, Crème de la Crème) for the fifth time in six years. Ogilvy PR integrates deeply with all Ogilvy & Mather disciplines (advertising, direct marketing, activation, promotional, digital and entertainment) through the proprietary Ogilvy Fusion™ approach to delivering comprehensive, business solutions through content creation, community building, and communications with measurable results. For more information, visit our Web site at www.ogilvypr.com.au or follow us on Twitter at @ogilvypraus.

PRIA announces Kieran Moore as Chair of Awards Committee

Kieran Moore, CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations, has been announced as Chair of the Golden Target Awards Committee.  The Public Relations Institute of Australia today confirmed that Kieran’s role will be to champion and reinvigorate the prestigious industry awards which have showcased campaign excellence since 1981.

In a meeting today with Catriona Barry, CEO Public Relations Institute of Australia, Kieran signalled that her first priority would be to align the Golden Target Awards with international best practice. “Australia produces some world class PR and by aligning categories and entry formats with our Global Alliance partners we look forward to getting more international recognition.”

With over 26 years’ experience, Kieran’s expertise covers media relations, reputation management, public relations strategy development and implementation, crisis management and corporate positioning for business to business and consumer focused companies.

In welcoming Kieran, Catriona added her thanks to the outgoing committee:  “Over many years Robert Masters, Marisa Gerussi and Nigel de Bussy have upheld the integrity and impartiality of the awards.  I’m confident the new committee will carry on that work with equal dedication.”

Kieran will be supported on the committee by Tracy Jones, Creative Territory (NT) and Adam Thomson, Leverage PR (SA), both Board members.  Tracy has won four Golden Target Awards and 11 State Awards for Excellence, and was PRIA President from 2007-2009. Adam has more than 15 years’ experience in government and media liaison, stakeholder engagement, public relations and corporate communications.

The Golden Target terms and conditions debar committee members from entering the awards.

PRIA World PR Forum

On November 19 and 20, Ogilvy PR sent three speakers off to Melbourne to present at the World Public Relations Forum 2012 hosted by PRIA.

Kieran Moore, CEO, was part of the panel session entitled “Have we found the “Higgs Boson” of Public Relations in Our Advances Measuring Value.” In this session, Kieran spoke about the evolution of PR measurement and the commitment and advances Ogilvy has made in this space.

Andrew Ure, Managing Director of OgilvyEarth gave a presentation to the Forum on trends in consumer-driven sustainability. Using the recent successful supertrawler Greenpeace campaign as an example, he spoke about how social media is making consumers more and more aware of sustainability issues, and coalescing their voices into powerful constituencies for social and environmental change.

Social@Ogilvy Director, Brian Giesen, delivered a lightning talk and attempted to answer 50 practical questions about social media marketing in 15 minutes or less. Brian was inundated with questions from the floor and Twitter and we’re waiting on the conference audio recording to find out how many questions he got through in the 15 minutes!

Ogilvy PR Melbourne continues to grow; new management announced

Melbourne, November 1, 2012: Ogilvy Public Relations Australia, a joint venture between STW and WPP, has announced that current Managing Director of its Melbourne office, Lelde McCoy, will take on a newly created national role, with Alexandra Kelly stepping up to head the Victorian Agency.

McCoy will become Managing Director, OgilvyEngage in Australia, following strong and sustained growth within the specialist social marketing and behaviour change practice and client wins across both government and private sectors during the past 12 months. With over 25 years in the industry, Lelde is an award-winning strategist in community awareness and social marketing campaigns and was last month elected National Vice President of the Australian Association of Social Marketing.

OgilvyEngage is a global behaviour change practice launched in June 2012 that helps companies help people achieve long-term behaviour change.

Replacing Lelde McCoy as Managing Director of the Melbourne office is Alexandra Kelly. Alex moves to this role from Head of Consumer Brands, Ogilvy PR Melbourne. Alex will be charged with further driving the growth of the agency, integration with the wider Ogilvy & Mather group of companies and expanding the Ogilvy PR Melbourne offer.

Ogilvy PR Australia CEO, Kieran Moore said the new structure had been implemented to “reflect the growth of both consumer brand communications and social marketing, and the massive amount of confidence that Ogilvy PR has in the Melbourne team and the Melbourne marketplace”.

“Lelde and her team have had a fantastic year, and the time is right for her to focus on building the new OgilvyEngage practice which was launched globally earlier this year and which has much growth potential in the Australian marketplace,” she said.

“With the rest of Ogilvy PR Melbourne also going from strength to strength, we believe this new structure positions us well for further business growth in Melbourne. Congratulations to all.”

McCoy will be backed by the skills of Director Kelly Ward, a PR veteran with more than 25 years’ experience working with some of Australia’s largest corporations and Government departments to build brands, enhance reputation and prompt behavioural change. Tammy Walker retains her current role as the office’s general manager and will work alongside Alex Kelly to continue to aggressively grow the Melbourne market.

Ogilvy PR Australia is a joint venture between WPP and STW Group, Australia’s leading marketing content and communication services group.

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For more information contact: Claire Whyntie, ph: +61 2 8281 3251

Kieran Moore a woman to watch in 2012

Kieran Moore, Ogilvy Public Relations Australia’s CEO, has been named one of Australia’s 2012 women to watch in the media. The female leaders for a digital age featured in The Australian newspaper, broadsheet and online, on October 8, and looked at more than 50 of Australia’s female leaders working in the media.

Included were women from industries including magazines, digital, marketing and advertising, television, radio, newspapers, production and film and related industries and bodies.

Moore states in the article “Deliver good work, your company will survive, but dare to think a bit bigger and great things happen”.

In 2011, Moore was named as one of the top 10 most influential women in the media.

The Australian newspaper is one of only two national newspapers and is recognised as a leader in the media.

Read the article here.

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