Idealog
- Business Magazine of the Year MPA Awards 2007, 2008 & 2009 Business Website of the Year MPA Awards 2009
When the going gets tough, go proactive
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
When the going gets tough, go proactive
Had a rubbish week with clients slashing budgets left, right and centre? Taking a look at our Workshop pages might help. For instance, Michael Beverland and Francis Farrelly pick at the issue of client retention, existing agency relationships and why you need to be proactive. There’s a cost to that, however—find out on our website.
Then there’s Idealog co-founder David MacGregor, who has some good advice on how to survive as the icy blasts of recession give us pecuniary chilblains.
The beggar’s budget
As expected, National’s first budget is tighter than a gnat’s proverbial. We borrowed our way into overpriced housing, and now we’ll pay for it for at least three years, possibly longer.
It’s not all cutbacks and savings though: a modest amount—$290 million—will be spent this financial year on improving broadband in New Zealand, and there’s more to come over the next few years. It’s most likely not enough, especially when compared to Australia’s A$43 billion investment, but it’s better than nothing. Roading in comparison gets $10.9 billion overall.
What about innovation then? Peter Griffin, the communications manager of the Science Media Centre and frequent Idealog contributor, tallied up the total new funding for research, science and technology as $321 million. But he points out that R&D tax credits won’t come back, and no climate science centre will be built.
The scientists themselves seem to have mixed feelings about the budget:
“This is an extremely disappointing budget for science and technology.
“That leaves New Zealand’s per capita GDP investment in R&D unchanged at around 0.52 percent, way below that of Australia, the OECD average, and small economies like Finland, Singapore and Denmark, all of whom have built prosperity from innovation.”
–Dr Paul T Callaghan, Alan McDiarmid Professor of Physical Sciences, Victoria University.
“I am encouraged, as a university researcher, to see increases, albeit small ones, in funding for the engines of fundamental research in New Zealand—the Marsden Fund and the HRC, as well as funds to help the CRIs maintain capability. I am also pleased to see a general increase the funding for science in New Zealand as science and innovation will be key factors in the future NZ economy. I hope this signals sustained increased support for fundamental, innovative research in New Zealand.”
–Dr Peter Dearden, Director of Genetics Otago
With unemployment predicted to hit eight, maybe ten, percent and the general outlook for the next three years being rather bleak, we too hope the government will sustain and increase support for innovation in New Zealand. It’s cool that Standard & Poor kept the AA+ rating, but we need a bit more than running on the spot.
Vincent Heeringa blogged what the New Zealand Institute thinks of the budget, and they’re not impressed. No growth, no good.
TV Time
Kick-ass cross-media conference X|Media|Labs was held in Auckland last week, and Idealog headed over there to meet the mentors gathered to impart their wisdom and experience to a crowd of Kiwi entrepreneurs.
First, Vincent Heeringa interviews TV6/TV7’s Eric Kearley, defending good old-fashioned TV. Eric is TVNZ’s digital TV head honcho.
Next, Vishal Gondal, God-in-Chief, grabs Simon Young by the Jugaad.
And Silicon Valley VC Tim Chang has some tips as to where startup money could come from.
There’s plenty more from X|Media|Lab on Idealog TV: Lauren Bartlett meets the very social Juliette Powell and startup sugar daddy Parmesh Shahani, and Vincent talks to the game Susan Bonds and über-organiser Megan Elliott. And Simon has blogged the event in four parts.
That’s 31 then
KiwiFM’s 31 Bands In A Box month is finito, and here’s the result. (Warning: Wammo went mad with the YouTubes, so that page is a heavy load …)
Job of the Week
Creative Partner — Auckland (P0507)
Award winning TTL Agency with strong design brand focus • Christchurch • Collaborative environmen
Our client, a well regarded and award winning boutique agency seeking a Creative Partner to head creative in their growing Auckland team. They have a reputation for innovative, high quality, results focused work, and have gained international exposure for their work and the awards. They have an ever-growing and varied client base of national and international brands.
You’ll need to display strong creative ability, along with leadership skills and the desire to be integral to the growth of this team. It is essential you've had broad brand development experience across all channels. Your work will be idea based and show your strong conceptual ability. High levels of typographic and art direction skills are essential to meet the high standards expected by this company.
The right candidate will have either come from an advertising agency background with a true design focus or a design agency with an advertising bent.
If you feel this is the right next step for you, please send your details to Debbie Kitson at Portfolio Recruitment on 09 379-9303, or apply on our website.
Tricking the eye
But is it art?
Curative music
Museums are great places (although Hamish Keith would disagree on that if speaking about Te Papa Tongarewa). Auckland Museum is no exception, thank goodness, as proven with its current Sonic Museum project.
This features nine New Zealand artists composing tracks inspired by the museum galleries—Tiki Tane (Maori Court), Richard Francis (Land), Chris Adams (World War I Sanctuary), Nathan Haines (Oceans), Phil Dadson (Ancient Worlds), Rosy Parlane (World War II Hall of Memories), Don McGlashan (Origins), Tim Coster (Landmarks) and Rachel Shearer (Volcanoes).
Quote of the week
“Maybe it's cheesy, maybe it's lame. It won on the day because as entrepreneurs, we give ideas a go, not talk about them or write about them, but put blood, sweat, tears and capital into them”
—Dr Tom Mulholland defends the ‘Give it a go, bro’ campaign the Idealog blog. (Sorry Tom, we still think the other ideas were miles better—or worth a rev, Trev)
More at Idealog online
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
Juha Saarinen
Ideologue, Weekly
{Bayerische Wasserstoffmotorenwerke} Previous
Next {Brand Cambo}
Previously in Idealog Weekly …
October 30, 2009: Man of the moment
October 23, 2009: By the numbers
October 16, 2009: Pavlova principles
October 9, 2009: The secret of the songbook
October 2, 2009: Free and easy
September 25, 2009: What the world wants
September 18, 2009: A slice of the pie
September 11, 2009: Walking man
September 6, 2009: A calmer kind of business
August 28, 2009: We have issues
August 21, 2009: Mincing about in waistcoats
August 14, 2009: Wired on pop culture
August 7, 2009: Trust is not a commodity
July 31, 2009: Fuzzy logic
July 24, 2009: Game of life
July 17, 2009: Grape expectations
July 10, 2009: Blade runners
July 3, 2009: Free: another word for nothing left to lose
June 26, 2009: Poorly pleased
June 19, 2009: The giver
June 12, 2009: Buggy on down
June 5, 2009: Brand Cambo
May 29, 2009: When the going gets tough, go proactive
May 22, 2009: Bayerische Wasserstoffmotorenwerke
May 15, 2009: Rugger blogger
May 8, 2009: Get on our cloud
May 1, 2009: Easy Tiger
April 24, 2009: Tiki tacky
April 17, 2009: The not-so-great indoors
April 3, 2009: A site for sore eyes
March 27, 2009: Dual control
March 20, 2009: Worth their Alt
March 13, 2009: Biofuels or bio-fools?
March 6, 2009: It's electrifying
February 27, 2009: Experience-rich and theory-poor
February 20, 2009: It's a hundred-and-fourteen-pager
February 13, 2009: Own your mistakes
February 5, 2009: Rules—made to be broken
January 30, 2009: Money: that's what I want
December 5, 2008: Framed by the thousands
November 28, 2008: Spank-branding novelty next week
November 21, 2008: In the Loop
November 14, 2008: Your good health
November 7, 2008: Misfits of science
October 31, 2008: No absence of colour
October 24, 2008: Plain-speaking Peri
October 17, 2008: Rebels with a cause
October 10, 2008: Seoulipsism
October 3, 2008: Fall seven times and stand up eight
September 26, 2008: Don't label us
September 19, 2008: Bloody Graham
September 19, 2008: Dream proposition
September 5, 2008: Taxi!!!
August 29, 2008: Up-Skilling on Idealog TV
August 22, 2008: 144 pages of pure pleasure, plus politics
August 15, 2008: Wash down that Lovemark with a Steinie
August 8, 2008: Strange journey
August 1, 2008: SMElly and happy
July 25, 2008: What a dive
July 18, 2008: Softly and woolly does it
July 11, 2008: The saviour from Timaru
July 4, 2008: Last laugh
June 27, 2008: King Kev
June 20, 2008: Slow ART
June 13, 2008: Killing two birds with methane
June 6, 2008: A combine harvester
May 30, 2008: Gold paint
May 23, 2008: Rock, out
May 16, 2008: Goodwill hunting
May 9, 2008: No wine jokes please
May 2, 2008: Who's bad?
April 24, 2008: Succession success
April 18, 2008: Out now or thereabouts
April 11, 2008: Paint by numbers
April 4, 2008: Reincarnated good
March 28, 2008: Making it
March 20, 2008: Knock three times
March 14, 2008: The customer is always tight
March 7, 2008: Beautiful words
February 28, 2008: Goodnight, I'm off to work
February 22, 2008: The art issue
February 15, 2008: Straight to the top
February 8, 2008: H for hot
December 13, 2007: Nothing in common? Perfect
December 6, 2007: Who needs a beer?
November 30, 2007: Dirty secret goes public
November 23, 2007: Don't speak
November 16, 2007: Worthy work (and free beer)
November 2, 2007: East meets best
October 25, 2007: Raid the fridge
October 19, 2007: Looking good
October 13, 2007: Can't miss it
October 5, 2007: Fresh meat delivery
September 28, 2007: If the walls had eyes
September 21, 2007: Phoenix rising
September 15, 2007: Can we fix it? Yes we can
September 6, 2007: Feats of social engineering
August 31, 2007: Doesn't bite
August 24, 2007: Telling us where to go
August 16, 2007: Tomorrow time
August 10, 2007: Going West
August 3, 2007: How to ... be your business
July 27, 2007: Freaky food
July 20, 2007: Meet the neighbours
July 12, 2007: Free Hollie
July 6, 2007: Green queen
June 29, 2007: The truth about youth
June 21, 2007: Walk this way
June 14, 2007: Times ten
June 7, 2007: The ape woman needs a label
June 1, 2007: Impossible is something
May 25, 2007: Yeah, we're still here
May 11, 2007: Trophy time
May 3, 2007: Friends with the band
April 23, 2007: Why worry?
April 19, 2007: Done by the big jobs
April 12, 2007: A rockin' good read
April 5, 2007: No fear
March 29, 2007: Out to pasture
March 22, 2007: Hip-hop and The Human Touch
March 15, 2007: Crazy Frog and Billy T
March 10, 2007: The Benadryl edition
March 1, 2007: We can be Xero
February 22, 2007: Back on board
December 15, 2006: Free beer
December 8, 2006: December 8, 2006
December 1, 2006: December 1, 2006
November 24, 2006: November 24, 2006
November 16, 2006: November 16, 2006
November 9, 2006: November 9, 2006
November 3, 2006: November 3, 2006
October 26, 2006: October 26, 2006
October 19, 2006: October 19, 2006
October 12, 2006: October 12, 2006
October 6, 2006: October 6, 2006
September 28, 2006: September 28, 2006
September 21, 2006: September 21, 2006
September 14, 2006: September 14, 2006
September 7, 2006: September 7, 2006
August 31, 2006: August 31, 2006
August 24, 2006: August 24, 2006
August 17, 2006: August 17, 2006
August 11, 2006: August 11, 2006
August 3, 2006: August 3, 2006
July 27, 2006: July 27, 2006
July 21, 2006: July 21, 2006
July 13, 2006: July 13, 2006
July 6, 2006: July 6, 2006
June 29, 2006: June 29, 2006
June 22, 2006: June 22, 2006
June 15, 2006: June 15, 2006
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Audi designer Wolfgang Egger brings the A5 Sportback to life right in front of our eyes. It’s all about three lines, apparently, but those three lines have been obsessed over. Enjoy the autospeak: the rear comes complete with both accent and elbow.
Latest issue: Under the sea
Tweeted
- Fetching tweets …
Overheard
- steer seo on Bigger, faster, more productive:
It's got to be good for online retailers selling to the US. They will be able to offer a better multi-media experience. - Mark on Bigger, faster, more productive:
Fantastic! Finally some vision in establishing a key infrastructure to support New Zealand's future prosperity and commercial competitiveness. Good work Rod, Sam and Steve - your country thanks you for your patriotism! … - Margaret Holmes on NZ Institute thumbs down Key's agenda:
Unfortunately it is not just red tape - it is also the laid back kiwi attitude, compounded by educators who think achieving national standards is a bad thing. - Tim Marshall on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
The target of higher GDP per capita is all wrong. Aiming for it encourages more production and consumption, often at the expense of quality of life. We need to construct a Genuine Progress Index (GPI) to guide policy. Fr … - Peter McL on New note:
"You got caught up in events at EMI.." and yet shes STILL with EMI - their local branch is distributing her new album. Wonder why?
I blogged some more of Hollies comments on the details behind the fallout … - Phil Wollerman on Smile, you’re in New Zealistan:
Brilliant, insightful article, VH.
This situation has principally arisen because - simplistically - the world no longer wants what we are intrinsically advantaged in supplying.
And yeah, it doesn't look like our co …
-
Dirt and Rust (dirtandrust.co.nz)
Dirt and Rust is a New Zealand-based music and design consultancy, a sole owner bursting with creativity and the ability to finish! -
Marketing Consultant Tauranga (Marketing First 2009 Ltd)
Need to grow your business this year? Then you need a Marketing professional to help you with Marketing Strategy, Advertising, Market Research, Website Development, Social Networking -
Viewfinder
Digitisation Solutions -
Gavin Harriss
Professional software / mobile / web / database development services. - More in the Idealog Directory
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