Page 36 - AdNews Sep-Oct 2021

Investigation
resources and choices they have available to them.”
Creativity
New Zealand is known for its cre- ative streak, seemingly doing more with less but often simplic- ity in front of complex execution. The famous Air NZ safety videos have that handmade feel.
Jonathan Waecker: “For me, it goes without saying that the ‘Unite Against COVID-19’ cam- paign from the NZ Government and the teams at Clemenger BBDO Wellington and OMD New Zealand is truly great work. The effectiveness is off the charts, and the restraint exercised to maintain simplicity of message, clarity of thought, and appropri- ateness of each element’s context was so well done.
“For The Warehouse Group, I am most proud of the effective- ness behind The Warehouse’s ‘Sustainable & Affordable’ plat- form, which saw its first asset launch in October 2020.
“In our category, it’s pretty unbe- lievable for a discount, mass-market retailer to say that they want to be New Zealand’s most sustainable company one day. But behind the scenes that’s exactly what we’ve been working towards for the past 15 or so years. So to be able to create a platform that showed both our progress and our destination, all without moving beyond facts or reality, was a real opportunity that the team delivered on beautifully.
“It’s our most effective piece of work since I’ve been with the company, moving key metrics such as quality perception +40%, and getting 26% of New Zealanders to associate The Warehouse as a retail sustainabil- ity leader, achieving a clear num- ber-one in the category in a mat- ter of months, not years.
“It’s a huge testament to our marketing teams and our part- ners at Omnicom Media Group and DDB Group Aotearoa.
Talent Squeeze
Cochrane at Saatchi: “We’ve cer- tainly had a lot of recent calls from those wanting a place in the creative department, a real quest to get in and come home.
We need to lean
on those things we learned in 2020: agility, resourcefulness and resilience
Zac Stephenson MediaCom NZ
“That said, New Zealand is certainly dealing with a tough talent problem in our technology roles. As digital acceleration continues, and technical roles are in demand, there is a global shortage.
“Being part of the Publicis Groupe Connected Platform, and our global talent sharing model — especially through Marcel — has certainly helped us overcome those challenges. I don’t know what other organ- isations do without it.”
Riley at GroupM NZ: “I think from a talent perspective, I’d definitely be speaking on behalf of the whole industry when I say we’re keen on seeing those borders reopen because so much of our focus is on a diverse and wide ranging talent pool.
“We’ve probably got anything upwards of probably 20-odd eth- nicities in the business so we’ve really missed the ability to be able to hire internationally.
“GroupM really prides itself in being able to move people around our network. We’ve done it successfully for many years, but that’s something we’re missing and I’m sure when those borders open there’s going to be a flurry of movement again, which will be terrific for everybody.
“We’ve got great talent as well that we want to put into some of our offshore markets. Some people have been raising their hand to take bigger roles in London and New York and other markets, where we’ve had a bit of a history of that.”
Riley says there was an early rush by expatriates who may have lost jobs or feared what was happening around them.
“But now I think people have had an opportunity to stand back and look at the environment they’re working in,” he says.
“People are wanting to come home but now they see a buoyant economy down here, an opportunity to continue to drive their career forward and do it in a market that’s not as constrained as what they’re currently working in.
“I think that’s what’s attracting a number of people back home. But our international compatriots still have a lot of things going for them. And as every month passes, we’re starting to see other markets become a lot more stable with how they’re approaching life with COVID-19. So I don’t think our shining light is going to continue forever, but it’s certainly a great place to be at this point.”
Qassem Naim at FCB: “You also had a wave of returning talent from