M&C Saatchi Australian boss and former worldwide chairman Tom Dery fears an 89-lot housing development overlooking the Shotover River will degrade an iconic Kiwi landscape, according to reports in the Otago Daily Times and the NZ Herald.

New Zealand agencies won a Grand Prix, nine golds, 24 silvers and 12 bronzes at the Ad Stars Awards in Busan over the weekend. The prized Interactive Grand Prix (and multiple golds) went to Colenso BBDO for Pedigree SelfieSTIX.

AUCKLAND, Today: Leading Australasian leading marketing content & comms group WPP AUNZ has today announced – via a Transtasman news release – its financial results for the half year ending 30 June 2018. 

Wellington-based publicist Amanda Vaisigano believes she has flipped the traditional agency model on its head – revolutionising the way Kiwi businesses receive public relations support and services.

AUCKLAND, Thursday: United Media Solution, NZ’s leading Chinese digital marketing agency, experienced a strong period of growth in the first half of 2018 off the back of the maturing trade market between New Zealand and China.

NZME’s profit is down by more than half as revenue fell in challenging market conditions, according to reports from Radio NZ and StopPress.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has cleared both the JCDecaux acquisition of APN Outdoor as well as oOh!media’s takeover of Adshel – a decision welcomed by oOh!media.

WELLINGTON, Thursday: TVNZ has overnight reported a $9.1 million lift in operational earnings, strengthened share of TV audiences and revenue, and significantly boosted online streaming scale for the financial year ended 30 June 2018.

Isentia NZ country manager Russ Horell reflects on his first 12 months in the job – updating the op-ed piece he wrote for M+AD in January, after three months in the role: The news cycle as we’ve known it no longer exists. Issues take off and change course within a matter of minutes. For New Zealand’s leading communicators this creates just as many opportunities as challenges.