Red Ark Blog

Mortgage Choice on Forbes’s ‘Best Under a Billion” list for the Asia Pacific region.

Liz Rowell — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 02:32:37 +0000

from Broker News

Mortgage Choice makes Forbes top pick list

By BN | 06 Sep 2010

Mortgage Choice has been named as one of the companies on Forbes’s ‘Best Under a Billion” list for the Asia Pacific region.

The company was the seventh highest-ranked Australian firm on the list, out of a total of 13 Australian businesses.

“We are really chuffed to have made the illustrious Forbes Asia Pacific ‘Best Under a Billion’ list,” said Kristy Sheppard, senior corporate affairs manager at Mortgage Choice. “It is further recognition of the tremendous efforts our franchise network and staff have made over the past year especially.

“Releasing our healthy financial results on 25 August to a positive response pleased us and this unexpected accolade is the cherry on top.”

The list, which picks the top-performing 200 firms from almost 13,000 public listed Asia-Pacific companies with actively traded shares and sales between $5.5 and $1.1 billion,
Selection of the final 200 was based on earnings growth, sales growth, and shareholders return on
equity in the past 12 months and over three years.

The highest-ranked Australian company was mining equipment supplier Austin Engineering, followed by IT firm CSG.

Hooray consumer confidence is up and spring is sprung

Liz Rowell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:32:52 +0000

Just this week, second quarter gross domestic product accelerated to 1.2 per cent from 0.7 per cent in the first quarter. July retail sales, also released this week, rose 0.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, notching up the fifth consecutive month of admittedly modest growth.

We’re now a member of the Good Business Register

Liz Rowell — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:00:08 +0000

The Good Business Register has been set up by the St James Ethics centre because future competitive business advantage belongs to those companies that implement and communicate their sustainable business practices.

There are 5 key principles that they endorse. These principles have been developed to introduce businesses to the basic concepts of responsible business practice or sustainability and provide a framework within which they can understand their existing position and identify areas for further action and improvement. The 5 principles below represent the key aspects of responsible business practice - maintaining economic viability, protecting and supporting employees, engaging with and disseminating responsible business practices through your supply chain, engaging with community and other stakeholders, and reducing impact on the environment.

You can find out more here.

New social media campaign for Wyeth Nutrition

Liz Rowell — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:33:58 +0000

Wyeth Nutrition Funniest Photo competition by Red Ark

Our S-26 GOLD TODDLER Funniest Photo competition launches today. We are excited. Do you have a gorgeous 12 month + child? Then submit your funniest photo and you could win some great prizes.

Rocking it at the Salvation Army’s Streetlevel

Liz Rowell — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:20:10 +0000

Last Friday, as we do at the end of each financial year to give thanks for our own good fortune, we pitched up at Streetlevel in Crown Street to cook and serve dinner to around 150 people. As always, Robin, Kim, Robert and the rest of the team made us feel very welcome. Also as usual, Sherril from Nestle and Michael from Moraitis came to the party with generous donations of delicious cakes, food, hot chocolate (mmm), MILO and beautiful fresh produce including potatoes, onions, garlic, carrot and oranges.

Fresh from Moraitis to Streetlevel

It’s hard to write anything without making it sound like it’s all about us, when it’s all about Streetlevel and the great work they do. But it is a truly rewarding way to spend an afternoon together.

Herewith the evidence! Rita, John, Kavery and Alice in a line up…..

Rita, Alice, Kavery and John rock it

Dale and Kate go crazy!

Kate at work

Dale at Streetlevel

Liz finally gets a real job

Brands that command loyalty

Liz Rowell — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 04:11:34 +0000

I love this…….

The ‘2010 Be Brands’ report, conducted by brand consultancy Bastion Brands, surveyed more than 1000 brand to assess customer connection and loyalty, instead of brand awareness.

The report also cites the Catholic Church, bike gang the Hell’s Angels and surfing organisation the Bra Boys as top Australian brands, because of the loyalty of their followers.

I always thought that Brut ad stank

Liz Rowell — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:45:25 +0000

And I thought the Lynx Get On. Get Off. campaign was a classic so I am not a humourless zealot. But the Brut ad was just plain nasty and offensive. Not funny. Not good for the brand. And now, a bit like Al Capone going to prison for tax evasion, it’s been pulled off the air for for not wearing a seat belt. Honestly, sometimes I feel our government and bureaucracy are out of touch with public opinion. That couldn’t be the case, could it? Perhaps we should set up a think tank in East Timor.

This campaign is a brute

Brandmates - find one today

Liz Rowell — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:59:47 +0000

We are pursuing our alliance marketing strategy. Recently we’ve introduced Nestle to Moraitis Fresh Produce and Pricline to Disney Home Entertainment. Let’s talk jargon. Are you wanting to create extra consumer touch points? To activate your brand? To find a different way for your customers to connect with you? To make your marketing dollar go further? Find a like minded brandmate and start talking……….

the most interesting thing about the soccer world cup

Liz Rowell — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 07:26:06 +0000

Soccer-World-Ambush marketing gives Nike leg up for World Cup

Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:10pm EDT

* Nike mentioned twice as often online as sponsor Adidas

* Social media has made ambush marketing easier

* World Cup generates $1.6 bln in sponsorship revs - IEG

By Ben Klayman

DETROIT, June 11 (Reuters) - Nike Inc (NKE.N) may not be a World Cupsponsor, but the athletic clothing and shoe giant is the top brand online for consumers tuned into the world’s biggest soccer tournament.

Almost one-third of the online buzz around the World Cup in the month running up to the soccer tournament was focused on Nike, twice as high as rival and official sponsor Adidas AG (ADSG.DE), according to a Nielsen Co study. The World Cup kicked off on Friday in South Africa. [ID:nLDE65A181]

Nike was mentioned in 30.2 percent of the English-language messages online tracked by Nielsen from May 7 to June 6, making it the most talked about company in relation to the World Cup. Adidas AG was second at 14.4 percent.

“Social media has made ambush marketing easier, simply because of the virality of it,” said Alex Burmaster, vice president of communications for Nielsen. “Some people call it an echo chamber.”

Mumbrella banner ad competition

Liz Rowell — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:50:38 +0000

Mumbrella are running a competition for agencies to develop a banner ad to advertise themselves. You have to use a stock shot graphic though which makes it a bit challenging.

Anyway we turned our website quiz into a banner ad and we think it’s better than most of the competition we’re up against…….. what do you think?