Welcome to the winter edition of communikating.

You can’t escape the chill on a cold winter morning. And you certainly can’t escape social media. It may be cool outside, but social media – in all its guises – is keeping leaders in business hot under the collar. Social media, how it works, what it means to organisations and how they can embrace it to fuel their reputation, is covered in this edition. Read on to learn that it’s here to stay and when used well, offers a strategic edge and a means to mitigate issues.

Since our last edition we have been active in the community through a number of new sponsorships, such as OzHarvest’s launch into SA and Starlight’s new Express Room at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. We are now looking forward to two of our existing partnerships coming to the fore again with the Credit Union’s Christmas Pageant 2011 launch and a new financial year for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Other exciting news on the community front was my appointment to the board of Eldercare. I am looking forward to working with a great team and contributing some new thinking around marketing communications in the aged care sector.

We also welcome new clients Benson Radiology, Cminus Sustainable Spaces, Your Nursing Agency and Adelaide Benevolent Society, and projects for Chemplus and Robern Menz. Most importantly, thanks to those who continue to work with us year on year – these partnerships are the backbone of our business.

Our team has also been busy! Our general manager, Bec Tape, announced the safe arrival of Leo in March. Melanie Wellington, our ever-reliable media monitor, is getting a taste of the consulting side for her final year university internship, while Ruby Livesey helps us out with media monitoring.

And Sonia Mir joins us, most recently from running her own consultancy and working in Melbourne for eight years and London for five years before that. Sonia brings a wealth of retail experience to communikate et al.

Until next time…

Kate Hannemann
Managing Director

Social media has become an important part of business marketing and communication strategies, helping businesses reach a wider audience and expand their communication capabilities. It is here to stay and we should all be embracing it. Social media is no longer a “nice to do”, it’s now a necessity.

A recent report stated that almost half of Australian businesses are using social media as part of their marketing strategies, with one third of Adelaide business marketing budgets being allocated to social networking.

Experts are predicting these figures are likely to increase within the next few years. Using social media to leverage campaigns, build a profile and connect directly and instantly with consumers, are just a few ways businesses are embracing social media.

Victoria celebrates her three year anniversary at communikate et al this month, so we thought we’d find out a little more about our favourite U.K.
ex-pat…

What do you like about living in Adelaide? That I can live by the beach and still be at work in Norwood in under forty minutes.

Which clients are you working on right now? HASSELL, PKF, Carers SA, Adelaide Casino, Solar Shop Australia and Adelaide Benevolent Society.

How did you get to where you are today? I completed a degree in Communications and Media Studies at Loughborough University in the U.K. and I moved to Australia and secured a work experience position with communikate et al. After two months as a volunteer I was offered a permanent consulting position and have progressed from there.

What are your interests outside of work? I love travel – whether it’s back home to see my friends and family or to more exotic climates. I’m also a big fan of health and fitness and love heading to the beach for a run and a swim in the summer. I’m also a huge bookworm - I’ve even set up a little library at the office and am head librarian… shhh!

What's something you miss about being a kid? Bossing my little brother and sister around – I managed to convince my sister to eat a raw potato once. Sadly they don’t respond as well these days – especially seeing as my brother is now six foot five!

Many big brands have shown us how we can use social media to engage and connect with our target markets.

The NAB ‘Break up’ campaign was recently launched and leveraged through social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, supporting traditional print and TV advertising. The campaign was so successful that it won the PR grand prix award at the recent Cannes Festival of Creativity.

In 2010 Coca Cola launched its ‘Open Happiness’ social media campaign, sending three 20-somethings to 206 countries where Coca-Cola is sold. Armed with laptops, video cameras, smartphones and plenty of other gadgets, the trio documented their travels through social networking sites. These are great examples of the endless capabilities of social media. Don’t be afraid to explore!

Social networking is becoming increasingly part of everyday life and it’s a simple way to stay connected and communicate globally. Embracing social media now means getting ahead and adapting to the future of marketing communications before you are left too far behind.

Like any form of media, it’s important to consider your objectives and target audience, as well as the medium’s benefits and risks.

Click here to read more about the benefits and risks of social media and some simple tips to get you started.

Remember, social media is not a fad, it’s here to stay, evolve and go above and beyond anything we ever expected it to be. Don’t be left behind. Explore options and talk to the experts, like our team at communikate et al, for professional advice and guidance.

OzHarvest Adelaide launches with a bang

Throughout April and May communikate et al worked with food rescue charity OzHarvest, managing all media activity and publicity around the official launch of OzHarvest Adelaide. The launch was celebrated at a colourful event at Adelaide’s iconic Central Market, along with OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn and OzHarvest Adelaide ambassadors Maggie Beer, Keith Conlon and Camillo Crugnale. OzHarvest Adelaide commenced operations in January, collecting quality surplus food from local food donors such as restaurants, cafes, hotels and supermarkets, and delivering it to charitable organisations to feed Adelaide’s vulnerable. Four months after OzHarvest’s inception more than 50,000 meals had already been diverted from landfill and delivered to charities, to those who would otherwise go hungry. communikate et al assisted with all aspects of media management and publicity, making the launch well publicised in South Australia’s media. To become a food donor, recipient charity or to find out how you can help visit www.ozharvestadelaide.org

Launching Menz Bikko’s with Bikko’s Bake off!

Trivia: What is small, round, brown and always travels in packs? It's Menz Bikko’s! Menz, producer of iconic Menz FruChocs, will enter the second stage of its new product launch for Menz Bikko’s this month. The second stage calls upon Adelaide’s most talented culinary creatives to design their own recipes using Menz Bikko’s as the key ingredient for a bake off. Masterchef idol Andre Ursini will create his own Bikko-centric recipe to get the creative juices flowing and will judge the winning recipe. To see the competition entries or enter your own creation, go to www.facebook.com/robernmenzbikkos before 29 August.

The Fairies spread their magic in Canberra

Growing franchise and much loved children’s group, The Fairies, opened its new store in the Canberra suburb of Mitchell on Friday 1 July and celebrated its official launch on Saturday. The launch featured loads of fairy fun and games and a special guest appearance by The Fairies favourites, Harmony and Rhapsody, and was an excellent precursor to their national stage tour kicking off later this year. communikate et al helped The Fairies’ new franchisee, Alison, raise awareness of the store and the launch. Visit The Fairies online to learn more about the new store and the growing franchise at www.thefairies.com

On the road again

The annual Finlaysons’ Wine Roadshow kicked off in the Coonawarra last week. Top tier commercial law firm Finlaysons has taken to the road until September, visiting nine wine regions across the county, to provide practical legal and business advice to Australian wineries wanting to do business with China. Each year, Finlaysons organises and hosts a series of seminars designed to assist small and medium sized wine companies to deal with critical business issues facing the wine industry. The popular event is now in its nineteenth year. communikate et al is assisting to raise awareness of the Roadshow within each of the wine regions and to manage the event publicity. Not only are Finlaysons the law firm of choice for the wine sector but they were also recently named Adelaide Law Firm of the Year for the second year running. For more information about the Finlaysons Wine Roadshow visit www.wineroadshow.com.au

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Norwood SA 5067