Blog

Pinterest has been grabbing headlines over the last few weeks due to its unprecedented growth and surprising level of influence.

The social scrapbooking site which allows users to post or ‘pin’ images onto their virtual pin boards experienced a 429% increase in unique visitors to the site in December 2011.

A site that was initially (and still is) dominated by women sharing recipes, clothes, and crafts, has expanded its membership to men and various businesses and events.

According to Monetate, an American marketing company, Pinterest is now a top five social networking referrer for several apparel retailers.

Pinterest could be a useful tool for a business or event, but guidelines should be put in place and questions should be answered before the pinning starts.

What do you want to pin? It may be tempting to sign up and then pin every product/service your business offers, but this may not be the best way to create an interest in your account. It can be irritating for your followers to log on and see a thoughtless pin dump of your products taking over their page. If someone wants to see everything you offer at once they will visit your website. Think outside the box and consider what your business represents. Pin things that inspires and excites your business. Create a mood for your business. Someone who is currently getting it right is the New Zealand Fashion Festival. They have a range of boards that not only showcase their supporters, but set the mood of the festival with fun pictures, products they like, and style tips.

How often do you want to pin? It is estimated that Pinterest users spend 90 minutes per month on the site, compared with 7 hours on Facebook. This means that users are either having a binge 2-3 times per month or they are checking it little and often. Either way, the little and often approach works best for pinning as it provides a small constant feed that will keep you within the sights of your followers.

Who should pin for your business? It does not really matter who pins or how many people are pinning for your business and long as they understand the goals and guidelines of pinning on the business’ behalf. It may be easier to allocate pinning responsibilities to your communication consultant or whoever takes care of your social media accounts as they should be aware of the business’ desired image and clients.

Boundaries: The way social media is used to communicate with your stakeholders/public can make or break your business. We are coming to a time where social media policies are becoming standard in the workplace to ensure the correct messaging and tone is being conveyed. Employees have been fired for misuse of social media on their employer’s behalf. An obvious example is a US social media employee getting fired for using the ‘f-word’ in a tweet for Chrysler Autos last year. Adopting a social media policy in the workplace can set clearly stated guidelines and emphasize the importance of taking your social media accounts seriously.

Carter Price Rennie can provide you with a social media policy that is tailored for your business objectives. Our staff can guide your social media planning, and have experience in assisting clients during a social media crisis.

Kristin Simonson- CPR Summer Intern.

20 January 2012

I’m not telling anyone anything new when I say that the earthquakes have shaken us to the core.  Nor when I state it’s not just had a physical affect, but also a significant emotional one.

I think it would be fair to say that most Cantabrians have taken time to reflect on what was, where they are going, and what the future holds.

Like many businesses here in Canterbury this has had a significant impact for CPR, and we’ve had to evolve. The content below outlines some of these developments, some things are coming to an end, and others are just beginning.

Amy

Timing in this business is everything.

That is why this newsletter has been issued at the same time as a public announcement will be made notifying the media and constituents of Christchurch that Felicity Price has signed a contract with the Christchurch City Council as an independent contractor. Her task is to carry out an internal and external Communication Audit of the City Council.

In order to achieve these tasks, Felicity has resigned her position as a senior consultant from Carter Price Rennie Ltd, to ensure there are no conflicts of interest. Carter Price Rennie is not able to work for the City Council because of our pre-existing clients.

Felicity is working with the City Council because she believes the issues that have arisen around the City Council are affecting the Recovery of the City, and that she has the skills and experience needed.

At Carter Price Rennie we have mixed feelings.

On one hand we are losing a much-valued member of our team who will be sorely missed. But on the other, we admire and respect Felicity’s decision to step up and do what she can to help the City’s Recovery.

As for everyone in Christchurch, last year was an exceptional year for Felicity. As Chair of the Court Theatre she led the re-establishment of the Court in Addington, attended and graduated from the Bill Manhire writing course at Victoria University and wrote another novel. All this, while managing client work at Carter Price Rennie.

I am reminded of the old saying: “if you want a job done well, give it to a busy woman”.

Over the next few days Christine will be in touch to arrange appointments for Amy with all of Felicity’s clients to discuss moving forward.

Auckland Office

Our geographical spread is increasing, and that’s not a reference to the amount of Christmas food we managed to consume around the office. In November last year we secured an office in the central city of our country’s largest city.

This move is a direct response to Auckland businesses having an interest in contributing to the Christchurch rebuild; those that need help communicating with Cantabrians. It is this segment of the Auckland business population that we are exclusively targeting. Of course this new line of communication works both ways; with the new office we will be able to assist our Canterbury clients who want to understand Auckland a little more.

Emma van Opzeeland rejoined our ranks to get office up and running and was shortly joined by Lee Suckling, who decided to move to Auckland from our Christchurch office. Managing Director Amy Carter has been making regular trips to the new office to explore the new and exciting opportunities. Emma and Lee are also regularly in Christchurch.

She’s back!

That’s right after a stint in Europe last year we managed to woo Emma back to CPR to assist with the opening of our Auckland office. Emma first joined us in 2008 as a summer intern before joining the team full time in 2009. Emma went on her OE with plans of moving to Auckland upon her return, but when we knew that the Auckland office was going ahead Emma was keen to rejoin the team.

Haere Ra Daniel

At the end of 2011 Daniel Herd decided to make the move to Enable Networks. He was a valued member of the team here at CPR but we are pleased he has moved on to another great Canterbury company.  We remain in close contact and he is always a welcome visitor here at CPR.

We wish him all the best.

P.S Congratulations to Daniel and his lovely wife Megan who have an addition to the family due any day.

Client Case study

We are lucky enough to work with some stunning people, businesses and organisations. Every now and again we get to tell you about them.

ECL Group

Based here in Christchurch, ECL has managed to fly below the radar as it’s grown into a significant Australasian company, offering consultation and management across a number of areas including:

• Fuels
• Technology
• Electronic Security
• Corporate Signage
• Facilities Management

Established in 1954, the ECL Group is privately owned and has increased in size through both self generated growth and acquisition during that time. Currently they employ over 450 people across Australia and New Zealand.

Many of you will be carrying them around in your handbag or on your hip for access to various buildings as they provide security swipe cards to several universities, government entities and corporate offices. You may also be familiar with one of their other business entities – Fuelquip. CPR has recently been assisting them with a move to bring all of their various interests under the  one banner – as the ECL Group.

Grant Mirfin, Managing Director of the ECL Group, has decided post-quake that more people need to know about the vibrant and successful businesses here in Canterbury, and is very keen to let everyone know that like many other success stories they are committed to staying here.

“We are very excited about the future for Christchurch and Canterbury as the city gets underway with the rebuild,” he says.

We like

NEATplaces

Neat Places is a great little guide if you’re looking for new places to go in the ‘new’ Christchurch. With categories such as Books and Music, Fashion, and Food and Drink, it’s enough to keep you busy.

The Court Theatre

The Court Theatre is now up and running again an old granary building known as The Shed. Months of hard work has resulted in a beautiful new theatre and a full 2012 programme.

Vino Fino

Vino Fino has always been a favourite of CPR’s. They carry an extensive range of wines, ales and spirits at a reasonable price. The staff knows its stuff and is always happy to help you choose the perfect bottle for any occasion.

Inspired by the summer photo competitions in The Press, CPR decided to hold its own photo competition.

We chose talented young photographer Courtney van Beek to be the judge. After some careful analysis he announced: “The photo I believe captures something special is: Lily & Sasha. The expressions on the faces really say it all for me.”

Congratulations to Christine who captured the moment beautifully.

It was a great way for us to share our holiday photos!

Check out Courtney’s website here.

Kristin Simonson- CPR’s summer intern

Photography by Murray Irwin

Greening the Rubble is a community project for Christchurch which utilises the help of volunteers to create temporary gardens and parks on demolition sites.

With co operation with several sites’ owners, beautification projects are underway at the Temporary Bus Exchange and on Riccarton Road.

Greening the Rubble will focus on commercial rather than residential areas and expect that the parks and gardens will last anything from a few months to several years when the businesses are ready to rebuild on their property.

Greening the Rubble relies on volunteers and donations from the community to carry out their work. Key contributors include members of the NZ Institute of Landscape Architects and the Christchurch City Council.

On several occasions Greening the Rubble have worked with partner organisation Filling the Gap to arrange events and more short term installations in demolition spaces.

It’s the little things like this carried out by selfless individuals that remind us to stop for a moment and smell the roses during our rebuild.

In lieu of Christmas gifts this year CPR have donated to Greening the Rubble on our client’s behalf.

By Kristin Simonson- CPR’s summer intern.

We love online Christmas shopping here at CPR, or at least online browsing.

Why spend your weekends wandering around in the heat and the crowds to leave town with a tea towel and a box of half price Christmas crackers?

It will begin as a well intentioned trip but if you don’t have a map of gifts to help you find your way you’ll end up with frustratingly empty hands as you decide to do just one more lap of the shops.

If you’re like me and still like the satisfaction of taking your chosen gifts up to a counter before carrying them home don’t actually order online, but use the websites to write your Christmas list.

Start with the Westfield Riccarton website and then move onto the store websites from the warmth/cool/privacy of your own home. Before you’ll know it you’ll have a little map that will serve you well as you face the Christmas rush.

You’ll also do all the “offline browsers” a favour if you ask sales assistants to help you find your shopping list. The more time they spend with you the less time they have to follow the heels of genuinely confused customers who don’t want to hear about the “super cute” gift ideas table.

A word of warning though- write all your ideas down. Do not expect all the wonderful things you see online to just “come to you” when you walk into a store. It will be hidden on the lowest shelf or in the back corner and before you know it you’ll be standing among the scented candles wondering what it was you were originally looking for.

Good luck everyone.

Kristin Simonson- CPR’s summer intern.

What a year. Cantabrians have certainly proven their power in 2011, and now its time to continually ensure we keep Christchurch in good form.

The new website Healthy Christchurch lets you have your say on how you think this year’s events can be remembered and commemorated.

What are your thoughts on Christchurch?

As a team of born-and-bred Cantabrians, Carter Price Rennie’s staff are dedicated to Christchurch and are thoroughly excited about its future.

This weekend proved a landmark for all of us; the re-opening of Cashel Mall.

Just in time for summer, Restart, the reinvigorated Christchurch shopping precinct, is open and welcoming customers. With dozens of designer shops and a fabulously remodelled Ballantynes, the new CBD has paved the way for the vibrant new town Christchurch is set to become.

Because we’re all dedicated to Christchurch and getting people back into the city centre, we’ll be holding as many coffee meetings possible in one of the two container cafes, Crafted Coffee Company and Hummingbird. We hope to see you over a latte soon.

Lee

Not the type that bounces.

Nor one that plays rugby really – just one that gets to go along and do all the cool stuff. I’m more of an Aussie than Robbie (I’m a citizen) so that might help.

Aren’t the Rugby World Cup teams having a great time?  Even the ones that have now gone home have gone to great lengths to tell us what fun they have had while they were here.

The Wallabies were recently in Hanmer.  One of them tweeted about riding home on his bike in the snow from the hot pools.  It seems Hanmer really turned it on for them.  Below is a picture of some of them enjoying a jet boat ride at Thrillseekers.

They had such a great time they even posted a video about it on their website.

So all in all this rugby lark is a pretty cool way to see the world, do exciting things etc.

Now….how to get on the team for the next cup, without playing rugby.

Anyone need a media person?

Amy

An exciting brochure arrived in the mail yesterday – the New Zealand catalogue for the Frankfurt Book Fair with my last book (2010: Head Over Heels) listed among 99 other New Zealand authors, many of them literary luminaries like Bill Manhire – way above and beyond my humble abilities. I’m still not sure what it means, but suspect I won’t be hitting the big time in overseas sales just yet. However, it’s a big thrill to be included as one of the country’s top 100 authors and to know that my book will at least be seriously considered for translation into German. Lord knows what the fraus and frauleins will make of it, but here’s hoping it makes the grade!

http://www.mch.govt.nz/what-we-do/our-projects/current/frankfurt-book-fair-2012

Felicity

Sumner Lifeboat (one of CPR’s charities), needs to sell its trusty, but rusty, Land Rover Discovery. It has chosen to auction it on TradeMe, and has asked CPR to assist with the writing of a description that will attract attention and get it placed in the ‘cool auctions’ – and therefore hopefully achieving a better price.

For this specific project, CPR took a team approach.  Amy Carter briefed the team – providing all the key information as supplied by the client – and we then quickly discussed the best way in which to gain people’s interest on TradeMe.  With respect to the medium and the charitable status of the client, it was decided that humour was the best approach.

The team individually developed different ‘angles’ which were shared internally. The best strategy was agreed upon, then sent to the Lifeboat.

Click here to go through to the trademe auction and see what you think of the result…