SHOWCASE
ORIGIN OF ZAKAZUKHA A GRASSROOTS APPROACH WHY PRINT IS NOT DEAD GOOD WRITING MATTERS MANAGING PERCEPTION A SOCIAL ODYSSEY IS YOUR BRAND A LOGO? INVESTOR COMMUNICATION THE FULL SUITE
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
CREDITS EDITION ONE
Managing Editor BRUCE NELSON Editors GRACE MACKAY SAM STOLZ Direction and Design CAROLYN RYAN Writers BRUCE NELSON SAM STOLZ GRACE MACKAY MELINDA BURTON Photographers JESSIE PRINCE ASHLEE KNIGHT CHRIS TEDESCO Digital Manager JAMES ASPIN Social Media Coordinator LUCA SPRATT Publisher ZAKAZUKHA
Disclaimer and copyright First published in 2021 No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, Zakazukha. Printing FOYER PRINTING Typeface GALAXIE POLARIS
QLD 7/99 West Burleigh Rd Burleigh Heads 4220
Cover stock K.W. DOGGETT KNIGHT SMOOTH 280GSM
NSW 129 Prince St Grafton NSW 2460
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+61 7 5607 0899 info@zakazukha.com www.zakazukha.com
06-07 WELCOME SHOWCASE
26-29 GOOD WRITING MATTERS
42-43 IS YOUR BRAND A LOGO
08-09 ORIGIN OF ZAKAZUKHA
30-33 MANAGING PERCEPTION
44-45 INVESTOR COMMUNICATION
10-13 A GRASSROOTS APPROACH
34-35 A SOCIAL ODYSSEY
46 THE FULL SUITE
14-19 WHY PRINT IS NOT DEAD
36-41 FEATURE PAT WOW-DEN
20-25 FEATURE HOMAGE TO THE HOME
CONTENTS EDITION ONE
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
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Welcome to Showcase, an almanac of work we’ve produced over the past year and proud to put before you to demonstrate our bona fides. Whether managing media opportunities, designing eye-catching sales collateral, keeping social channels up to the minute or helping create new and innovative company identities, as a group of passionate people we love what we do and strive to reflect this in what we craft for our clients. Ultimately, Zakazukha is all about capturing the ‘zeitgeist’ and telling your story in a tried and true way that works. Zakazukha (a Russian word for cash for comment, but more on that later) was born from a desire to offer a full suite of marketing services from a practical point of view, with our heritage in corporate communications driving the strategy and learned technical knowledge and skills delivering results. We’re not an ad agency, graphic design, copywriting, or PR firm. We’re all of those rolled into one, and it’s this approach that allows us to offer individual or full-service outcomes dependant on client needs. In this edition, we’ve compiled a series of case studies to give you real-life examples of what we can do and what we’ve done, and in some cases won industry awards for. We’ve also included a few of our favourite feature stories produced for various publications to round out the read. If you like anything you see in this edition of Showcase and would like to apply the same to your business, please let us know—after all we’re here to help. Bruce Nelson Managing Editor
WELCOME EDITION ONE
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
ORIGIN OF ZAKAZUKHA
Zakazukha is a Russian word meaning ‘cash for comment’ and there’s a fascinating story behind it. The practice became widespread in post-glasnost free-for-all Russia in the 1990s when companies or political proponents would routinely pay newspapers to publish submitted stories or information. For many Russian media outlets this practice became a significant source of income, but the unlevel playing field came to the attention of Russian PR agency Promaco, which in 2001 invented a fictitious company and issued a press release to 21 publications announcing plans to open a $1.5 million store that would sell electronics.
01 KAZIMIR MALEVICH, SUPREMATISM 1915-16 02 ANDREY GOLUBEV, RED SPINNER 1930 03 ANONYMOUS, VICTORY IS CLOSE AT HAND! MORE HELP TO THE FRONT! 1944 04 ANDREI SHELUTTO, FIRST SOVIET FREIGHT TRAIN ENGINE 1921 05 EL LISSITZKY, RED WEDGE 1919
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Only one newspaper considered the story newsworthy enough to run it for free, with several magazines and one newspaper asking for further information. However, 13 newspapers and magazines, including the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta and Izvestia, referred the PR firm to their advertising departments and initiated negotiations to run the story as a news item in exchange for payments of up to $2,000. Australia had its own scandal in 1999 (and 2004) when 2UE talk radio hosts John Laws and Alan Jones were found to have been paid to give favourable reviews on a number of blue-chip companies without disclosing the arrangement to listeners. Now while we definitely don’t condone the practice, Zakazukha is a snappy name and often acts as a conversation starter when asked. After all, isn’t that what we’re all about?
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SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
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A GRASS ROOTS APPROACH
For a business to be successful, planning is everything. A strategic approach to finance, operations and human resources all come into play. But if you’re not saying the right things to the right audience through the right channels, even the best business models can fail. To resonate with your audience, getting to the heart of the story is key, and then telling that story through as many relevant channels as possible. With tools such as social media, blogs, EDMs, advertising and public relations, there are many avenues to bolster a business’ visibility. Our strength is storytelling and infusing creativity into a holistic communications strategy to ensure businesses are heard by their niche market and the wider audience at large. One of our clients who benefits from Zakazukha’s full-service suite is Plant Doctor—a national online retailer.
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Plant Doctor has developed a range of exceptional earth-friendly products for plants, animals and humans, utilising science and technology to deliver ethical, economical and effective health and wellbeing solutions.
Plant Doctor’s core business is anchored in online sales and at the heart of this strategy is regular communications to its large database. To achieve this, we employ numerous strategies to ensure Plant Doctor maintains and builds upon its growing audience in meaningful ways. Here’s how we do it. EDMS As part of an overall marketing strategy, we create regular electronic direct mail (EDM) campaigns promoting Plant Doctor’s range to its avid followers, as well as encouraging new signups to its newsletter, interested in its variety of natural, organic and traditional products. EDMs are a cost-effective and targeted way to reach an audience and promote a message with the opportunity to refine messages to those that show interest. With a number of creative and engaging templates as the base for various campaigns, this marketing activity consistently achieves strong open rates and sales. BLOG POSTS Ongoing relevant content creation is essential for the Plant Doctor brand and creates meaningful information for the company’s clients and followers. We produce a monthly blog to tackle frequently asked questions, provide lawn and garden care advice, and introduce exciting new products. The content from the blog is then fed into EDM campaigns and shared across social media.
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A GRASSROOTS APPROACH
SOCIAL MEDIA The social media space is a key area for Plant Doctor to tap into a large and engaged network of lawn fanatics and garden gurus who are passionate about the brand and its products. The advent of the ‘lawn porn’ trend has further legitimised Plant Doctor across the social media community and encouraged a range of lawnfocused influencers to grow in popularity.
MEDIA As part of a broader public relations strategy, Zakazukha has researched, written and disseminated various media releases to local and national media outlets with the goal of gaining wider audience exposure.
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We have been successful in securing a number of positive news stories such as a segment on Today Tonight, several pieces in the Gold Coast Bulletin, stories on Seven News Gold Coast and numerous articles in industry publications such as Country News, Get Farming and more.
With Zakazukha’s help, Plant Doctor has been able to engage in this space by communicating to a dedicated fanbase and sharing content. Most importantly, it has allowed Plant Doctor to grow and become an important part of the lawn and garden social media community. We identified Facebook, Google My Business and Instagram as the key platforms to engage with and have grown the follower base of these profiles organically.
GRAPHIC DESIGN Part of promoting and reinforcing Plant Doctor’s brand has been to create eye-catching designs that achieve brand awareness, recognition and market cut-through. Zakazukha designed Plant Doctor’s product identities, including establishing two new brand lines—Nourished Nutrients and the Indoor Plant Nutrition range. These modern, colourful and visually unique designs stand apart from other market cliches and appeal to consumers with concise information and a clear representation of the product’s benefits.
AWARDS Another key component of Plant Doctor’s overall marketing strategy is to enter (and win, of course!) business and industry awards to promote brand recognition and create social proof around the brand. We have written and submitted numerous award entries for Plant Doctor, with the business winning the coveted Gold Coast Business Excellence Award in the monthly Family Business category two years in a row.
There is no underestimating the power of a fullservice campaign and Plant Doctor is a prime example of this. By employing a diverse toolkit that can be disseminated through various media and channels, identifying a great story first is the measure of any successful campaign. Naturally, Plant Doctor had a terrific story and Zakazukha quickly realised that there were more ways than one to tell it. With a great range of products and a simple, yet effective business model, Plant Doctor is a brand that is hard not to like. Since Zakazukha has come on board with Plant Doctor, business has boomed for the brand. Due to significantly increased revenue, Plant Doctor has opened a second factory in northern NSW, taken on a larger volume of resellers and has been able to expand its product lines.
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WHY PRINT IS NOT DEAD
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
WHY PRINT IS NOT DEAD
We make custom publications for clients to engage customers, move stock and build loyalty. And better yet, we’re good at it.
And while it’s widely accepted that newspaper circulations are in terminal decline, magazines and bespoke publications, tell a different story.
Whether it be a glossy book, magazine or professional advertising material, our team is heavily involved in the publication process, from project management, copywriting, graphic design, photography—all the way through to print.
They offer a timeless, visual and tactile experience; instead of being thrown in the recycling a day after purchase, they are put on the coffee table, or the shelf. And they are reread and cherished.
We’ve won awards for the Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast magazine MBGC, we help Choice Homes sell house and land packages with Urban Appeal, and we’ve recently completed a commemorative book for Surfers Paradise Alliance.
Just take the major supermarkets’ lead, Coles Magazine and Woolworth’s Fresh, Australia’s two most widely read free magazines with a readership of 4,573,000 and 4,086,000 respectively.
But we’re also often asked, “Who reads magazines anymore? Isn’t everyone online?”
Bunnings magazine comes in third, now read by 1,186,000 making the hardware retailer’s magazine one of only six titles read by more than one million people.
While people are increasingly consuming information via smart phones and tablets, magazines will never go out of style. In fact, magazine readership is holding its own in Australia according to the most recent Roy Morgan survey, with almost 13.1 million Australians aged 14+ (62.8 per cent) reading print magazines. If you add the same publications also being consumed online either via the web or an app then that number jumps to 15,644,000 people aged 14+, just over three quarters of our population.
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Their strategy is pretty simple—create relatable content (recipes, home improvements), include advertising and present it in a format that is engaging, relevant and ultimately sells stuff. If you’re thinking the major retailers are the only ones to have the budget to do this, then think again. Zakazukha was asked to produce a high-quality bespoke magazine for the Gold Coast dealership of Mercedes-Benz to provide a promotional tool to support the luxury brand.
CHOICE HOMES URBAN APPEAL MAGAZINE
SURFERS PARADISE ALLIANCE EXPERIENCE THE JOURNEY BOOK
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As the oldest automotive manufacturer in the world, Mercedes-Benz recognises the importance of understanding its customer base and their lifestyle. This is done on a personal level through interactions at the dealership and regular online surveys. The Robina-based showroom wanted a printed publication it could use to highlight various stories around the Gold Coast that spoke to its audience and a catalogue to showcase a range of certified pre-owned vehicles. While we understood the messages the Gold Coast dealership wanted to convey, we also knew the presentation of the magazine would be just as important. Paper stock and weight, layout and other points of difference were all considered to ensure the end product sat comfortably with the global brand. The result provided an award-winning 64-page magazine with its own brand utilising 120 gsm recycled stock for the body of the editorial, wrapping a gloss 150 gsm section in the centre to highlight the certified pre-owned vehicles. The cover is printed on 250gsm satin, and has a matt cello glaze all over, plus a spot varnish on the magazine name style. The magazine is published quarterly with a print run of 5,000 and an online copy distributed to a database of over 10,000 people, with content from the publication also utilised across the dealership’s social media channels. It sells a lifestyle, sells cars, and provides relevant content that keeps the marque and dealership top of mind.
Our social media experts measure engagement time in seconds; custom magazines engage readers for much longer, priceless immersion in a brand and in stories aligned with your brand. Magazines also have a high return on investment with a study out of the US by Neilsen Catalina Solutions finding magazines deliver the highest return on advertising spend of any form of media. The average return of US$394 for every dollar spent on advertising was well above display (US$2.63), which was in second place. And one more thing if you’re not yet convinced— magazines are cool. A well-designed and carefully edited product on highquality stock is a beautiful thing—it is a work of art and the top-shelf in branding. It is giving back to your customers through an interesting and informative product that can become a keepsake. So next time people are discussing the so-called death of print, take a moment to consider whether that really applies to magazines. The whole doomsday scenario is overblown; there will always be a place for a magazine on the coffee table. An iPad is just not the same.
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HOME HOMAGE TO THE
WORDS BRUCE NELSON PHOTOS JESSIE PRINCE
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HOMAGE TO THE HOME
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The love of a coastal town and appreciation of the underlying architectural authenticity and intent of a building is what lays behind a business that’s renovated and manages a series of stunning holiday homes in Byron Bay. Taliah and Sein Lowry didn’t set out to become holiday accommodation entrepreneurs; it just happened. Taliah, a Byron local with worldly travel experience, and Sein, whose family were behind the Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge for 15 years, have the right pedigree for the industry but have come at it with a more personal and thoughtful approach rather than purely a business venture. Byron Beach Abodes currently has 10 properties under their label, most of which they still retain and manage and a few managed for new owners. All exude a sense of care as if they were their own, and that’s because at some stage they were.
“We renovate our properties as if they’re our forever home as we always start out that way, but after a couple of years we start looking for the next opportunity,” Taliah says. “It only works if we’ve created the space, as it’s a very personal thing for us and we know the properties inside and out.” The couple’s first foray into renovation was on their house, now called The Cottage, a classic Northern Rivers timber home that’s purposely retained its rustic charm, with an overlay of sophisticated beach styling. It was home for the family before being rented when they moved on to their next project, and things have just snowballed from there. “We loved the history of The Cottage, so it was important to keep true to its heritage and sense of place,” Taliah says.
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
HOMAGE TO THE HOME
“It’s located on prime Byron real estate, and most developers would have knocked it down in a heartbeat to maximise their returns, but we wanted to retain its authenticity.
But if the carefully curated images and cleverly styled interiors make it look like a whole lot of fun, the reality is it’s more a case of hard work and perseverance.
“It’s the same with The Chalet where we’ve retained its 60s and 70s feel, the Bower Hotel and all our homes, but added a level of luxury to bring them up to date.
It’s been a 20-year process to date with days starting at 3am and ongoing responsibilities to guests, owners and ultimately themselves.
“This is where we draw our inspiration from, preserving the elements of the homes and paying homage to the original intent. There’s a real sense of duty for us to do this.” Taliah’s design skills were shaped over many years travelling with her parents, a bohemian lifestyle in places such as India and Seattle on the US north-west coast. Her mother was a house painter and her father a carpenter—it’s not hard to see where her renovation practicalities come from—but it was the travel that inspired her the most. “My fairytale as a little girl was not to be a princess but to stay in a hotel, so I guess it’s evolved from there,” she says. “I was actually on my way to Melbourne to study interior design, but I met my husband and started a family and our first renovation. “Luckily our passions and skills complement each other which is what makes managing Byron Beach Abodes so rewarding.”
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“There’s a lot of risk involved in what we do, but the risk brings reward and it can become addictive,” Taliah says. “The holiday rental industry in Byron Bay has also become a lot more complex over the years since we first started, with short-term accommodation throwing up a whole range of issues. “For us it’s important to do everything right, and we let people know if they’re renting in a residential neighbourhood and ensure they respect that not everyone is on holidays around them. “The industry is vital to the town, so we need to ensure we all work with each other and all levels of government, even if that means paying more fees. “Sometimes it’s also the only way people can get their foot on the property ladder by supplementing their mortgage with holiday rentals.” The success of Byron Beach Abodes has been phenomenal, not only helped by the highly desirable location, but the perfect match between beautiful interior styling and social media platforms such as Instagram.
■ One of our favourite stories from MBGC, the lifestyle publication we write, design and produce for Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast—an example of our creative writing and storytelling prowess.
“Brand alignment is important to us, from influencers through to the linen we use, so social media and word-ofmouth helps us maintain the image we’ve worked so hard to build,” Taliah says. “While first impressions are everything, especially when it comes to where someone is going to stay for a luxury holiday, we like to ensure what guests see on Instagram is actually even better in real life. “If they’re blown away by the pictures then they’re going to be even more impressed when they get there.” The company’s latest offering, Le Viti Barn, is a romantic, light-filled property with rolling hinterland views right in the heart of Newrybar.
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opy ting GOOD WRITING MATTERS
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
GOOD WRITING MATTERS
We take the written word for granted far too often. Without writing, ideas and events can’t be recorded, stories and emotions can’t be conveyed, and messages and information can’t be spread.
Cases in point are the regular communication tools that we’ve helped produce for two Indigenous organisations over the years: the Torres Strait Regional Authority and the Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council.
The importance of good writing isn’t new. In fact the basics go as far back to philosopher Aristotle who was perhaps the first person to articulate the basic elements to a compelling story: pity, fear and catharsis.
Both required a method of collecting relevant and important information to be distributed to their communities and stakeholders, and with irregular internet service in some areas, a good old-fashioned printed newsletter was deemed the most appropriate.
The legendary bard, Shakespeare, went two better and used a consistent structure across his prolific works which were divided into five acts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion, with German novelist and playwright Gustav Freytag developing this further a few hundred years later to become the dramatic arc which is now referred to as Freytag’s Pyramid.
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There are now more channels than ever to get a message out, but if it’s not told in the right way then it can fall flat and not be seen at all, which is why we take our writing very seriously.
The fiddly part was being able to distil sometimes complex and overly bureaucratic information into a format that could be easily digested by residents, businesses and anyone with an interest in the organisations or their regions. With a focus on establishing authority, building relationships, and getting people talking, sharing, and ultimately taking action, we’ve managed to turn out regular updates that centre on strong writing and effective storytelling.
After all, if you get the story right, then it will resonate far better with your target audience when distributed and be far more likely to influence the decision-making process. There are a number of logistical challenges when operating within regional and remote communities, which is where Zakazukha’s strong track record in working with regional government and council comes in. This includes strategically outlining and promoting goals, outcomes and the overall community benefits of key projects and services they provide in an interesting and informative way.
It all begins with a plan, of course. Every issue commences with a production meeting, from which we develop a schedule for writing, editing, designing and feedback processes that will deliver a high-quality written correspondence that conveys our client’s stories to the people they aim to serve in a format that captures the essence of their organisation. Effective collaboration, writing, design and a timely and efficient production process assist us to get the best storytelling for our clients. Zakazukha has extensive experience in the writing and editing of engaging copy for tenders, company profiles, websites, annual reports, brochures, fact sheets, newsletters and press advertisements. Let us help tell your story.
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MANAGING PERCEPTION
Earned media exposure can do wonders for a business or cause. It can highlight a product or service to a larger audience, drive sales or disseminate a simple yet important message to influence change. It also provides a level of credibility over and above mainstream advertising tactics, but can also work in tandem with them for a highly effective marketing campaign. But what makes for great public relations (or PR)? Firstly, you need a solid story to tell. It doesn’t have to be the most exciting news in the world, but the framing and telling of it need to be executed just right. The news media is bombarded with pitches from PR firms every minute of the day, all expecting to get some sort of run or airing that will please the client and deliver stellar results. Unfortunately not all hit the mark. Why? Well, there’s three main reasons. Number one, the story needs to be considered not just for the obvious, but also in terms of conflict, timing and proximity—all traditional and well-worn news values. Secondly, the audience needs to be clearly considered and defined. Who is it going to and what news channels are available and best suited to get it to them? Without identifying an appropriate readership, there is no story. Finally, it needs to be executed with a journalist’s eye, both in determining what’s going on (framing) and what the actual story is (telling). It’s about having the proverbial finger on the pulse and recognising what kind of story works best for which publication. It’s not uncommon for pitches to media to miss the mark because this basic technical structure isn’t adhered to. Modern public relations has its roots in the early 20th century in the UK and US when public influence and communications management was used for the war efforts and consequently commercial applications.
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
MANAGING PERCEPTION
With the advent of print and mass media, pioneers such as Ivy Lee, Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud) and Walter Lippmann helped found many of the PR practices that are still widely in use today. While over time some use of the practice has created connotations of being a ‘dark art’ of perception management, good PR should be done in the open, be accurate, accountable and cover topics of public interest. A case study in the power and effectiveness of PR is our work with the well-known regional tradition, the Grafton Jacaranda Festival. Now in its 87th year, it’s the oldest floral festival in Australia and attracts tens of thousands of people from around the country and the world to view the annual spectacle of the flowering cascade of purple jacaranda trees. Zakazukha has been working with the festival for a few years now, and one of our primary roles is to manage and gain media coverage to promote the event and ensure it continues to be top of mind for people considering travelling to the region from late October to early November. It’s a major contributor to local business and generates millions for the economy each year. Our approach to any PR campaign is simple: establish what goals are to be achieved, uncover as many newsworthy angles as possible, then
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work strategically to get those stories out through the most appropriate media channels. A background in journalism or nose for news always helps, but it’s also about looking at the story in front and thinking creatively to ensure it has the best possible chance of making it in the media, and in turn providing the influence it’s designed to achieve. In the case of the Jacaranda Festival there are different audiences to consider (local, interstate and international), numerous events and of course the phenomenon of the trees, all needing to be considered to produce the best possible outcome. Providing a managed and strategic approach, and working with local, national and international media, Zakazukha provided an outstanding result for the festival in 2019 including 17 front page features, 116 news stories and 17 advertising features. Who doesn’t love a natural wonder? However, ensuring a steady stream of relevant and timely stories were rolled out to news outlets that genuinely wanted to hear about them helped secure the results. While not all PR campaigns will garner this level of exposure, it does demonstrate that a good story well told can reach many ears and eyes and, in turn, generate awareness, interest and effect.
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A SOCIAL ODYSSEY
The dramatic increase in the use of social media, and the need to regularly produce and manage content for it, means it can not be left as an afterthought in any great marketing campaign. Just about all platforms offer businesses the ability to identify prospective customers, communicate directly with users, engage with advocates and create branded experiences through advertisements and custom messaging. However, social media is a hungry beast that needs to be constantly fed to make any impact or difference. For example, Facebook requires posting at least twice a day, Instagram Stories at least four a day and Twitter 15. This is a lot, and while this isn’t possible for everyone (unless you have the resources to hire a full-time social media manager), a consistent and engaging content program is a must. Zakazukha has in-depth experience in managing social media for a broad range of clients, including advertising and promotional campaigns, and can recommend how best to capitalise across these channels. We create, direct and promote regular posts on various social media accounts as well as follow up any leads that may be generated through any content campaign. One of our clients, Odyssey, is a new brand of aged care where residents’ comfort, dignity and independence is the first priority. The company was founded by industry pioneer Phil Usher, with the first community constructed in Robina on the Gold Coast.
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As a brand-new business, quickly reaching the target market to inform, educate and keep them up to date was paramount. Social media plays a vital role in this, especially as potential residents are greatly influenced by their children, who are avid users of platforms such as Facebook. As part of a broader public relations strategy, we established and now manage the company’s social media presence, helping its following grow to provide a focal point for people wanting to learn more about the community as well as provide a record of the residents enjoying a supportive environment. Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram were established as the key social media channels to communicate and inform. The campaign started from a zero base and has since organically garnered hundreds of followers with a high level of engagement and regular feedback from users and industry about the quality of the information posted.
Note, while followers in the hundreds might not sound like a lot to some, if they’re real and engaged then there’s more chance of a desired outcome than mass followers who just make up the numbers. We also create and curate tailored content for each channel for relevance and to optimise the uniqueness of individual platforms. These are the types of lenses we look through for any social media campaign. After all, they’re ultimately just distribution networks or amplifiers for your story, and without a good story there’s nothing to tell. Social media has helped establish Odyssey, and Phil, as a thought leader in the complex aged care industry and continues to promote the company’s true points of difference to those who want to know.
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WOW DEN WORDS BRUCE NELSON PHOTOS ASHLEE KNIGHT & CHRIS TEDESCO
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Gold Coast FMX star Pat Bowden lives for the rush of landing death-defying tricks. He is open about the risks he faces as a freestyle motocross rider intent on pushing the boundaries of his sport. “I’m really staring death in the face,” he tells Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast. “That sounds like a cliché, but it’s a reality.” The reality for Pat is that he is among a handful of his discipline’s finest riders; a small group of daredevils willing to launch themselves tens of metres in the air while performing acrobatic tricks with only the tiniest margin for error. For Pat, performing is about the buzz of setting goals, working hard from them, and then, when the time comes, committing to death-defying jumps and riding away unscathed. As he says, “The closer to death you are, the more you feel alive. You don’t take life for granted, that’s for sure.” Over the past few years, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a burgeoning international career as a full-time rider on the Night of the Jumps world tour, and as a competitor at the Nitro World Games based at Salt Lake City, US. The catalyst for Pat’s rise was an email from an icon of FMX riding, Travis Pastrana. It came not long before the inaugural Nitro World Games in 2016. Pastrana is still the biggest name in FMX. If Pat was an aspiring singer, it would be like getting an email from Elvis Presley.
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“It came out of the blue. He asked me if there was anything I could bring to the competition, and I said, ‘for sure’, this is exactly what I want: this is the style I want to perform.”
From the moment Pat lets the clutch out, he has two goals: land the trick, and survive. He is completely committed with all doubts pushed aside.
Travis invited Pat to try out at his Pastranaland compound in Maryland, where he could use the facilities to prepare for the Nitro World Games in a safe environment with a foam pit and giant airbag.
“When you survive, it’s a feeling that you just can’t explain,” says Pat. “That’s the feeling I chase. It’s the reason I do what I do. The feeling of coming close to death and injury and overcoming it. When you feel that, you want to get that buzz again.”
That’s where Pat learned the trick that would catapult him to the elite level of FMX—a ruler front flip. It involved hanging from the handlebars perpendicular to the bike as it flipped through the air. It had never been completed in competition before. The Nitro World Games featured an on-ramp that was around 50 per cent larger than other competitions. It’s one thing jumping with the safety of an airbag, but come competition time, the safety bags are removed. At this moment, as the crowd waits with anticipation, the rider’s biggest battle is with their own mind. “There’s doubt,” Pat says. “There’s a battle to overcome all the fear and emotions. There are voices in your head screaming ‘don’t do it’.” “There’s another part of you that has dreamed of this moment since you were a tiny kid, and you realise where you are in the current moment. You’ve worked so hard to be there, so live it up.”
In that 2016 Nitro World Games, Pat finished second, beaten only by the world’s first double front flip. He went on to finish third the following year in the same best trick category. Controversially, he was beaten by a competitor who performed a variation of the same trick Pat completed the year before. Perhaps bigger than those results is gaining the respect of his hero Pastrana. “There’s mutual respect,” says Pat. “It is cool to be respected by someone you have looked up to your whole life.”
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
PAT WOW-DEN
LAUNCHING A PASSION Pat still remembers his first jump. Perched on his small motorcycle at just three years old, he watched as his father used a shovel to build a small jump in their Coraki backyard. Pat was captivated by the curved face of the shovel, which looked just like a ramp when it was lying face-up on the grass. In spite of his father’s protests, Pat took off with his bike aimed at the face of the shovel. Sure enough, as he hit the ‘ramp’, the handle of the shovel launched upwards and hit Pat from behind, throwing him into the wall of the nearby shed. Pat emerged unscathed, and with his passion for motorcycles still intact. He is one of those rare and fortunate people who, from a very young age, have a singular focus on their life’s purpose. For Pat, it is pushing the boundaries of freestyle motocross. “I’ve been really lucky,” he says. “From the earliest moment I can remember, I’ve had a clear vision of what I want to achieve in life, and core to that is pushing the limits of FMX riding,” he says. “I’m not sure where it came from, but from the age of three years old, this is what I have wanted to do.” That’s not to say that there haven’t been setbacks. At times, Pat has wondered whether he would make it and whether he would get the break that would allow him to stamp his name in the history of FMX.
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Despite his success, Pat recognises there is a lot more work to do. He wants the chance to compete at larger events, and he dreams of completing an iconic jump in the mould of the world’s greatest stuntmen. Since Evel Knievel jumped over the Caesar’s Palace, there have been many other jawdropping feats accomplished on motorbikes, the most memorable when the riders take on famous monuments. Australian Robbie Maddison, for example, backflipped over London’s Tower Bridge, and surfed Teahupo’o on a modified dirt bike. Pat has his own plans for a comparable feat, but is keeping it close to his chest as he secures the support of sponsors. In the meantime, he invested in a custom-made airbag that he imported from Amsterdam and set up at his 100-acre northern NSW training compound. It allows him to practice new tricks in relative safety at home in Australia to take back onto the world stage. “I have that hunger to take things to the next level and push the boundaries of my sport,” says Pat. “It has progressed so much over the past 10 years or so, but I know what I have to do to be at the top and take it to another level, and with the airbag I am able to do that. I honestly couldn’t see myself doing anything different.”
■ One of our favourite stories from MBGC, the lifestyle publication we write, design and produce for Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast—an example of our creative writing and storytelling prowess.
THE X-FACTOR Pat led the Gold Coast X-Class launch in 2018 by completing a series of jumps as the new trucks were unveiled at the Home of the Arts at Bundall. Pat propelled his bike through the air eight times as the X-Class vehicles made their entry accompanied by fireworks and a Queen/ Skrillex/Rage Against the Machine mashup.
Later, he took an X-Class out for a half day of driving for a photo shoot with Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast magazine. His motocross bike was easy to strap into the tray with the included tie-down clamps. The 360-degree cameras mounted to the vehicle also made it easy to manoeuvre it into position for each photo.
To get it right, Pat completed dozens of jumps that day to ensure the event went off with perfect timing. “I was exhausted,” he says. Even so, Pat overcame the fatigue to deliver a faultless performance, which was the work of a true professional.
“This is a really impressive truck,” Pat says. “It’s steady on the road and powerful underfoot. I’d love to have one out at my compound to help organise my airbag and ramps. It has a really classy yet tough presence on the road and is a pleasure to drive.”
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
IS YOUR BRAND A LOGO?
We’ve worked with dozens of new companies to help bring them to life, and with plenty of established ones to guide them through creating a new identity, and in almost every case the question comes up—is our brand a logo? In the world of design there’s nothing more controversial or hotly contested, but we look at the issue from a different perspective. A brand is the embodiment of a business. Think Qantas or JB Hi-Fi. Both are strong brands in terms of their colour palette down to how they interact with the public. No design firm on earth can create and direct your brand, only you (the business owner, marketing manager etc.) can to ensure it maintains the expression that makes it unique. What a design company can do is get to understand your brand, what makes you tick, and then use those insights to help create a logo. The brand is the foundation of a company and the logo is the visual shortcut to the trademark of the brand. A logo identity system and a strong branding system are both crucial when marketing and promoting a consistent image and voice, but a brand speaks for itself. Zakazukha’s design work in creating business identities has stretched around the globe for a wide range of industries including finance, manufacturing, mining, property and technology. Our approach is to get to understand the inner workings of your brand and then create the visual imprint that sets you apart from your competitors.
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“YOUR BRAND IS WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN THE ROOM” JEFF BEZOS CEO/FOUNDER AMAZON
Naming and identity for new corporate advisory firm in Europe
Logo and collateral development for Singapore-based facilities management company
Logo and collateral development for PNG-based facilities management company
Logo and packaging for a range of Australian native food products
Logo and collateral development for new housing estate
Logo and collateral development for not-for-profit advocacy for strata lot owners in Queensland
Logo and investor relations for Australian mining equipment company
Logo and collateral development for Queensland tree nursery
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
INVESTOR COMMUNICATION
The number of businesses seeking to raise capital, whether start up, unlisted or listed, is extremely high and competition for investors’ money tough. A well-crafted image and professionally prepared suite of marketing and communication tools go a long way in creating the best possible impression when communicating with potential or existing investors. Zakazukha has worked in the capital and investor markets for many years, from small-scale offerings through to public listings in Australia and Europe. Our approach is centred on telling a company’s story by distilling often complex financial and strategic information into formats that are relevant and accessible to their audience. This includes pitch decks, investor presentations, market releases, annual reports, investor newsletters, CEO interviews and media and advertising strategies. Our well-honed journalistic skills coupled with an understanding of news cycles and investor media, allow us to help cut through and get your message out to the people who you need to see it most. Conversations or communications with investors also need to be honest and upfront, and where possible extended to additional audiences including mainstream and industry media. Our experience has shown you can never assume where your investors or new clients will come from, so it’s just as important to have someone working with you that has a breadth of knowledge across multiple sectors and industries. Whether raising capital, updating shareholders or promoting your business to a wider audience, Zakazukha has proven expertise in the specialised investor communication space.
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HSC TECHNOLOGY GROUP INVESTOR PRESENTATION
MARKET SYSTEMS BUSINESS MODEL VIDEO PRESENTATION
SHOWCASE EDITION ONE
THE FULL SUITE
MARKETING PUBLIC RELATIONS COPYWRITING CREATIVE + DESIGN SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SCRIPT, PRODUCTION + DIRECTION EVENT MANAGEMENT MEDIA TRAINING INVESTOR COMMUNICATIONS COMMUNITY CONSULTATION + ENGAGEMENT BIDS + TENDERS Zakazukha provides a full suite of communication services. Our point of difference is we place story and narrative at the centre of everything we do, whether defining your product, identifying new customers, creating the right messages or developing the mechanisms to reach them. We understand the news cycle and offer strategic and creative ways to get your story into the media and we have extensive experience writing and editing engaging copy for websites, brochures, newsletters, press ads and much more. Whether it’s first impressions from an expressive logo or the head-turning spark of a witty video, creative and design are at the heart of everything we do. We’ve produce high-end, live-action video and animation for television commercials, corporates and social media, helped organise and facilitate events across a wide range of industries, trained CEOs to speak with the press, managed consultation processes for multi-million dollar developments and been on the winning side of billions worth of tenders and EOIs for some of Australia’s largest construction and infrastructure firms.
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Most of all we love what we do, we’re good at it and come with an attitude of integrity and hard work and a desire to deliver.