The Year in Review: Claudia Macdonald
There were a host of enthralling PR disasters this year. And, perhaps as a result of all the humans wandering the streets during the Rubber Wool Cup, there was also a noticeable increase in the number of brands using experiential marketing in their campaigns. So who better to spill the beans on 2011 than Claudia Macdonald, managing director of PR, events and experiential agency Mango and a founding member of the CAANZ Marcomms Leadership Group.
1) Favourite campaign that isn’t yours: Pedigree Doggelganger by Colenso. I’m a sucker for dogs and this was actually fun to play with a great message.
2) Favourite campaign that is yours: 
SKY Sport Drill Sergeant series. DDB’s campaign was engaging, funny and got the message out. Mango got to hang out with Sgt Cleaver doing some press ups with camera crew trainees on Auckland and Wellington streets and also became close to him on Facebook.
3) Least favourite campaign: 
Anything retail, but especially Countdown. That family is so unbelievable. It’s a bad sitcom. But it probably works.
4) Best brand: Steinlager. Best comeback brand.
5) Best stoush: Adidas vs. the New Zealand public. A badly handled PR issue.
6) Heroes: John Kirwan for Depression. Love that man.
7) Villains: Legal departments that won’t let you do or say very much at all – just in case.
8) Most memorable marketing moment: Telecom’s Abstain campaign. Never before has so much been said about so little. A classic media beat up that once again proves why PR people are needed in advertising. Second favourite is National and Act’s Teapot Tape. Unbelievable carelessness that allowed a corpse to be revived.
What do you think?