Tuesday, 10 May 2022 11:55

Muddy waters!

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: A recent Official Information Act (OIA) release shows that the Government paid almost $30k to an ‘advertising guru’ for key advice that shaped its disastrous $3 million Three Waters advertising campaign last year.

The OIA shows that advertising consultant Kim Wicksteed was paid $25,024 for a ‘marketing and communications’ strategy for Nanaia Mahuta’s Three Waters reforms.

Wicksteed was also paid an additional $3,588 to participate in the – wait for it – “Three Waters Reform Programme Critical Friends Advisory Group”.

His advice shaped the contentious and much pilloried advertising, featuring poorly drawn comic characters and green slime coming out of taps, which cost the Department of Internal Affairs more than $3 million.

The advertising campaign aimed to muddy the waters and show that local councils were doing a poor job.

Ultimately it failed to win

More like this

Overbearing?

OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the job description of PR is to grease the wheels and ensure clients get good media coverage.

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.

Be afraid

OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.

Trust us!

OPINION: Ther'es a reason politicians rank even lower than John Campbell in the most trusted profession surveys.

Don't hold back!

OPINION: ACT MP Mark Cameron isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly calls it how he sees it, holding nothing back when ‘climate scientists’ had a crack at Kiwi farmers recently:

Featured

Big return on a small investment

Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.

Editorial: Sensible move

OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Overbearing?

OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter