The Marketing Association has announced the call for entries for the 2014 NZ Direct Marketing Awards, to be held in Auckland early next year. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 24 October. An extended late entries deadline of 5pm on Friday 31 October is available at a nominal fee.

Auckland senior admen Ron Sneddon and Brendan Jarvis have formed a digital content marketing agency, Story. Ron Sneddon is a media expert who’s ex Mr Smith; he also currently owns media strategy agency Super. Jarvis owns digital marketing agency The Space In Between. The pair say their new shop fills a big gap.

Lotto NZ has appointed Guy Cousins as chief marketing officer, replacing general manager Val Green, who left in May. Cousins is a Brit who has spent much of his working life in NZ – managing partner at Naked from 2011-2012, strategic planning director at Spark PHD from 2009-2012.

Global online travel agency Contiki has collaborated with Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer to bring a past traveller’s story to life for their newest creative initiative.

Auckland and Sydney-based consumer PR specialist, the pr shop, has won Tourism Holdings following a competitive pitch.

APN NZ has today relaunched the business section of the NZ Herald online. The new-look business pages offer live tools, more news and more interactivity.

Tickets went on sale today for the CAANZ 2014 New Zealand Effie Awards. This year’s finalists and winners will be celebrated at a black tie gala dinner to be held at the Langham on Thursday 9 October.

Boutique post production facility MandyVFX has upped its capacity with the arrival of new Flame suites.