SYDNEY, Tuesday: NZ media agency MBM has been awarded Performance Agency of the year for 2019 (tied with Australia’s Resolution Media), in Google’s prestigious Partners Honours programme. MBM also scored two agency awards.

WELLINGTON, Today: New research undertaken by NZ business consultants Redvespa may help provide reasons behind New Zealand’s slide down the Global Innovation Index – from 9th in 2009 to 25th in 2019.

LONDON, Today: Advertiser spend on sports sponsorship is expected to rise 5% this year to reach more than US $48bn worldwide – the strongest growth in a decade and ahead of growth projections for all traditional media, according to a new study from WARC.

WELLINGTON, Today: The 2nd Social Media for Government NZ 2020 in March aims to bring together social media experts in government to “explore how social media can be leveraged to find key insights on what resonates with the audience and drive trust and confidence in government”.

SYDNEY, Tuesday: WPP MD NZ Sven Baker has resigned from his current position and will move to the transitional role of non-executive NZ chairman. A new NZ management team has also been appointed.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: The Outdoor Media Association (OMANZ) reported impressive revenue growth in 2019 of 14.2%, taking annual revenues to $141.25m, with every quarter in the year contributing to the annual growth.

AUCKLAND, Sunday: The anti-legalisation troops have launched their first campaign with a full-page execution in today’s Herald on Sunday.

AUCKLAND, Today: Extract from DDB ANZ CCO Damon Stapleton’s blog: “Crazy ideas make companies grow. Especially when business models change. Which seems to be happening more and more these days.

AUCKLAND, Sunday: One of NZ’s most fluent and influential writers & thinkers – Auckland journalist/author Gordon McLauchlan – has died, aged 89.