WELLINGTON, Thursday: Leading customer intelligence agency Perceptive has announced a planned merger with behavioural science specialists Sapien. The combined strength of the two Clemenger Group agencies is intended to lead to a new level of exceptional customer insights and behavioural research for their clients.

AUCKLAND, Today: NZME has retained the No 1 position in the Auckland market,  according to the latest research out of GfK independent commercial radio survey.

AUCKLAND, Today: Kiwibank has announced a December deadline for new agency partners make their pitch (scroll down for the link) and said it is “casting its net far and wide” for creative agencies to support the next phase of its growth.

AUCKLAND, Today: MediaWorks and Sydney-based QMS Media Limited have entered into a heads of agreement for a proposed merger of QMS Media’s New Zealand out-of-home, production and digital media business, and MediaWorks’ radio, TV and digital business.

AUCKLAND, Today: The Comms Council has named its executive team to run Axis 2019 – Shane Bradnick (convenor), Paul Wilson (chair), and jury presidents Brigid Alkema, Jonny Kofoed, Aaron Turk, and Regan Grafton.

AUCKLAND, Wednesday: The country’s PR, brand experience, events and social media industry professionals gathered at Bar Twenty-One at Sky City in Auckland last night to recognise the best campaigns from the last year at the inaugural PREScom Awards, organised by the Commercial Communications Council.

AUCKLAND, Today: The inaugural PREScom Awards 2018 are on tonight (scroll down for the details). The finalists include Fuse, Spark PR & Activate, Copper Brand Experiences, Scope Media, MediaWorks, Mango, Campbell+Co, Studio7, Hustle & Bustle, Mktng, Tenfold Creative, TBWA\, Sherson Willis, and Eleven PR.

MELBOURNE, Today: Next week, the Australia-based global climate change organisation, the Global CCS Institute, is launching its flagship publication, The Global Status of CCS, at the 24th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in wintery Katowice, Poland – with a NZ agency on board.

AUCKLAND, Tuesday: We often encounter interesting tales in Phantom Billstickers’ weekly Phan Mail e-letter. This week’s edition – featuring a self-penned piece on wannabe artists and painters who still manage to hold down a proper job – is pretty cool.

SYDNEY, Today: “Your article about the merger between JWT and Wunderman promoted me to get in touch,” writes GroupM communications director Rose Baker. “The article outlines the local NZ WPP agencies – but none of our media agencies are mentioned, so I thought I would introduce myself and the group …