Whittaker’s has increased its lead as New Zealand’s most-loved brand but there are some big movers in this year’s top 20 with Lotto making huge strides and arch-rival Cadbury closing the gap. Colmar Brunton’s 2016 Brands I Love has Cadbury coming from outside the top 10 last year into the top five behind perennial top four – Whittaker’s, All Blacks, Air New Zealand and Tip Top.

A new book about to be launched in Auckland promises to prepare aspiring writers, designers and dreamers to hunt down ideas that could change the world, or at least their own lives. Called Hunting the Killer Idea, the book is the brainchild of Nick MacFarlane, who brings 20 years of experience in advertising, art, and design to the task of trapping the creative process.

Sydney’s Social Soup has been signed by Fisher and Paykel for an Australian campaign promoting F&P’s focus on innovation and how its products relate to different cooking styles. Social Soup uses its ‘influence community’ to get people involved in new products; trying them and giving feedback.

Research commissioned by APN Outdoor has found New Zealanders have a positive feeling towards billboards. In its latest study ‘Media Attention – It’s a Jungle Out there’ researchers canvassed hundreds of New Zealanders for their views on advertising and how best to get their attention.

The call is out for entries to the 2016 New Zealand Direct Marketing Awards. Organised by the Marketing Association, the NZDM Awards have been running since 1986 recognising insight-driven marketing projects that connect customers through a multitude of channels and generate outstanding results – all of which add up to excellence in direct marketing.

The Magazine Publishers Association had its annual gala awards in Auckland last night where New Zealand Geographic (Kowhai Media) took the award for the country’s best magazine for 2016. New Zealand Geographic also went home with an award for photographer, Richard Robinson.

Five new faces on the executive board of Communication Agencies Association of New Zealand with elections this week, a week that also sees Simon Lendrum stepping down as president.