AUCKLAND, Today: A new agency, Serious, has been launched “in close partnership” with PHD Group to help brands navigate crises like Covid-19.
“Serious prepares organisations for crisis events, then supports them in their immediate response and subsequent reputational repair,” says Dallas Gurney, who takes on the MD role at Serious following three years at PHD’s Drum PR (previously Spark PR & Activate) and Rocket Media.
The new agency offers a suite of services, from 24-hour rapid crisis response, to crisis preparation, scenario planning, simulation, review, and brand rebuild advice.
“We offer full services in the crisis space, we call it our Serious Crisis System,” says Gurney. “It’s designed for those who want to be crisis ready and appreciate the decisions made in the heat of crisis have major impact on brand health, so they must be on their A-game,” he says.
“Serious has forged ‘a long-term commercial partnership’ with PHD. Dallas Gurney appears to be a principal shareholder.”
“Serious gets you crisis fit, then helps to navigate those precarious and confusing times,” he says.
The agency, which describes itself as locally owned, has forged “a long-term commercial partnership” with PHD Group for project activation support.
Gurney appears to be a principal shareholder.
“Dallas has done a phenomenal job and we wish him the very best for his new enterprise in the space of crisis management and we are thrilled to support him in this venture, it is very necessary at this critical time,” says PHD Group ceo Nikki Grafton.
“Drum GM Katie Walton will continue to lead the DRUM team.”
“Katie Walton will continue to lead the Drum team.”
One of the more unique products offered by Serious is their live simulation workshops.
“While most organisations scenario test their plans, our simulations are incredibly creative and designed to really replicate the pressure; we want people to sweat to give an idea of what a major crisis – be it a cyber-attack, reputational disaster or emergency event – is like for those involved,” says Gurney.
CrisisX: The Readiness Conference, originally launched in 2019 and postponed for 2020 due to lockdown, has been rescheduled for February 15 and 16, 2021.
“The timing of the Serious launch is deliberate; we know leaders need immediate help in this area given the ongoing organisational and economic challenges faced in the coming months,” says Gurney.
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