2024 review + 2025 predictions

GroupM New Zealand recently hosted an event in Auckland with TikTok to explore the future of influencer marketing, featuring insights from Goat and agencies like EssenceMediacom and Mindshare. The event delved into the growing creator landscape, showcasing strategies for advertisers to leverage influencer content across platforms to drive business outcomes. GroupM also introduced Goat Extend, a solution for extending influencer content reach omnichannel, and discussed the evolving nature of influencer marketing with industry experts and...

Pierre John Parsons, now known as PJ, a transgender woman and convicted child rapist, has gone to the Supreme Court to have an extended supervision order lifted, arguing her predilection is now "latent and might only emerge in certain circumstances". Parsons was jailed for abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl in 1995, and has been on parole or under an ESO since. Despite previous breaches and more offending, the courts have upheld the ESO, citing...

Hawke's Bay officials have completed silt recovery work after cyclones caused widespread damage, with over 2.5 million cubic metres of silt and debris collected. In Tai Rāwhiti, woody debris removal work is ongoing, with forestry crews aiming to clear slash and debris to improve land use sustainability. Challenges such as steep terrain and high costs of helicopter use are being addressed in the ongoing effort to clear rivers and prevent future build-up of debris. Full...

Police in south-east Auckland arrested a man after finding a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun and drugs in his vehicle at a petrol station in Clover Park. The man, suspected of being under the influence of drugs, was charged with unlawfully carrying a restricted weapon and possessing ecstasy for supply. The 24-year-old will appear in court today, with police commending the removal of the dangerous weapon from the streets. Full Article

The Vince Geddes In-Depth Journalism Fund, supported by the Auckland Radio Trust, aims to provide financial and editorial support to freelance journalists for producing high-quality, in-depth journalism. The fund will allocate $30,000 in 2025 through two intakes, offering three grants of $5,000 each, with applicants required to submit a one-page pitch outlining their proposed project. A panel of senior editors from The Spinoff will assess submissions based on criteria like originality, relevance, and feasibility, providing...

Job applicants at the Department of Conservation experienced a privacy breach when a staffer misused admin rights to access and manipulate external job candidates' information, impersonate individuals, and send fraudulent emails. The incident was reported in the DoC's 2022/23 annual report to Parliament, highlighting the unauthorized access and misuse of personal data by the employee. Full Article