A supreme award win for Convergence and Social Innovation

A joint entry by Convergence Communications and Social Innovation won the Supreme Award for communications by the Student Volunteer Army following the 22 February earthquake at the 2012 Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Awards.

Awards chief judge Anna Radford said the Student Volunteer Army campaign captured the public’s imagination and support.

“Working in a crisis situation with limited resources and budget, the Student Volunteer Army’s organisers achieved outstanding results by leveraging community empathy through clever mass media targeting and social media savvy.”

PRINZ President Jane Dodd described the project as “well-planned and executed and a great example of leading-edge work in the public relations sector”.

News & Insights

Brewing up social goodness – a mystery campaign succeeds for Hummingbird Coffee

Working with two other agencies, Convergence helped devise a campaign for Hummingbird Coffee – the country’s leading specialty fresh coffee brand – where the first ‘teaser’ phase didn’t even mention the client.

Emma Maciaszek

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Tactical Communication Plan for complex organisation a rewarding challenge

Convergence Communications was pleased to work pro bono for the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust (BPCT), a non-profit organisation that promotes the conservation and enhancement of indigenous biodiversity and sustainable land management on Banks Peninsula, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Steve Attwood

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Brewing up social goodness in Christchurch’s redzone

Convergence has had the privilege to assist Hummingbird Coffee in revitalising a section of Christchurch’s redzone. A year ago Hummingbird Coffee provided more than $60,000 to environmental green space experts The Green Lab to create a leading accessible sensory nature space in the city’s east – Te Kohanga Taiao Sensory Nature Play Park – which opened in June 2024.

Emma Maciaszek

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NZ Infrastructure shake up – Is a political compromise possible?

The Coalition Government has announced details of its National Infrastructure Plan envisaged to span a 30-year period¹. Our Government, Regulatory and Public Affairs specialist, Lisa-Marie Richan, explains how our Coalition Government may approach this and build trust across Parliament for all parties to feel they’ve been heard.

Lisa-Marie Richan (L-M)

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Shining a light on performance and learning through independent review

Convergence Strategic Consultant Dave Brash has both led, implemented, and reviewed a number of significant projects for central and local government including major transport and environment initiatives.

Dave Brash

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Bringing balance to a community discussion on mining

When TiGa Minerals & Metals announced in March 2023 that it intended to apply for resource consents for a minerals mine on the Barrytown Flats of the South Island’s West Coast, the company became concerned at what it perceived as the lack of balance in the public discussion through local news and social media.

Steve Attwood

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The next 100 days: How will government reforms affect your business or organisation?

The National Party has long considered itself the ‘party of business’ with a sharp eye on economic wellbeing and productivity. However, following New Zealand First and Act negotiations, the new National-led coalition government demands quickly enacted reform and it needs to deliver huge swathes of replacement legislation and policy change.

Lisa-Marie Richan (L-M)

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