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anthemnz · 2 years ago

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Anthem December Newsletter

Tēnā koutou e te whanau and welcome to Anthem’s December newsletter!

As we look towards the end of another eventful year, it is a great opportunity to step back and appreciate all that has been achieved.

November was an eventful month for Anthem, our clients, and friends.

The latest edition of our Fair Enough? research series, in collaboration with Talbot Mills Research, was released. This edition saw us ask and answer: Is it fair enough to expect employees to turn up at their workplace when their employer requires them to do so? Is it fair enough that employers should adapt their business models to accommodate remote working? What do you think is fair enough?

The Spinoff partnered with Education New Zealand to share the importance of international student exchange programmes and the benefits they bring beyond classrooms.

Our client DOE Donuts shared pop-ups and pickle donuts in November, and is looking forward to an even more “jam”-packed silly season.

Pfizer provided Kiwis with top tips for COVID-19 going into the summer season.

New Zealand Story launched a podcast featuring the tales of successful Kiwi businesses that are proudly helping expand New Zealand’s global reputation. We also helped Qrious share the incredible news of its $1 million paid internship programme for women, Māori, and Pasifika.

The annual Cure Kids Gala Dinner, celebrating over 50 years, helped raise much needed funds for health research to improve the lives of our tamariki.

Exsurgo founder and CEO Richard Little provided insights into his life as a health tech entrepreneur in a feature with NZBusiness Magazine.

Spark and Toitū Tahua reported the important role the finance and digital technology sectors have in reducing New Zealand’s carbon emissions.

Fullers360 announced an exciting partnership with Seachange to bring a premium zero-emission vessel to the Hauraki Gulf from September 2023.

In Anthem Life for November, we had our biannual team offsite to make a plan for the remainder of the financial year, we celebrated International Men’s Day, and we welcomed some new Anthemites to the fold.

Read on to learn more!

Kia pai to rā Best wishes from the Anthem team

HOW FLEXIBLE AND REMOTE WORKING POLICIES ARE SHAPING ORGANISATION'S REPUTATIONS

Our research series Fair Enough?, in partnership with public opinion research company Talbot Mills, is aimed at analysing organisational reputation through a fairness lens. Our latest edition saw us ask and answer the questions: Is it fair enough to expect employees to turn up at their workplace when their employer requires them to do so? Is it fair enough that employers should adapt their business models to accommodate remote working? With the war for talent New Zealand is amid, emerging flexible and remote working options make companies and organisations desirable places to work. As communications specialists, we know that organisations need to be communicating this in their employee value proposition in order to attract the talent they need. To learn more about the results of our research and its implications for organisations thinking about their remote and flexible working policies (hint: every organisation should be!) we’ve compiled our key takeaways below.

The Fair Enough? podcast brought together industry leaders to discuss what organisations should be considering when creating flexible working policies

The Listener’s Sarah Catherall discusses our research and its implications for the post-Covid working norm

BusinessDesk’s Pattrick Smellie shares his main takeaways from the research in On The Money

For the data-lovers out there, read the full research findings on the Anthem blog

THE SPINOFF TALKS EDUCATION EXCHANGES

Education New Zealand partnered with The Spinoff to share the surprising benefits that international exchange programmes bring to students and to New Zealand.

The article comes after New Zealand's ESOL sector experienced a 92% increase in enrolments between August and September.

The article shares thoughts from sector leaders and international students on their views and lived experiences with international exchange programmes, how these benefitted them, and how it brings positive contributions to New Zealand.

Learn more about the value of educational exchanges

DOE-NUT MISS OUT ON THE CHRISTMAS CHEER!

Our client DOE Donuts had a bumper November, starting with a sold-out pop-up at Commercial Bay. CBD workers enjoyed delicious flavours like Biscoff Cream and Dark Chocolate Tiramisu… so much so that the DOE team sold out within three hours across three days!

The creativity didn’t stop, as DOE celebrated International Pickle Week with a tantalising collab with McClure’s pickles. The ‘Dickle’ – the perfect combination of sweet dough and glaze alongside savoury pickles and feta – was a hit across media and social, with some radio hosts even getting in on the fun and trying the donut on air.

Now with its focus on the silly season, DOE has launched its limited-edition MistleDOE boxes, packed with festive flavours like fruity pavlova, spiced gingerbread, and creamy eggnog. With a range of different box sizes available from 1st to 23rd December, there are variations to satisfy all Christmas needs this holiday season. We encourage you to join the festive fun and try DOE’s creations for yourself!

Order your very own Mistledoe treats

PFIZER SHARES COVID CONCERNS AHEAD OF SUMMER

Anthem’s client Pfizer released new research in November which examined how Kiwis are feeling about the pandemic as COVID-19 cases continue to rise ahead of summer.

It found that more than half of New Zealanders remain fearful of contracting COVID-19, and only 14% feel their life is back to normal post pandemic.

The research findings and the implications they have on Kiwi summer have been published across a range of media, including TodayFM, Radio NZ, and Stuff.

Learn more about Pfizer's research

NZ STORY FLYING THE FERN PODCAST

The Government’s nation branding agency, New Zealand Story, has launched a podcast featuring the tales of successful Kiwi businesses who are proudly flying their national symbol to help expand New Zealand’s global reputation.

Hosted by CEO David Downs, Flying the Fern features 24 exporters and FernMark Licensees who have achieved international sales success, with a focus on storytelling that embraces country of origin and provenance values. Business profiles include Ecostore, Ārepa, Book Me Bob, Hybrid Bikes, FarmIQ and Trust Codes.

“We hope that by sharing the raw, behind-the-scenes stories of how these Kiwi businesses used their ‘New Zealandness’ to break into offshore markets, other companies can take inspiration in the way they brand their own products and services,” says Downs.

“Sharing these stories can help continue to enhance the value of ‘brand New Zealand’ – in fact New Zealand’s brand value shot up 13% from 2021, to US$248 billion in 2022, according to Brand Finance Nation Brands.”

Listen to the podcast

QRIOUS LAUNCHES DATA ACADEMY

A $1 million paid internship for women, Māori, and Pasifika has received significant interest since its recent launch by Qrious, Spark Business Group’s AI and data analytics specialist.

The Qrious Data Academy is a talent pathway initiative that includes $1 million of paid internships to facilitate a pipeline of local talent into high-demand technology careers in the artificial intelligence and data analytics industry.

The programme has been welcomed by the local technology industry and advocates for tackling the skills shortage problem through dedicated career pathways for underrepresented communities.

“We know that the technology sector – particularly artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics - is set for exponential growth over the next few years, and we want to play our part through an industry-leading programme that encourages, nurtures, mentors and upskills the next generation of New Zealanders,” says Evan Wilson, Qrious Head of Data Innovation.

The launch has generated strong demand for applications, with the majority of placements already filled for the 2023 programme.

Read more here

ANTHEM LIFE

Team offsite

In November, the Anthem team had our biannual team offsite, with the goal of acknowledging what we’ve achieved in the past six months, whilst attaining some ideas and insights for achieving a ‘Best Place to Work’.

We split into four teams, each tackling a particular topic around fostering a better work environment and culture. The event proved to be both motivating and productive, giving everyone a chance to showcase their ideas which could in turn be implemented to foster an optimal place of work that enables everyone to thrive.

Acknowledging the men of Anthem

Caro and Jane took the men of the office out for lunch of their choice to celebrate International Men’s Day last month. Somewhat predictably, they chose a pub as their choice of venue!

In an industry traditionally full of women, it is always a pleasure working alongside the men of the industry who share their talents and passion to help Anthem and our clients find their most powerful voice.

New Anthemites

November saw us welcome three new members into the Anthem team.

Ben Mabon joined us as a Senior Account Director, bringing a wealth of creative and strategic communications experience. Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in internal and external communications and corporate affairs with companies in sectors including financial services, entertainment, primary industry, and local government.

We also welcomed a new Finance and Operations Assistant, Tamara McGill. Tamara, who has a proven background in diverse professional accounting roles, brings over 10 years' financial experience to support Anthem’s growth.

Lorenzo Veaila, our second TupuToa intern, also joined us. Lorenzo will be a full-time Anthemite over his summer university break, giving him the opportunity to gain real-life integrated communications experience to complement his studies. Lorenzo is already stuck into some exciting client work, and we cannot wait to see all that he achieves with us.

We’re delighted to have new Anthemites on board and are recruiting for new talented colleagues to join our growing team – check out our socials and website for more details!

That's our wrap for the month! Kia pai to rā Miri Kirihimete and happy holidays from the Anthem Team

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loftyexecutor · 7 years ago

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quam

Pairing: addain [Esper/Sia], elsain [Infi/Sia] Rating: T WC: 1697 AU: gang au

part of q-rious previously on q-rious; quod

Esper doesn't even realize he's shaking, though his whole body moves like a leaf in a storm, hands frozen by his hips, twitching minutely.

The feeling of Apos' tongue across his lips and in his mouth is familiar and his body welcomes it right away. His mind, however, doesn't share the same sentiment. On unsteady feet, he backs away, lips tingling with the still-present ghost touch.

His hand raises on its own, swinging in a wide arch.

Smack.

It doesn't even feel like it's him doing it, more like he's just an observer peering at the world through the eyes of whoever it is that just created a crimson, palm-shaped mark on Apos' pale cheek.

Apos moves his jaw, making sure it's all right - Esper hasn't been a bodyguard for nothing, even with a body that hides his strength. He looks guilty and doesn't move from the spot even as Esper takes progressively longer and longer to sort through the turmoil of his thoughts.

"Your sense of humor has changed, I see," he mutters darkly, feeling the way his brows knit almost painfully. "Let me clarify, it wasn't funny."

He suddenly feels like retching again, purging the last remains of the alcohol from his body along with Apos' taste that lingers on the edge of his tongue, taunting him. Something smoky with a touch of mint.

Infi hadn't moved during this whole exchange, but now he does, stepping closer to Esper with his arms folded. "It wasn't a joke, that's why," he says, shifting. His arms are as much a barrier as any. "Listen, I know my return fucked up your little thing, but that's why we talked with Apos about it. Y'know, the thing you refused to do and instead got high and drunk?"

"What I do with my body is none of your concern," Esper bites back, all he can force out.

Infi pierces him with a look simultaneously burning and chilling to the bone. Esper refuses to budge, though he does cross his arms in return, doubling the makeshift barrier. "It's my concern when it makes stuff worse."

"It makes nothing worse."

The redhead sighs, shoulders lowering a little. "Apos cried, y'know."

This seems to startle Esper, his eyes shooting to the mentioned man's face for a split second only to find it perfectly dry, if a little contorted. "I don't follow," he breathes.

"When you left. He wouldn't stop, no matter what I did. Just kept crying 'Esper, Esper!' until he passed out from exhaustion." Infi starts twirling a long lock of hair around his index finger as if to find something for his twitchy fingers to do. When he notices Esper's still-very-much-confused look, his lips press into a hard line. "Let me make this clearer."

Finally, Esper thinks.

"Sia likes you. Whether or not you believe it, he does. He also still likes me." Apos is trying his hardest to look like he's not even there. "And you like him, don't you. Otherwise you wouldn't be so jealous-"

"Watch your mouth!"

"-of me." Infi offers a lazy grin, swaying on the balls of his heels. "Now, now. We've come to an agreeable... Let's say a deal, while you were busy drinking yourself up."

"That's it, I don't have to listen to this… kid… spewing shit about me," Esper declares, obviously fed up with Infi's thinly veiled jabs at him.

"Esper," Apos speaks up, first time in the while, and now Infi falls silent. Well, he does when Apos' eyes bore into him, berating him without a single word. "Hear us out. Me out."

Esper takes a deep breath, gazing wistfully at the road before sighing and holding his arms tighter. "Alright, I'm all ears. What is this deal bullshit the pipsqueak blabbered about?"

"Pipsqueak?!" Infi cries out, offended. Well, not even the heels of his shoes give him nearly enough to match either Esper or Apos' height.

"I don't want to lose you, Esper," Apos says, ignoring Infi's remark for the moment. "I... I care about you. Not like a subordinate, but as a friend... Partner. I care the same about Infi, but he'd been gone and now he's back and it's pretty confusing but I know I want you around if that's what you also want!"

Esper is quiet for a moment and then he's still quiet, barely audible, as he says, "It's never been fun being Elsword Perfect Sieghart's shadow, you know? Whenever you talked about him I just wanted to kill him as well, because you'd never stop, you never let me forget there was someone better than me."

"I should have noticed," Apos admits, hanging his head in a mixture of shame and apology.

"I wanted to be special to you," Esper admits, the most painful thing he'd said all day.

"You are special to me."

Esper shakes his head at that, making Apos take back the cautionary step he'd taken towards him. "Not like Infi."

"So that's what you think," Apos utters and his lips quirk up at the corners. "You're right. You're special to me not like Infi, but like you. And I want you to stay, I… need you to stay, it hurts to imagine life without you."

He'd obviously struck a chord with Esper, because he shifts nervously, running fingers through his messy hair. "You survived without Infi. You… became greater. You'll have him back, so you don't really need a failed experiment anym-"

"You're not like Infi, don't you understand?" Apos cuts him off. He would not hear another self-deprecating word from Esper's lips. "You're Esper Grenore, and there's nothing failed about you."

Esper chuckles; it's not wholehearted, but it's a step in the right direction. "The test results would beg to differ."

"What do I care about some decade old tests?"

Esper's lips curl up further. Apos can see the exhaustion clear in his eyes and the bags under them. The man looks like he needs a good night's sleep. And some breakfast, preferably.

"Can I make an offer?" Apos asks, taking a small step towards Esper. Esper doesn't back away, this time, just peers curiously at him. "You don't have to be a bodyguard to Infi. We talked, and Infi agreed to… Well, share the head spot. He'd been gone so long he doesn't know current operations and whatnot. So I wouldn't be his bodyguard, and you could stay mine."

There's a glimmer in Esper's eyes as he glances sideways at Infi, though whether it's an excited grimmer or an enraged one for Infi to try and steal Apos' hard earned spot is beyond either of them. "What about him, though?"

Infi laughs and speaks up again, finally. Honestly, it felt like they'd been passing a baton. "I don't need a guard for the time being. No one even knows I'm back yet, and when the rumors spread, it'll be much more effective to show I can protect myself, don't you think?"

Esper doesn't offer an answer, instead turning back to Apos. "So he'll always be around," he states more than asks.

Apos' eyes soften and he smiles rather lopsidedly. "Give him a chance. I'm sorry I did… all that I did in the past, but no matter how much I hyped him up, he's still a human like us."

"And I don't have to protect him?"

"No." Though Apos doesn't have a single doubt Esper would jump in were something to actually happen.

"Only you? Like before?"

"Only me. Just like before."

"And…" Esper falters. He's almost there, they almost have him! Apos' heart is pounding so hard it's a real feat to keep himself composed. "What was that about the... kiss?"

"Ah." Apos flushes, looking away. "Well… Uh… I love you?"

Esper quirks a brow, hiding his inner turmoil with a scoff. "Love me enough to botch my name during sex, huh?"

Apos cringes. "I'm… sorry for that. Truth is, I also love Infi. But that's… no reason to hurt you in such a way. If you'd give me permission, I would use the right name next time."

"Would you now?" Esper muses, mulling it over. "Are you saying you want to fuck me while you're, what, fucking Infi as well?"

"Date," Apos corrects. "I want to date you."

"Us both? Do I have to date Infi?"

Infi can feel the weight of Esper's stare burning through him. "Nah," he says, instantly feeling it burning a little less. "Just Apos."

"I can… live with that," Esper nods, more to himself than anything. Apos knows he'll warm up to Infi, sooner or later. Well, knowing Esper, it'll be later more than sooner. "I… don't know how this works."

"We can figure it out. For now, how does lunch sound like?"

Esper has to admit, at least to himself, that he is starving. Having heaved up what little he'd ingested the night prior left him woozy and with a grumbling stomach, so he didn't have many protests.

"McDonald's?" he asks hopefully, just the thought of a chocolate McSundae making his mouth water.

"Anything you want," Apos nods.

Esper casts a glance at Infi, who had stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket, looking odd with the bruise on his face and dust on his dress shirt. His tie is askew. But the boy - how old even is he? How is he the head of a mafia? - looks completely relaxed now, when grinning lazily.

"One order of chicken nuggets and chocolate ice cream?" Infi asks, already looking like he knows the answer. Esper glances at Apos, and even if Apos' expression doesn't betray anything, he knows he's the one who told Infi what he likes. Something tugs at his heart.

"Double order of chicken burger and vanilla ice cream?" Esper replies, hesitantly.

They turn to look at Apos and this time their voices are almost synced. "One order of cheeseburger with bacon, no ice cream and apple cake."

"Ice cream isn't even a part of a menu why do you say no ice cream?" Apos sighs, rolling his eyes goodheartedly.

"It so is," Infi huffs, "What's an order without ice cream?"

"A meal."

"You're missing out, Apos."

"Nah. Not anymore."

#elsword #addain #elsain #DEAP #ISAP #.elsword #.addain #.elsain #.deap #.isap #.qrious #.gang au #.1k

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