AirAsia X Increases Flight Frequencies

AirAsia X has announced an increase in frequencies to eight destinations including Melbourne, Sydney and Perth in Australia. In the next few months, flight frequencies will be increased between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Melbourne (to 14x weekly flights), Sydney (to 11x weekly) and Perth (to 14x weekly). They join increases to Osaka (to 9x weekly), Sapporo (to 5x weekly), Beijing (to 11x weekly), Shanghai (to 11x weekly) and Taipei (to 14x weekly) from Kuala Lumpur. For detailed flight schedules and more information, please log on to airasia.com. To coincide with the increase in frequencies AirAsia has launched a sale for all AirAsia X flights (flight code D7) with low fares available to Kuala Lumpur from Perth from $149*, Melbourne from $239*, Sydney from $249*, and Gold Coast from $269*. Fares between Auckland and Gold Coast are on sale from NZ$119* and from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur priced from NZ$329*. AirAsia X’s award-winning Premium Flatbeds are also on sale to Kuala Lumpur from Perth from $469* and Melbourne, Sydney and Gold Coast from $699*. Premium Flatbed fares between Auckland and Gold Coast are on sale from NZ$250* and from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur priced from NZ$799*. The travel period is from now until 24 November 2016. For all bookings and additional sale fares please log on to airasia.com. For bookings or further information visit www.airasia.com Flights and fares are subject to availability. Auckland Arik Kumar De, Head of Commercial for AirAsia X Berhad said, “As the pioneer for low cost long-haul travel, we are pleased to offer our guests greater value with additional flight options to selected destinations. Our guests can now enjoy more flexibility in their travel plans for the coming few months through the added flight frequencies which will be an added convenience factor.” Travellers can also log onto AirAsia’s one-stop travel portal at AirAsiaGo.com which offers a range of more than 80,000 three-star, five-star and boutique hotels to choose from. *Flights and fares are subject to availability. Availability of connecting flights are subject to timings of the individual flights. Seats are limited and not available on all flights/days or at peak periods. Fares include airport taxes & surcharges. Processing fee is applicable for online bookings made by credit, debit or charge card. Processing fee does not apply to Australian customers paying with PayPal. Fees apply for checked baggage except on Business Class Flat Bed fares. Other terms and conditions apply. Booking period 25 April 2016 – 8 May 2016 or until sold out. Travel period 26 April 2016 to 24 November 2016. Lowest possible sale fares are one-way online at airasia.com. Next best possible fare available via phone with additional $25 service fee. All amounts are in Australian dollars unless stated otherwise.

Five ways to spearhead your Facebook content marketing

facebook Creating content is one thing. Creating content that your audience loves and wants to share is entirely different. And if you aren’t generating content that your audience cares about, then you’re wasting valuable time and resources. How can you create something that matters to your audience, bolsters your company image and isn’t sales-y? Over many years of experience we have found some simple tips to help generate quality content and create authentic, engaging posts. First of all, ask yourself:

  • Are you creating something that will serve to educate, improve or better the lives of your audience;
  • Or, are you just trying to sell something?

People can easily sniff out the latter and will generally feel aggrieved if you duped them with the promise of great content, only to hit with a slogan. Here’s some simple ways to start generating valuable content on Facebook:

  1. If you’re at the early stages of social media, or your analytics are lagging behind, why not ask your followers: What do you want to see from us? Make a list of the requests and start from there.
  2. Create ‘Milestones’ on your company page; they can be both serious and fun, and it demonstrates your business growth.
  3. Don’t screen shot and post a graphic; instead, print out a hard copy and take a picture of the printout in a specific context; this makes your brand human, highlights your creativity, and makes your company less digital – even if it’s shared digitally.
  4. Tag other local brands and show appreciation for their work – but make it genuine. People can tell the difference.
  5. Highlight your company’s strongest assets – your employees! People love seeing well-written profiles of employees, what they do, and what they love about the company.

Social media presents a highly cost-effective way to generate brand awareness, so it’s important to ensure your online content is on-point. Here is a bit of a guide from the folks at Marketing Strategy HQ on maximising content on Facebook. guide-to-facebook-content-marketing-infographic

The Essential Features Of A Successful Media Publicity Strategy

Ben Ready is Managing Director of RG Communications. He has been a journalist and communications professional for nearly 20 years.
Ben Ready is Managing Director of RG Communications. He has been a journalist and communications professional for nearly 20 years.
Media publicity is not terribly difficult – in theory. In practice it is incredibly complex and nuanced, which is why their is now entire industry built around it. As I have explained previously, there is a vast difference between media publicity and public relations. While both attempt to influence awareness, understanding and perception, they serve a different purpose and require vastly different approaches. In it’s simplest form, a media publicity campaign is about getting your brand, product or service in front of potential customers. It has always been my experience that while many clients talk about wanting ‘public relations’, what they really want is to see their name in the paper (for doing good things). Public relations on the other hand is largely concerned with managing the perceptions of complex publics, of which media is just one. While entire books have been written on public relations theory, very few writers have definitively addressed effective publicity strategies. Over many years of developing, refining and implementing effective strategies I have learnt that the only three things that matter are your Content, Contacts and Cadence. To keep the alliterative theme going, it is the what, the who and when. media publicity strategy Content (What) Your content is your story and is the starting point for any publicity strategy. Without an engaging story, your contacts and cadence are irrelevant. Developing a strong narrative (or narrative series) is where you need to invest the greatest amount of time and resources. Unfortunately it is more art than science, which is why developing a good narrative is largely intuitive and takes many years of experience to do effectively. In a newsroom it’s called ‘news sense’, in the content marketing space it is called ‘story telling’, we call them opportunities. The key to developing great opportunities for publicity is to take yourself out of the story and concentrate on the needs of your audience. Simply stacking up your marketing messages into a pile is not creating a story, that is advertising. Ask yourself some simple questions:

  • Why is this story interesting?
  • What value is there for the audience?
  • Is it ‘news’ or ‘marketing’?
  • Who does this impact?

Contacts (Who) Your contacts are your target audience. In media publicity, it is the journalists, influencers and gatekeepers who control what appears in the media. It can be contacts in the traditional sense of people you know and have established relationships with or it can be people you haven’t dealt with previously. It is important to have a clear understanding of who your target audience is and then work backwards to find they media they consume, and the gatekeepers who decide what they consume. The first priority should be to establish and build relationships with people who may be covering your company or organisation on a regular basis. The easiest way to build relationships is to provide contacts with a steady stream of good stories. The easiest way to break their trust is to pitch them crap (highlighting the importance of content). It is important to establish and maintain wide databases of RELEVANT media. Cadence (When) Cadence is the regularity by which you target the media. You can execute opportunities too often, or not often enough; getting the balance right is difficult. The regularity of opportunity execution should always depend on the quality of your content, not the schedule in your planner. Setting up a schedule to release something on the third Thursday of every month often leads to missing great opportunities which happen at other times while using content that is not suitable, just because it is in a schedule. The best news (content) should be released when it happens. The longer you wait the less newsworthy it becomes. be prepared to be flexible and responsive to opportunities as they emerge and don’t let yourself be restricted by an arbitrary schedule. There are many different names for each of these aspects of a media publicity strategy. Regardless of what you call them, understanding them and finding solutions is the only strategy you will ever ned for getting yourself in the paper.

Parkside Alma Heights Rapid Sales Success

Moffatt Property Development Group has seen early success in its decision to target the fast growing corridor north of Brisbane around North Lakes. Its Parkside Alma Heights town house development in Dakabin has almost sold out with construction now underway and with completion expected in June 2016. Parkside features 21 three-bedroom town houses with prices ranging from $355,000 to $375,000. Moffatt Property Development Group’s Don Moffatt said, “This boutique development has resonated with investors and first home buyers due to its location and quality finishes. “This location is greatly sought after due to its proximity to transport, shopping and schools. “There are three supermarkets – Coles, Woolworths and Aldi with specialty retail shops being built adjacent to this precinct. “With two major transport corridors providing easy access to both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, as well as Brisbane, Parkside Alma Heights’ accessibility is proving one of the main drawcards. “We’re very pleased with this result having just commenced marketing in November and have confidence in bringing our next development forward.” Experienced Sunshine Coast-based builder Vantage Building Group is constructing the town houses. “Vantage’s track record ensures the quality of construction and finishes that we are bringing to Parkside,” Mr Moffatt said. “Suitable development sites are difficult to come across, so we’re fortunate to have a pipeline of quality product in this area.” Parkside is only 35 minutes to Brisbane CBD, close to Dakabin train station and near the expanding Westfield North Lakes. Data released by CoreLogic RPData showed North Lakes as the standout performer for total house sales in the greater Brisbane region for the 12 months to September 2015 with $236 million in sales. Westfield are spending $140 million on an extension to link the North Lakes mall with the new Ikea store currently under construction. The Westfield extension is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Due to the success of Parkside Alma Heights Moffatt Development Group will soon be launching another development in the area. For further information on Alma Heights please visit: www.almaheightstownhouses.com.au north lakes

Great Barrier Reef Shines In Attenborough Documentary

great barrier reef

The world’s most renowned naturalist, David Attenborough, has embarked on one of his most compelling journeys yet with the forthcoming screening of his documentary of the world’s largest living structure, the mighty Great Barrier Reef.

David Attenborough’s three-part Great Barrier Reef documentary will commence screening at 7.40pm on Sunday 10th April on the ABC and be available on ABC iview.

Attenborough had this to say about the prospect of returning to the reef to film the documentary: “The most exciting natural experience of my life was the first time I dived on a coral reef. Being on the Reef is a revelatory, thrilling and unbeatable experience and with this project, we are going to be able to share it with millions.

“As I entered the water I remember suddenly seeing these amazing multi-coloured species living in communities – just astounding and unforgettable beauty. So I’m very excited to be returning to the Reef with all the latest technology and science to see one of the most important places on the planet in a whole new way.”

Attenborough has also said to The Guardian.com of the Great Barrier Reef that, “It is fantastic, better than travelling to the moon.”

Attenborough first visited the Reef in 1957 using the first scuba-diving equipment and has been back several times since but never for a documentary of this nature.

The three hour-long programs will have eventually aired in 130 countries to around one billion people.

Snorkel 11
Daydream Island’s Living Reef Manager and resident marine biologist John Gaskell says that the reef continues to fascinate visitors to Daydream and the Whitsunday region.

“We’re lucky to be located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a constant source of wonderment to our guests, no matter whether it’s their first visit or one of many,” he said.

“This documentary will shine the light on the amazing variety of marine life to be found, many of which can be seen whilst snorkeling just off our own fringing coral reef.”

Daydream’s on-island Living Reef attraction is one of the world’s largest man-made living coral reef lagoons, home to more than 140 species of marine fish, 82 species of coral and 15 species of invertebrates such as starfish, sea cucumbers and crabs.

Comprising a north and south lagoon and holding more than 1.5 million litres of water, the Living Reef lets visitors learn about and get up close to the fascinating inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef.