PR and marketing

LEGO® Australia in conjunction with Toyworld stores, are searching for the nation’s best LEGO builder in the National LEGO Building Competition with entries opening on the first of April 2011.

Now in its second year, the competition gives Australian children the opportunity to use their creativity and construction skills to build the LEGO model of their dreams for the chance to win a family trip to LEGOLAND® California.

All children interested in entering are required to build a LEGO model, take a photo of the model and present it with a completed entry form to their local Toyworld store. Entries can be submitted to any Toyworld store from 1st to 30th April 2011 and will be on display for the duration of the competition.

Ryan McNaught, LEGO Certified Professional is encouraging all children to start building their models now, ready to be entered when the competition opens in April.

“I suggest that children take inspiration for their models from all around them, from the world they live in, TV shows and the books they have read. Building something different and unique is definitely the way to go.”

“It is a good idea to not just build one thing, build lots of different things then they can choose their favourite one. Often it’s the other ideas and creations that are made that are even better than the original idea. So I encourage kids to build lots of models and pick their favourite model to enter as they can only submit one in the NLBC,” said Mr McNaught.

The Grand Prize winner will receive return flights to Los Angeles for four people, five nights accommodation in the luxurious Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel, admission for four people to LEGOLAND California theme park for four days, and $1,500 spending money. 

There will also be the chance to win store and state prizes with winners receiving $50RRP and $100 RRP worth of LEGO product respectively. All entrants will receive a Junior LEGO Master Builder Certificate.

It’s time to get building!

Visit www.toyworld.com.au or visit your local Toyworld store for more details.

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10 top tips for LEGO building

Ryan McNaught, LEGO Certified Professional has offered the following top ten tips to help children get started on their entries. Please feel free to use these.

1. Don’t just build one thing, build lots of different things then choose your favourite one.
   Often it’s the other ideas and creations you make that are even better than your original idea, so build lots and pick your favourite!
2. Get organised! Have your LEGO bricks all sorted out in a way that makes building easy, have your bricks sorted by colour and type, i.e. have all your mini figures and their utensils together.
3. Make things that you really like, if you really love space ships, then build a space ship, or if you are into making cities then build the best police station. Models are always better when you really love what you’re building.
4. Include things that move. Have hidden trap doors, sections that open and things that spin to make the model playable.
5. Every great model tells a story, for example; here is the King who is trying to defend his castle from the bad guy Prince who wants to take all of his cows!  The more interesting the story the more interesting the model.
6. Take inspiration for your models from all around you, from the world we live in, TV shows and the books you have read. Building something different and unique is definitely the way to go.
7. Work with other people, get together with your friends and family and build your models at the same time. This way you will get inspiration and ideas that will help you make an even better creation.
8. Build a strong model.  If you have to move your models around, make sure they are robust and tough, you don’t want your precious creation falling to pieces when you go to move it.
9. Don’t be afraid to start again, if you just finished building something and you aren’t happy with it, tear it down and build it again. All the great LEGO models around the world are made from many, many versions. 
10. Get colourful. Use different colours that you normally wouldn’t. Use colours in unusual ways, put a red stripe down the side of your grey space ship, it will make it super-fast and look super cool!

Notes to the Editor
Since 1932, when Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund, Denmark, began making wooden toys in his workshop, the name LEGO has been synonymous with creativity and learning through play.  LEGO is proud to carry on its historic tradition of learning through fun and creative play by announcing the National LEGO Building Competition.

About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 7,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries. www.lego.com

PR agency CP Communications has been appointed the public relations project for the National LEGO® Building Competition.

CP Communications will be managing the public relations project in Australia and New Zealand to promote the annual competition, in which children use their creativity and construction skills to build the LEGO® model of their dreams for the chance to win a family trip to LEGOLAND® California.

Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said, “We are thrilled to be working on this project. Working with a well known, global brand offers many exciting possibilities. This year is shaping up to be very productive, with new growth bringing new ideas that we can use to benefit our clients.”

CP Communications tailors individual strategies and tactics to meet PR objectives and achieve amazing results for clients.

A picturesque alpine property set amongst the playground of Australian celebrities will be the first Snowy Mountain property to be sold online. 

The “Jillamatong” property located on the Alpine Way, the ‘golden mile’ between Jindabyne and Thredbo is expected to draw a large amount of interest from around Australia due to its close proximity to two of the major snow fields and a major tourism area of Australia. 

The property will be marketed to potential buyers by Kosciusko First National using SOLDONLINE.COM.AU, Australia’s premier online property auction provider, with bidding starting on 9 December and ending on 14 December 2010. 

Gordon Jenkinson, Principal of Kosciusko First National said, “We are really excited to be the first in the Snowy Mountain area to be selling properties online. Most of our buyers are from outside the region so it makes complete sense to offer this service.”

“The majority of our sales are now coming over the internet as are our enquiries, so online auctions are the perfect extension of our services.”

“In rural areas including our own it is increasingly difficult to get genuine buyers to attend an onsite auction. We end up with a lot of onlookers, but no buyers.”

“In places like the Snowy Mountains there are great distances involved in attending auctions and often unpredictable weather that turns buyers away. By removing the need for unnecessary travel we are hoping to achieve a better result for all involved.”

“The auction will run over four days allowing interested parties to make educated decisions and consult family members or advisors throughout the whole process which is not always possible on the spot at a traditional auction.” 

“This is a great opportunity as property along the Alpine Way rarely comes onto the market and “Jillamatong” is the only rural residential property currently for sale in the Crackenback Valley,” said Mr Jenkinson. 

Director of SOLDONLINE.COM.AU and Licensed Real Estate Auctioneer, David Scholes agrees, “With nearly 80 percent of properties being researched online, it makes sense to have auctions online as well.”

“An online auction is the perfect choice for a property such as this one with interested buyers potentially coming from right across Australia.”

“We have made auctions accessible for a greater range of bidders who can register and bid from wherever they are at their own convenience. This way both buyers and sellers have increased flexibility and can make their decisions from the comfort of their own home in their own time,” said Mr Scholes. 

The property includes a recently renovated four bedroom, two bathroom home with an additional two bedroom, one bathroom flat on a 2.034 hectare block.

It also includes a permanent fresh water bore and 15,000 gallons of storage capacity as well as a stable and several recently recladed out- buildings with huge potential. 

The current LEP allows for the property to be used as a bed and breakfast (with DA approval).

The property can be viewed at http://www.soldonline.com.au/property_details.htm?id=101220 and on site appointments can be arranged by calling Kosciusko First National on 02 6457 2000. 

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SOLDONLINE.COM.AU run simple, secure and stress free online property auctions for residential, commercial and rural properties. Vendors or their Agents can now take advantage of this online system that allows for increased flexibility in the traditional auction system allowing bidders from anywhere in the world to take part, 24/7. The extended bidding period removes the pressure normally associated with traditional auctions.

PR Agency, CP Communications has been appointed the public relations account for the Gov 2.0 Taskforce in a competitive tender.

CP Communications will be responsible for promoting the availability of the draft Taskforce report for public comment, promoting the key issues underpinning the draft recommendations and managing the media and stakeholders.

Director of CP Communications, Catriona Pollard said: “We are thrilled to win the account and are looking forward to promoting the Taskforce report.”

“Sadly boutique agencies such as CP Communications are often over looked for larger and well known accounts. In this case they looked at our experience rather than our size. With our expertise in web 2.0, government and technology we were the perfect fit,” said Ms Pollard.

The Taskforce will be releasing a report on options on how to increase the openness of government through making public sector information more widely available to promote transparency, innovation and value adding to government information, and encouraging online engagement. 

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About CP Communications
Established 2001, CP Communications has a strong B2B background, working with digital and technology accounts as well as recruitment, HR and aged care. Director, Catriona Pollard was been listed as one of the top 100 PR people worldwide worth following on Twitter. 

An article written by Catriona Pollard has been featured in Dynamic Business on how to Beat your competitors with effective PR campaigns.

Don’t you just hate it when you open a magazine and one of your competitors is featured and you just know that they will get customers from the publicity? You ask why were they featured and not me? The answer is a public relations program.

Public relations (PR) is an extremely efficient method of communicating with a target audience - and it doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Business owners can choose from a variety of simple and cost effective activities that will help achieve their business objectives.

The reason that PR works is that it provides third-person credibility not obtainable through paid advertising. In fact, it is said to have 10 times the impact of traditional, paid advertising, placing you above your competitors as the “top of mind” choice for customers, investors and business partners.

Read the full article. http://www.dynamicbusiness.com/articles/articles-growth/beat-your-competitors-with-effective-pr-campaigns3599.html