Marketing briefs

The large U-Bix sign has disappeared from Khyber Pass Rd as parent company Onesource begins to flex its branding muscle.

Onesource is a subsidiary of Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin's Hanover Group and was created last year out of the merger of U-Bix Document Solutions and telecommunications service company Cogent Communications.

Chief executive Elaine Ford said given the market familiarity with U-Bix and Cogent, Onesource had taken a "softly, softly" approach to its own branding of the July merger, but is now increasingly selling itself as "a single source for all office technology".

The U-Bix and Cogent logos will remain co-branded with Onesource on vehicles and business cards.

"We still value the brands and we will continue to market with those brands, as well as Onesource as the umbrella brand," Ford said.

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The Australasian Professional Services Marketing Association is establishing a New Zealand branch, citing the boom in professional marketing here.

APSMA president Lynette Nixon said while New Zealand law firms in particular shunned marketing 10 years ago, "now they are among the most innovative in their ideas".

New Zealand-based directors Felicity Hainey and Monique Baker have been elected to the APSMA board.

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Direct marketing agency Lavender has won the task of driving BP's take-out coffee and food brand, Cafe Zip.

The appointment is being touted as the beginning of a concerted effort by BP to push awareness of Cafe Zip's quality and convenience.

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Australia's CPR Communications & Public Relations is opening an Auckland office, to be headed by Michael Hogan, former corporate affairs manager for Telstra and communications director for the Australian Cricket Board.

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More New Zealanders are defining their spiritual journey online with traffic to religion sites up on this time last year, says internet monitoring company Hitwise.

New Zealand's most popular religion sites include Parachute Music, Anglican Diocese of Dunedin, Radio Rhema and the Stupa Information Page. (A stupa is an ancient Buddhist shrine dedicated to the historic Buddha Shakyamuni).