And Our Frequent Answers

What is Talkies?

Talkies is a small PR agency quite good at promoting technology and knowledge-based companies. Mostly, clients call us when they want publicity or feel they’re being unfairly treated by news media. Sometimes, though, we talk people out of chasing publicity, because often there are better ways to get your story told. Hell, it could be as simple as getting you and the right people around a table. But I don’t think they teach that in PR lectures these days.

What does Talkies do?

We help our clients to change the minds of important others. Telling the right kind of stories helps. Much of our work involves news media storytelling. Clients love it because a good story carried by independent news media is very powerful. It changes minds and makes telephones ring. However, these days, as media fragments and conversations bounce around more places, you’ve got to keep moving the soapbox. So we end up doing all sorts of storytelling….award entries, presentations, marketing collateral, custom publishing, customer snapshots, case studies, whitepapers, conference themes and development, campaign planning …………

Who does Talkies work for?

Mainly technology businesses. 2009 clients include computing infrastructure company Revera; online media and social networking property MSN; NYSE-listed business software provider BMC; projects for Agile and Lexel; and Janssen-Cilag. From time-to-time we like to step outside our ICT ‘box’. We’ve launched a pizza company; promoted NZ’s largest lifestyle event Big Boys Toys; and mix with busty models. Occasionally we turn down business (and not just propellor heads who think they’re about to usurp Google; or friends of Sinn Fein; or aspiring Shortland Street actors; ….)

Are we any good?

Most clients think so. At least that’s what they tell us - you’re doing well, please can we have more of it, they say. Sometimes our industry peers say we’re quite good, too. Even people in other countries have said so. Last year our work for client BMC Software picked up three awards at the Asia Pacific PR Awards: Regional Campaign of the Year; Technology Campaign of the Year; Business to Business Campaign of the Year.

How do we get started?

First we should eyeball each other. You’ll talk about your ideal world and if we think we can help we’ll tell you how much it might cost. If we think we can’t help we’ll tell you that, too.

How much does it cost?

Well, that depends how big the job is. Most activity is based on an hourly rate. $150-to-$200 per hour, depending on what we’re required to do. We price-tag specific projects and also work on a retainer basis. Compared to those big flash multinational agencies we’re probably quite cheap. But then you’re not going to walk into a marble reception area or client drinks and giggles in high street art galleries.