Federation, one of the largest independent creative agencies in New Zealand, today announced that it is launching a specialist content marketing and PR agency, Hubbub.

The new standalone company will harness the power of content marketing to help clients drive business growth and deepen customer engagement.

Hubbub will be led by managing partner, Tony Mangan, a senior communications professional who recently returned to New Zealand after almost a decade working at top PR and content marketing agencies in London. In that time, he directed high-impact campaigns for some of the world’s best-known brands, such as Microsoft, Visa, and Samsung.  Under Mangan’s stewardship, Hubbub will create, distribute and promote high-quality content that is useful, interesting, compelling and timely – not a hard sell. It will use PR and social media to amplify content reach and effectiveness.

Commenting on the launch, Federation founder Sharon Henderson said: “With Hubbub, we have a sister agency to Federation that will provide strategic content marketing based on global best practice. It will also enable us to optimise client marketing campaigns to a whole new level. We’re very excited to have Tony, with his unique international experience, leading the charge. He’s already won a number of new clients.”

Content marketing is a growth industry. Analysts at PQ Media project that global revenues will increase at a 15 per cent compound annual growth rate for the rest of the decade, and generate more than US$313 billion in 2019. Mangan explains why, saying: “Content marketing is on the rise because, when done right, it’s a highly effective way for brands to cut through the clutter, build an audience, and win and retain their business. Hubbub is dedicated to helping organisations in New Zealand, Australia and further afield to do just that.”

Mangan adds: “The world is awash with content and audiences are fragmented, but good stories, told well, can achieve spectacular results. The keys to success include a strong strategy and plan that maps to the target audience’s needs and preferences, a great creative platform, software tools to monitor, interact and evaluate, and getting as much positive coverage on earned media as possible.”

The launch of Hubbub is an important milestone for Federation, which was founded by former Group Managing Director of Clemenger Proximity , Sharon Henderson, and former Managing Director of WRC, Murray Reid, amid the global financial crisis in early 2008.

With Federation, directors Henderson and Reid set out to build a New Zealand-owned creative agency that focused on delivering maximum return on investment to its clients. The former startup has grown rapidly to become one of the biggest independent players in the industry. Federation works with major brands such as Fisher & Paykel Finance, Emirates, The Warehouse Group, Fonterra and Farm Source, Cavalier Bremworth and James Hardie.