Celebrating a Legend

Humble. Passionate. Dedicated. Revered. Champion. There are almost as many adjectives to describe Robert Harvey as the number of games he’s played (377 at the last count). And every one of them is complimentary. After 21 seasons with St Kilda, and a treasure chest of memories and honours, ‘Harvs’, as he is universally known, will hang up his boots once and for all at the end of the 2008 season. He will be sorely missed. By his teammates, such as Lenny Hayes who had posters of Harvey on his wall as a child. By all the men who coached him, such as Grant Thomas who was once moved to tears by the quality of Harvey’s performance in a qualifying final against Adelaide. By his peers, such as Nathan Buckley, who rates Harvey as his favourite player. And most of all, Harvey will be missed by the adoring St Kilda fans. When the curtain does finally come down on his unforgettable career, expect Harvey to bow out in characteristic fashion. With the minimum of fuss. The Slattery Media Group is producing a souvenir book Harvs: St Kilda Legend to celebrate the career of Robert Harvey. It will be on sale from round 21.

A Gift to Our Club

On July 17, 2008, iconic Melbourne Football Club coach Norm Smith was celebrated with the launch of a revealing biography: The Red Fox – The Biography of Norm Smith, at the MCG's exclusive Long Room.

The book was officially launched by Melbourne Football Club president Jim Stynes, along with past greats from Melbourne's dominant era; Hassa Mann, John Beckwith, Frank 'Bluey' Adams, Norm's son Peter Smith and Tony Charlton, a close friend of Smith's, who acted as Master of Ceremonies. In keeping with his rough and tumble beginnings, students from the school where Norm attended, Westgarth Primary, were there to join in the celebrations.

Read full article

One City, One Club, for 150 Years

Many Cats supporters have never had it this good, but the Geelong Football Club emerged as a force long before it asserted itself as football’s newest dynasty in 2007 and 2008. In fact, the club was officially formed in 1859 – only 24 years after John Batman landed on the site we now call Geelong.

Remarkably, for a town 80 kilometres away from Melbourne in the mid-19th century, Geelong exerted significant influence in the game’s formative years, as it battled for bragging rights with Melbourne – on both a sporting and commercial front. The people of Geelong and the club have enjoyed a mutual love affair ever since. It’s been an emotional roller coaster. The club has had remarkable success (seven VFA premierships from 1878-86, for example) and more than its fair share of pain (most notably, four losing Grand Finals from 1989-95), as well as several homes – it was evicted from Argyle Square in the 19th century for failing to pay its rent, then in 1941 forced to Kardinia Park from Corio Oval, which was required for World War II military training.

In 2009, the Geelong Football Club will celebrate its 150th anniversary. The Slattery Media Group is publishing an illustrated history of the club, with essays from leading football writers and historians, complemented by strong photographs and memorabilia. The book will hit shelves in July next year.

Launching The Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is the end of a long history of involvement in the racing industry – and the beginning of a new chapter. My first job in the mad business of journalism was with The Truth, in 1971 – working with Ron Taylor, Ron Maund, Syd Brennan, and Danny Power, bringing out the must have form, twice a week.

Those were the days. Being paid to study and update form. I was there for six years, before moving on to the wider world of sports journalism, with The Australian and The Age. In the late ’80s, those early days at The Truth paid off when The Herald introduced SuperForm in its Friday afternoon edition. This was The Truth form re-introduced – without the page three girls.

Read full article

Making Faces

Welcome to The Slattery Media Group.

After many years trading as Geoff Slattery Publishing, we have done what we have told many of our clients to do – we have (in footy speak) taken a long hard look at ourselves, and have committed energy, creativity, and cash to giving ourselves a corporate makeover.

This company has always been a bubbly, larrikin workplace – and this website is a much clearer view of the way we see ourselves, and the way we work and interact as employees.

We like to be bright and cheerful and effective and crack gags and make each other laugh. We like to be happy when one of us succeeds, and our new brand, new set of corporate colours, and new web presence is not so much a makeover, but expressing the private us to public scrutiny.

It’s taken longer than we would have liked to put on our make-up. In that way, we’ve been a bit like the plumber with the dripping tap. We’ve been too busy working for others than being concerned about our own presence.

This site will change constantly, be updated daily (if necessary), and will showcase the things we do, the company we are, and the people who make things happen – for us and for our clients. It will also push visitors to ideas and inspirations in all sorts of areas. We hope you enjoy the change.

Geoff Slattery
Chief Executive Officer

The Use of Digital

The use of digital as a medium in the delivery of communication strategies is often debated. How much of the advertising spend should it equate to? Where does it fit into the campaign? How is it impacting magazines and other traditional avenues?

Communicating appropriately in a digitised world is about outcomes - for your message and for your brand. All forms of media are based on a need to communicate to a market - and what the content of the message is, should be considered as closely as the form in which it is delivered. And digital is a medium that needs to be in the mix.

Last week in Cannes at the International Advertising Festival, Procter and Gamble (P&G), the cosmetics and household giant won advertiser of the year. In discussing the role of digital, Jim Steigel, P&G global marketing officer told media, “this is not an emerging medium, this is media. It’s a digital world.”

“The digitisation of media," Steigel said, "has enabled advertisers to engage in deeper communications with consumers, "in a way that wasn't possible before". "It's a very high priority for us, if you look at our spendings, our programs and our priorities."

This is a position that we consider daily for the communication solutions sought by our clients and the needs of our own publications. Last week, The Slattery Media Group launched The Thoroughbred, a new website that aims to become the ultimate horse racing and breeding industry resource, providing information into the horses, the people, the issues and the major events. The website supplements a magazine and a printed directory, and responds to a need from the end consumer- those in the Australian racing industry - for information. A digital component of The Thoroughbred offering made sense; both to the way people search for information and in the ability for content to be updated constantly. The use of digital in this case is relevant and the most appropriate way of communicating to the audience.