CBD
Having stepped out in three different codes, footballer Israel Folau is anything but a bread-and-butter player - but bread and butter is exactly where the canny operator has struck his latest deal.
Well, Wonder White and MeadowLea margarine, anyway. Folau, who these days thunders up and down the field with rugby union's NSW Waratahs, has signed a sponsorship deal with the company that owns the spongy loaf and the vegetable oil spread, Goodman Fielder.
Folau's move from rugby league to the AFL's new GWS side earned him a motza but saw him slammed for greed as he struggled with the transition from the rectangular field to the oval.
At the end of last year he quit Australian rules and subsequently signed with the Waratahs. The "brand ambassador" deal marks a new push into sports sponsorship for Goodman Fielder, which has previously concentrated on swimming with its Uncle Toby's oats brand. According to data from website Sponsorship News, Goodman Fielder's other notable deal was hooking its Helga's bread up with the arty circus types at Cirque Du Soleil.
Fiji land threats
It owns slices of a uranium project in Tanzania, a gold project in the Philippines and a magnetite project in Iran, but none of those ventures have yet paid off for veteran businessman Boris Ganke's Southern Cross Exploration, which recorded revenue of just $414 for the 2012-13 financial year.
Then there's the company's show-stopper asset, a $7 million mortgage over 17 hectares of beachfront property at Nadi Bay in Fiji, right next to the airport runway.
A company associated with Ganke has owned the land for 34 years, during which it has repeatedly threatened to develop the plot and repay the mortgage.
According to the company's annual financial report, filed on Friday, Fiji's habit of staging occasional coups has apparently slowed progress in the past, now "some development and/or sales are under consideration at this time".
You wouldn't want to rush things, though.
Google cops flack
It turns out Google does employ some people in Australia after all. The nebulously taxed tech giant is famous for both its motto, "Don't be evil", and its habit of insisting that its sales to Australian businesses happen in either tax haven Singapore or tax haven Ireland.
And yet most lunchtimes hordes of Google employees can be seen in the park outside the company's Sydney HQ, engaging in relentlessly cheerful team-building exercises while dressed in colour-coded T-shirts.
The search engine business is looking for a flack to sit aside communications manager Johnny Luu - who confirmed the gig was based in Sydney, not Singapore, and asked: "Who needs a job ad when you've got a CBD item?"
Apparently you'll need to be able to "work cross-functionally to help communicate with journalists and other thought leaders". Whatever that means.
Wizard of Oz
With his elevation to the hallowed halls of Canberra still in the balance, CBD these days mostly leaves coverage of dinosaur-loving mining magnate Clive Palmer to Canberra's legion of political hacks.
But his effort on Tuesday brought flooding back memories of Professor Palmer's more corporate mischief. Taking aim at News Corporation, with which he has been locked in battle, Palmer tweeted: "Thanks for your ongoing support on Twitter. My follower numbers now almost the same as circulation of @australian @rupertmurdoch #media".
Not quite. Circulation figures out last month show the Oz sells about 116,000 copies on weekdays, while Clive of Spindia has about 26,000 followers.
BusinessDay dwarfs 'em both, reaching 280,000-odd buyers of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Got a tip?
bbutler@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Goodman Fielder signed Israel Folau as a brand ambassador — linking the rugby union player to brands the company owns, including Wonder White and MeadowLea margarine. For everyday investors, it’s notable because the deal marks a new push into sports sponsorship for Goodman Fielder, expanding its marketing beyond previous campaigns (such as Uncle Toby’s oats in swimming).
The Folau deal signals Goodman Fielder is diversifying its marketing into high‑profile sports partnerships rather than focusing mainly on swimming promotions (Uncle Toby’s). The company has also linked Helga’s bread to Cirque Du Soleil, showing it is experimenting with different sponsorship channels to raise brand visibility.
Southern Cross Exploration holds interests in a uranium project in Tanzania, a gold project in the Philippines, and a magnetite project in Iran. Its headline asset is a $7 million mortgage over 17 hectares of beachfront land at Nadi Bay in Fiji, located next to the airport runway.
The company reported revenue of just $414 for the 2012–13 financial year. That figure indicates its international mineral projects have not yet generated meaningful cash flow or returns, based on the information provided in the article.
A company associated with Southern Cross’s owner has held the Nadi Bay land for 34 years and carries a $7 million mortgage over 17 hectares next to Fiji’s airport runway. The company has repeatedly threatened development to repay the mortgage, but Fiji’s history of occasional coups has slowed progress; the annual report says some development and/or sales are under consideration.
Yes — the article notes Google does employ staff in Australia, with employees visible around its Sydney HQ. It also says Google commonly routes sales to Australian businesses through Singapore or Ireland, jurisdictions the article describes as tax havens, while confirming it is recruiting communications staff based in Sydney.
Google was advertising for a ‘flack’ to sit alongside communications manager Johnny Luu in Sydney. The job description mentioned the ability to ‘work cross‑functionally to help communicate with journalists and other thought leaders,’ indicating a PR/communications role focused on media and stakeholder engagement.
Clive Palmer tweeted that his Twitter followers were almost the same as the circulation of The Australian. The article notes that The Australian sells about 116,000 copies on weekdays, while Palmer has roughly 26,000 followers. It also points out BusinessDay’s reach is around 280,000 buyers of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, putting the comparison in context.
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