Our People
When you want to book a campaign, our team are ready! We do what we love, and love what we do. We know sampling and demonstrations inside and out.
Meet The Team
Merilyn Havler – General Manager
Merilyn has worked extensively in the brand experience arena, in particular in store, having previously owned and run Product Placement Ltd, whose clients included, Fonterra, Nespresso, De Longhi, Kenwood, Reckittt Benckiser & Mars Inc. amongst others.
Out of the office, Merilyn juggles the needs of a high energy teenager with that of a high energy Border Collie, and if you fancy spicy food her curries have been compared to those found in the best Indian restaurants in the city.
Annelise Haddon – Senior Account Manager
Annelise oversees activations on some of our biggest clients including Silver Fern Farms and Goodman Fielder, and is an amazing mentor and trainer to the junior account team.
Bought up in Dunedin the cold doesn’t phase her, and she’s renowned in the office for her daily breakfast of kale and eggs. Want something moved? No problem, she’s also our resident truck driver and trailer backer.
Amy Bateman – Account Manager
Account Manager extraordinaire. No detail large or small will slip through her grasp and clients lucky enough to have her eagle eye on their campaigns include Frucor, Griffins, and Kraft Heinz.
At home Amy loves hanging out with Max the sassy old Jack Russell and Tessa the scary but sweet natured Staffy. Holidays find Amy fuelling her travel bug and she’s currently dropping hints about her next adventure.
Sherine Cameron – Junior Account Manager
The perkiest member of the Client Service team, the rumour that Sherine has never been seen without a smile on her face or a word to say is true!
Her ongoing search for knowledge is insatiable and her days off find her soaking up a new book, or practising her upcoming Toastmasters speech.
We keep Sherine quiet by diverting her attention onto campaigns. She’s currently keeping the wheels turning for Trade Aid, Aseleo Care, Goodman Fielder, Distell and a number of others.
Chelsea McMillan – Junior Account Manager
If Phenomenon was a band Chelsea would be Sporty Spice! A fantastic multi tasker you can rely on her to have every campaign detail at her fingertips. Her current clients include, Frucor, Goodman Fielder, Tokyo Foods and Kraft Heinz.
Whenever she has some spare time, Chelsea plays football for Onehunga Mangere, is queen of the office takeaways, and can talk at length about any food that doesn’t appear to be good for you!
Case Studies
Whittaker’s Cocoa Pods
"Wow they're delicious. I'd not noticed these before. Where can I buy some?"
Silver Fern Farms Sure Fire
“I wasn’t going to get anything that is not on the list, but will have to succumb to this exquisite beef eye fillet”
Pic’s Big Mix
"Extremely yummy. Could eat it by the spoonful!"
Lewis Road Creamery Butter
"Creamy like old fashioned butter"
Vogel’s Gluten Free Sourdough
“The improved formula is so light and tasty”
PURE Burgers
“Love this, it’s truly 97% meat. Silver Fern Farms deliver quality products every time."
Olivani Oils
"Picual is very distinctive, like biting into an olive, raw, green, they're all delicious, reminds me of being in the South of Spain"
Yoplait Max Protein Breakfast Experience
“I will seriously go buy this after work today. This is delicious!”
Yoplait 4-Pack Giveaway
"What a great way to break up my Christmas shopping. Thanks for the generous samples!"
Brown Brothers Prosecco
“This Prosecco Rose would go beautifully with some crackers and cheese.”
Mini Danishes
“These are all so yummy, I can’t decide on which flavour to buy.”
Taylor Made Wine
"I don't really drink Shiraz, but that is definitely the nicest I've tried."
Silver Fern Farms Food Show
“Silver Fern Farms have the best meat in the show, hands down.”
Takara Sake
“Beautiful flavours! I didn’t know supermarkets sold Sake.”
Silver Fern Farms Pies
“Lamb & Mint has the real taste of a Sunday Roast, it tastes like a slow cooked meal!”
Wattie’s Dinner Hub
“It's so convenient that you don’t have to add any spices”
F. Whitlock & Sons Killer Beans
"What a great presentation! I could smell it miles away."
Fruit Sensations & Greek
“I like that you can choose to mix the yoghurt and fruit together or keep them separate.”
Yoplait Relaunch
"Lovely flavour, you can taste the real fruit, especially the strawberry. Very summery."
Hellers Gourmet Sausages
“Have been put off sausages for a while but these make me want to purchase a packet.”
Nature’s Fresh Bread
“It’s super soft, it is softer than other ‘white’ breads on the market”
Wattie’s Hash Bites
"Yum!! Awesome taste and love that they are from NZ."
Just Smash Dips
"Love the Avocado and Pesto! I'll use this instead of our usual pesto for pasta tonight."
Wattie’s Peaches
”These pair very well with the yoghurt! Delicious and juicy.”
Heinz Seriously Good Mayo
“This is really nice, I actually think I prefer it to Best Foods which is what I usually go for.”
Vogel’s Delightful Granola
"Can't decide between the Peanut Butter or Dragonfruit, so I'll have to get one of each."
Snackachangi Chips
“I like that they are New Zealand made chips, at the moment I am trying to buy local.”
Hellers Meatball Launch
“A lot juicer and more flavorsome than traditional meatballs.”
Silver Fern Farms Burgers
“So many burgers are full of rubbish, so it’s great to see a good quality burger.”
Super Seeds Muesli
“I really like this! I find lots of Muesli’s sickly sweet but this one tastes really good”
Sanitarium Granola
“I love the combination of the Granola and the Oat Milk”
Honey Puffs Malls
“It’s great that a treat cereal can still provide nutritional value.”
Honey Puffs Instore
“I've seen the advertising for this and wondered what they might taste like.”
Taylors Estate Wine
"I've always wanted to try this! It's great to be able to sample across other variants as well."
Trade Aid Auckland Food Show
"Obsessed with this chocolate, and the packaging being compostable is amazing."
F. Whitlock & Sons Office Drops
"I loved Whitlocks Peach Chutney, It's already on my list to purchase next time I'm in store."
Silver Fern Farms
"Tastes better than what you would get in most restaurants!"
Good Taste Company Meals
"These taste amazing, I can't decide which one to have. I'll have to take one of each."
Dr Oetker Frozen Pizza
“I don’t usually buy frozen pizzas, but these taste so authentic I've got to have one.”
The Warehouse Toy Play Date
"My daughter loved hugging My Little Pony, you should do more things like this."
Meadow Fresh Kaló Yoghurt
“This is so dangerously beautiful, I would finish the 800g tub in one sitting.”
Feel Good Ice Cream
“Wow, I didn’t expect this to be so good, you can’t tell that these are vegan and dairy free.”
Irvines Pies – O Week
"I love Irvine's Pies, they're great as a pick-me-up and really affordable."