PONTING WINES – A SUCCESSFUL CLIENT DRIVEN VENTURE

PONTING WINES – A SUCCESSFUL CLIENT DRIVEN VENTURE

31st Aug 2021 Blog

DSEG is always working on supporting our talent clients parlay their passions and opportunities, into successful commercial ventures.

One such venture that we have been involved in, is Ponting Wines – a premium wine producer co-founded by Ricky and Rianna Ponting in collaboration with acclaimed winemaker, Ben Riggs and former senior Moet Hennessy executive, David Krenich.

The Pontings’ love of and interest in wine, formed the basis for an idea that ultimately led to a partnership being formed with Ben and David in 2019. DSEG has worked with Ricky, Rianna and the team throughout the various stages of the business planning, the initial launch and all aspects of the business is its early stages of growth.

Bringing the concept to reality has already resulted in several award-winning wines including the Ponting ‘Close of Play’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 which has won three Gold Medals, in London, Frankfurt and New York, and the recently released Milestone 127 Barossa Shiraz, which picked up 95 Points & Gold at the 8th Annual Melbourne International Wine Show Competition in August 2021.

Together with their business partners and best of breed third party suppliers, in less than two years the Pontings’ have created a business that is growing and is widely regarded by the industry and, most importantly, lovers of good wine! The sceptics who said that Ponting Wines was just another celebrity wine brand, have been silenced as Ricky and Rianna work in the business each and every day.

Have a look for yourself at www.pontingwines.com.au.

For a business to thrive in a COVID-affected world it needs a great product, great people and smart marketing. DSEG is pleased to have been able to assist the Pontings at every step of their journey to achieve their goals and turn a passion into a business. It’s this type of collaborative approach that helps set DSEG apart.

FROM STAWELL TO TOKYO

FROM STAWELL TO TOKYO

23rd Jul 2021 Blog

Back in 1993 a hirsute streak of athleticism going by the name of ‘J.A. Richardson from Caulfield South’ burst through the finish line to win Australia’s richest and most revered foot race – the Stawell Gift. He bookended his Gift win with success in the Stawell ‘Novice’ 100m (1992) and Stawell 120m Backmarkers Invitation race (1994); one of only two athletes in the history of the Stawell Gift to win all three in successive years.

This week, Jason Richardson, or Richo as we all know him now, will commence his key role in Seven’s telecast of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, hosting trackside at the athletics. What an amazing accomplishment for a man who has worked tirelessly through his career to continually improve his skills, his network and ultimately, his accomplishments!

Somewhat surprisingly for someone with a background in an individual sport like athletics, Richo is the ultimate team man. Before he became a media staple, he was the Marketing Director in Australia for the international lifestyle brand, Oakley. His success in leading a corporate team for a such a popular brand gave Jason the confidence to follow his dream of becoming a sports broadcaster, aligning with some of the best commentary teams ever assembled at Seven, and covering a multitude of sports and events including the Rio Olympic Games, the Winter Games in PyeongChang, Seven’s Summer of Cricket, the Australian Open Golf and now, the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Richo’s love of thoroughbred racing has also opened many doors including his current on and off track roles with Seven and Racing.com and a variety of media and MC roles with many of Victoria’s leading race clubs and organisations. He has played key roles in many of Australia’s biggest racing carnival broadcasts, including the Spring and Autumn Carnivals in Melbourne and the Magic Millions Carnival on the Gold Coast. He is now clearly one of the most sought after and respected racing media personalities in Australia.

As Richo prepares for his biggest challenge yet, DSEG is proud to have assisted his development and career opportunities in a field that takes no prisoners. Richo’s knowledge, humour and good nature endear him to a broad audience; traits that will no doubt shine through trackside in Tokyo and hopefully open up many new doors beyond the Games.

A PERFECTLY IMPERFECT CAREER

A PERFECTLY IMPERFECT CAREER

10th Jun 2021 Blog

Emma Freedman is an outstanding example of someone who set her sights on a career path at an early age and managed to successfully overcome every hurdle she faced, to make her profession work for her.

We’ve previously written about another DSEG client, Francesca Cumani and how her burgeoning career was nurtured through careful brand management that assisted her to become one of the world’s foremost thoroughbred experts. A similar theme is true for Emma, who as a chirpy young 17-year-old began her path as the daughter of a celebrated racehorse trainer, and is now a highly respected member of Australia’s sports media.

Back in 2006, Emma’s dad, Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer Lee Freedman asked DSEG to help his daughter navigate the early stages of her career, which had already commenced in a part time role as a radio staffer at 3AW. With Emma’s talent and drive leading the way, DSEG helped her traverse roles as weather presenter on Nine’s Weekend Today and Today shows, host of Wide World of Sports, co-host of Triple M’s Grill Team and then, on HIT Network, co-host of Scoopla and host of Hit 30 and Take 40.

Ever the hard worker, and with a thirst for success, many of these roles were held simultaneously. Add in winning ‘Dancing With The Stars’ on Seven Network in 2015 and writing a best-selling children’s novel, Turning Pointes, in 2016 and you get a fair idea that Emma is happiest when she’s busy!

Along the way though, Emma has had to cope with the disappointment of losing roles to which she had become very attached, as well as missing out on roles that she desperately wanted (and often was highly favoured to secure). With DSEG’s guidance and support, Emma was able to navigate the tough breaks that the media industry threw her way and always take on the next challenge with enthusiasm and determination.

In addition to the industry-wide challenges faced by those working in the media, Emma had to overcome a unique situation of having a famous surname that was 100% skewed towards thoroughbred racing. Although Emma grew up with, and loves thoroughbred racing, the risk of being pigeon-holed into racing media was one that, with DSEG’s help, Emma successfully railed against. Although she still has ties to the racing industry – firstly through her long-standing ambassador role with Lexus Australia and their involvement in racing, and secondly through her work with Tabcorp in voicing the company’s brand and special offer campaigns – Emma is far better known to the general public as a general sports commentator and an outstanding live TV talent.

In hindsight, Emma’s life could not have panned out any better. Married to Charlie for three years, mum of two youngsters – Will and Edie – and much-loved pooch, Utah, Emma has a balance in her life that has never been better. Continuing to work with two long-time media partners Fox Sports and Triple M as well as her two incredible brand partners, Lexus and Tabcorp, Emma is proof positive that you can overcome hurdles put in the way of your career through, talent, hard work, good management, and a driving desire to make things happen.

COVID HAS CHANGED THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT FOREVER

COVID HAS CHANGED THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT FOREVER

07th May 2021 Blog

“Content is king” is a mantra of all involved in the world of entertainment.

It has been for almost two decades, since the Technology Revolution of our time, drew the fan/viewer/consumer closer to their passions and interests.

Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and most of the streaming companies seemed to have changed the world forever.

But in January 2020, a far greater game-changer began to spread all over the world and its ongoing effect has changed the world of entertainment forever.

COVID-19 has impacted us all. It has disrupted our lives like nothing before and continues to undermine every layer of the world economy.

And it certainly has devastated the world of entertainment.

Sports, music, gaming, film, television, gambling etc. etc. and the entire supply chain that services this mega trillion-dollar sector, have been disrupted from top to bottom.

  • The 2020 Olympic Games were postponed.
  • The biggest sports leagues in North America, Europe, India, and every other part of the world, were forced to stop.
  • Concert tours ceased and the music industry moved into the virtual world.
  • Lockdowns led to greater screen time – gaming, streaming, handhelds, social media etc.
  • Gambling turnover skyrocketed as house bound punters looked for something to distract themselves from the world of working from home.
  • The demand for movies, television programs and anything else we could consume on our screens went through the roof at a time that government lockdowns worldwide, severely slowed content creation to a snail pace crawl.

And we could all list further examples of the impact on the entertainment world as social interaction changed for 2020 and still today in many parts of the globe.

The consumer has emerged with greater power than ever before. With more time and more choice, they are dictating a new relationship with the entertainment supply chain.

They have migrated into the world of big screen personalisation with streamers disrupting traditional broadcast and film providers. Brands are moving away from the same traditional advertising channels as audiences fragment further.

The fan uprise that led to a swift killing off of the proposed European Super League, more than rattled some of the wealthiest investors in world soccer. The working-class audience of the biggest sport in the world, effectively took on and beat, the trillionaire ownership of the game. Who would have thought this could ever happen? This will likely lead to a complete overhaul of ownership controls in some of the biggest soccer leagues in the world with governance measures put in place to safeguard the future integrity of these competitions.

Forget content being king! We have a new ruler – the consumer, the fan!!!

At DSEG, we are working hard at building new opportunities across our Group to engage directly with the consumer. We are investing in new business; building new assets that will launch later in 2021 and broadening our team to ensure we are better equipped than ever before for the new consumer -driven world.

We are running fast, moving with our intel and excited what this new world will offer.

Hail the king, the consumer!

DEVELOPING A BRAND

DEVELOPING A BRAND

15th May 2020 Blog

Back in October 2009, DSEG was approached by respected thoroughbred owner, Terry Henderson to assist a young, 20-something English lass, Francesca Cumani to manage her media work while she was in Australia.

Having first ventured to Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival in 2006, and then again in 2007 with Purple Moon, Francesca was back in Australia in 2008 as the strapper and track work rider for her father, Luca’s Melbourne Cup entries, Bauer and Mad Rush. As the sole representative of the horses in Australia in the weeks leading up to the race, Francesca was thrust into the media spotlight with daily media scrums wanting to know how the horses had settled in quarantine, what she thought of their chances and every other question reporters could throw at her.

In the Cup, Bauer was beaten into second place by the shortest possible margin (in fact he clocked a faster time than the winner) and Francesca was once again in the spotlight post-race with the cameras firmly focussed on the Cumani family and their reactions to the agonising wait for the photo finish and the ultimate disappointment of being beaten by a whisker.

The following year, recognising a potential star in the making, Channel 7’s Andy Kay offered Francesca an on-screen role as part of Seven’s 2009 Melbourne Cup Carnival telecast. At the same time, DSEG was engaged by Francesca, initially to guide her through that Spring but with a broader role to play post-Carnival.

Although at the time Francesca had no designs on making the media a full-time career, it was quickly apparent to DSEG that she could be a superstar. It was at that point that DSEG began working with Francesca to create and implement a long-term, strategic approach to developing her skills and secure opportunities on the global stage that would ultimately lead to Francesca becoming an industry leader.

DSEG’s steadfast determination for Francesca to be recognised for her skill as an expert racing commentator and not as a ‘pretty girl in a frock’ was at the forefront of developing Francesca’s brand. As a result, her skills were honed not only on her annual visits to Melbourne for Channel 7 under the tutelage of industry icon Bruce McAvaney, but also through extensive media training provided through DSEG’s best-of-breed partners, helping Francesca develop a broader understanding of the media and the unique requirements for on-screen talent.

Extensive international experience followed with DSEG securing hosting roles for Francesca on CNN’s Winning Post and Espanol’s Al Galope, as well as appearing on the Dubai Sports Channel and writing for multiple news outlets in the role of international racing analyst.

In addition, DSEG secured commercial partnerships for Francesca with some of the world’s leading brands, destinations and racing organisations, including Longines, Qipco (Qatar Racing), Dubai, Tabcorp, Victoria Racing Club and Magic Millions.

This global approach to broadening Francesca’s skills, exposure and brand, has now culminated in Francesca co-hosting ITV’s racing telecast across the UK as well as hosting Ten’s coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival (after a decade with Seven) – both amazing and prestigious roles.

The irony now is that approaches from highly regarded publications such as Vogue and GALLOP wishing to secure Francesca for fashion-skewed content, do not detract from the brand that together we have worked so hard to build and protect. In fact, they help build more layers to her brand – something that could only happen when the building blocks of Francesca’s career were already well established.

Francesca’s story showcases how talent, dedication and commitment to improve, combined with clear direction and advice, can shape a career. With Francesca’s hard work and DSEG’s guidance, her brand has developed over a period of a decade from a young horsewoman chaperoning Melbourne Cup hopefuls, into a global media celebrity.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

06th May 2020 Blog

‘Things will never be the same after this!’

This is a compelling statement for the world of sport and entertainment as it confronts the catastrophic impact of COVID19. But it’s not the first time we have heard that type of declaration in the 20 years of DSEG’s existence.

‘Things will never be the same after this!’

When DSEG Principal, James Henderson dared to imagine his future business (and even conceived its name) as a teenage sports tragic in his home town of Hobart, little did he know about the trials and tribulations his firm and his chosen industry would face over the decades to come.

On his way to making DSEG a reality, Henderson’s journey from Hobart with his wife Jo had stop-off points at his beloved Hawthorn Football Club and the renowned International Management Group (IMG). But DSEG was always on the horizon and planning for its creation was always front of mind.

‘Things will never be the same after this!’

As any small business owner would know, taking the leap from full time employment in an enjoyable, challenging role, to investing in a dream, is a daunting and sometimes scary experience. Through DSEG’s two-decade history, it has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, across every emotion a roller-coaster could throw its way.

From a tiny start up business operating in a humble home office, through to its position today as a well-respected, highly sought after, advice driven company, DSEG has:

  • Implemented four major strategic plans leading to business evolving, adapting and forever changing;
  • Survived the Global Financial Crisis – a time which saw the business having to sell assets, make tough staffing decisions, move offices and broaden its clientele and service offerings to meet the new market;
  • Endured multiple high-profile crises, the most devasting of which saw DSEG lose two much-loved, talented and highly respected clients, Phillip Hughes and Jason Richards, to tragic deaths within a three-year period; and
  • Helped clients transition from some of the highest profile roles in world sport into new beginnings and opportunities post-playing career.

‘Things will never be the same after this!’

Things will never be the same post-COVID-19. We are all now part of world history – students will study this pandemic for centuries to come. And who knows what the final story will be…

For sport and media – things will never be the same. Every aspect of the industries’ ‘food chain’ has been affected by COVID-19. From player to caterer, from administrator to gate staff, from presenter to makeup artist, from camera operator to grounds staff. The impact has been immense and most-likely long term. Never before has the sports section of a daily newspaper or the sports report on TV every evening, held so little semblance to sport. Everything has been about lockdowns, lock outs, shutdowns, cancellations, postponements, salary cuts, staff cuts…not sport, not even close.

The omnipresent commentary each day in the news regarding the doom, corrections, impacts and slow recovery is largely and scarily true. It is the one time we wish that the headlines were overplaying the enormity of the crisis…but they aren’t. It is a very difficult time and it will continue to be for some time to come.

‘Some things will be the same after this!’

At DSEG, we are resilient and committed; influenced and led by the blue-chip organisations and individuals we work with. They are our heartbeat, our soul and our future.

Things will be the same and, in some cases better and more sustainable. As always, the market will adapt. Leaders will lead, stars will shine, brands will bounce, economies will re-emerge and fans will be re-engaged.

At DSEG, we will be at the cutting edge of this brave new world. Working with the best – advising, managing, marketing, negotiating, networking, challenging and getting things done.

Some things will never be the same, but as DSEG’s 20 years in the business has taught us, that is always the case.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

17th Apr 2020 Blog

Patience (noun): the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

DSEG is publishing a series of social media content pieces entitled ‘A Minute With…’, featuring answers to three questions from the celebrity talent we manage.

It’s the responses to the second question where we are finding overwhelming consistency, reflective of many people we speak to every day during this bizarre and difficult period.

#2: I’m learning…patience.

It’s a simple and understandable response, but it also implies that our pre-pandemic starting point was ‘intolerant’, ‘impatient’ and ‘anxious’. This is not surprising for people constantly in the public eye. As the pressures of life build, we are all prone to fall into patterns that crack under pressure and celebs are at the pointy end of that stress.

There is a lot to gain for all of us during this crisis. If we learn from experience and begin to be more patient, then we can take a positive out of what is an otherwise dire situation. It’s ‘what happens next’ that will define us.

Follow the @DSEGWorldwide Twitter and Insta pages to see how our clients are working through their days and what they look forward to when we all come out the other side. It’s well worth a read.