Oratia Media rebrands and expands

Independent publishing company Oratia Media is today launching a new corporate identity as part of an expansion of its business and publishing programme.

All of the company’s publishing and media activities are now unified under the Oratia brand, with the Libro International publishing imprint being wound into an enlarged programme called Oratia Books.

“The change reflects a natural evolution of our business, which we set up in 2000 as a media and editorial services company with an international focus,” commented Founder and Publisher Peter Dowling (left).

“Today our core business is publishing books with a strong New Zealand and Māori orientation, and the Oratia name captures that along with our grounding in the beautiful Waitakere Ranges.”

The new brand retains the nikau tree symbol designed in 2000 by co-founderAlessandra Zecchini, with a new logo suite created by Cheryl Smith of MacarnDesign featuring the strapline ‘Quality books, media and publishing services’.

As part of the rebranding, Oratia is moving to a new website, www.oratia.co.nz, which offers better interactivity on mobile devices and by month’s end will include an e-commerce facility.

A reshuffle of core roles sees Dowling become Publisher; co-founder Alessandra

Zecchini as Media Director; long-serving books editor Carolyn Lagahetau as

Editorial Director; and former New Holland Publishers head Belinda Cooke on

board as Sales & Marketing Consultant.

All email contacts are also moving to the @oratia.co.nz domain. Distribution remains with long-term logistics partners Publishers Distribution Ltd, with sales representation by Paul Greenberg (North Island) and Peter Gray (South Island).

“We have a really energised team that in 2016 will be producing at least ten new

Oratia Books, along with a similar number of commissioned projects for clients,” Dowling said.

The company is showing its commitment to the resurgent New Zealand books market with a five-year publishing programme and a new catalogue to be released in early April, commented Belinda Cooke.

“It’s great to see positivity in the New Zealand market and we intend to put our money where our mouth is and deliver quality books, media and publishing services for clients, customers, readers and writers everywhere,” Cooke said.

www.oratia.co.nz