Where We Sprung From
the History of the Fresh Ideas Group
The Fresh Ideas Group, or FIG, is a company built on inspiration and tenacity. Sylvia Tawse, FIG's founder, and wearer of many hats; a writer, mother, cook, arts activist and wife of organic farmer, marketer, chef and former restaurant owner, Lyle Davis, 16 years ago had a vision of a specialist marketing firm, one that filled the gap that existed between the organic industry and the media with meaningful, compelling communications and educational events.
What to name this new agency? It needed to symbolize a different approach from the PR agency norm and it should tie to culture, both agriculture and the art of living culturally, one taste at a time. This led to cocktail napkin doodles and musing and the embrace of the classic Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fruit, the fig. By scribbling anagrams of 'FIG' as the agency name, Fresh Ideas Group, was born.
Unique, rare, chock-full of lore and symbolism, the FIG is most divine when enjoyed at its peak of ripeness. It also harkened back to the fig tree orchards in central California where Sylvia grew up. Figs were a treat, and so would this agency be and its sister agencies in the future.
Today FIG USA is a thriving balanced company employing people across the US. Based in Boulder in Colorado FIG works across a gamete of events, PR and marketing fields, a household name, this “go to” agency operates with a passion for fresh foods and the organic industry, however has branched out to include a range of companies, industries and products. Recently, in August 2008 FIG completed an 8-month special project campaign for Origins /Estee Lauder Companies, opening an entirely new concept store. They had great media success for this campaign and made some new Manhattan friends along the way.
How did The Fresh Ideas Group Australia (FIGA) come to be? As the saying goes "the little acorn doesn't fall far from the big oak tree" in this case with a fresh twist "the little FIG seed hasn’t fallen far from the big FIG tree".
Initial discussions around the concept of a FIG down under were met with exuberance. Tracey Doyle, long time friend and admirer of one Sylvia Tawse planted the seed to go international with FIG in 2004. With Tracey’s experience and passion for Public relations and event management and with a bounty of experience in the industry down under the idea grew and in 2006 Tracey spent 2 months in the USA and Canada, spending time with Sylvia and in the FIG Mother Tree offices in Boulder Colorado, learning and soaking up the ethos of FIG in preparation for the planting of the FIG Australia seed.
Tracey fell in love with the whole concept of this amazing company in 2008, with its truly organic work culture. Much discussion followed the visit and it was decided to establish the Fresh Ideas Group in Australia. With all the legal ducks in a row and after months of investigation, conversation and anticipation finally FIGA - The Fresh Ideas Group Australia sprouted with vigour and the first green shoots were seen on the new FIGA tree in April 2008. The Fresh Ideas Group Australia was officially registered as a company in June 2008 and operates from offices in Wamberal NSW, Australia. With an autonomy all its own and run solely from the Australian head office FIGA has the experience and is aware of the bounce required to exceed the expectations of the Australian market.
Peppered with the strength of 15 years experience in the industry, FIGA’s Principal Tracey Doyle has nurtured this little but strong FIGA seed and has set down roots, growing day by day under the shade and entwined in the nourishment of FIG USA.
Today FIGA is thriving and unlike the mother tree, FIGA is the excited teenager very inclined to throw a party and be independent. They have cut themselves a niche promoting their abilities in the event management, public relations and political campaign fields. They are here to stay, play and blow the client away with Fresh Ideas for the Australian scene.
