When Dean and Dianna Malcolm combined their talent and connections in 2000 to start www.crazycow.com.au they started a global communication revolution in the dairy industry.

 In January 2004 they expanded the business to include a dynamic all breeds full colour gloss journal, CrazyCow In Print. Dean and Dianna’s passion for the industry, coupled with their industry knowledge and skill set, had long hinted at their scope and potential to deliver in both the online and in print mediums.  CrazyCow In Print is now circulated in 15 countries. Its strength remains its story content, understanding and empathy for an industry Dean and Dianna intimately understand.  CrazyCow’s arsenal has swelled to include cattle photography; public relations; logo designs; marketing advice and design.

 

 CrazyCow In Print has quickly developed into unquestionably the most professional dairy publication to leave Australia’s shores, a warm favourite with international readers and another critical link for Australia’s acceptance on the export market. It peaked (so far) at 152 pages with more than 100 all breed advertisers.

Dean and Dianna were interviewed in front of a crowd of 10,000 during the judging of the aged cow Holstein class at World Dairy Expo 2004. It was also where Dean and Dianna saw for themselves just how popular CrazyCow had become on the international playing field.

 THE SKILLSET DRIVING CRAZYCOW

Dianna Malcolm

Dianna’s career spans 20 years in sports and rural reporting in metropolitan daily newspapers and television in New Zealand and Australia.

She is a New Zealand journalism award winner and when she joined Dean in Australia she left a position as the farming editor at “The Press” - the second biggest daily newspaper in the country.

New Zealand wing attack Adine Wilson gives Dianna Malcolm the lowdown on the game in 2004 when she re-visited the sports industry as a favour for her friend and award-winning New Zealand sports writer, Suzanna McFadden

In Australia she worked as editor of the Country News, at Shepparton, Northern Victoria, before moving to Win Television (Australia’s largest regional network for Channel 9).

She was also a finalist in the prestigious 2003 Victorian RIRDC Rural Women´s Award.

Where Dianna has become critical to CrazyCow’s success is the way she has cross-credited her talent for sports feature writing in the dairy industry she was born in.

She has created an unprecedented thirst for the real stories about real people that other publications have been unable to mirror or compete with. The way she colours her characters with words and her photographic news skills has made CrazyCow In Print a visual and exciting read.

Much of her empathy with the industry comes from her parents, Don and Averill Leslie, who owned Creslea Holsteins. In one generation their herd routinely achieved recognition as one of the top-five highest producing Holstein/cow production herds in New Zealand. Dianna milked most mornings before heading to work to pursue her journalism career.

She is also sought after for public relations work, which she does for a small group of clients, in addition to casual relief work for Win Television when she has time.

Contact Dianna on (03) 5829 8331

Dean Malcolm

Dean’s ability with cattle is well documented by the multiple champions he has prepared at every Australian Royal Show and at International Dairy Week.

Dean with one of his favourites, Barkly Gold Betsyann. Photo: Fleur Ferguson.

He has uncovered, made and sold cattle throughout Australasia, since using his early international showing experience under international maestro Mike Deaver in the US. Dean was one of the first to establish a cattle-fitting career in Australia.

He completed five years travelling throughout the country, preparing cattle for shows, combining it with the back-breaking work of clipping cattle for sales.

It is a profession that he took to a new level because of his rare blend of stockmanship and eye for detail.

One of his finest exponents in the dairy industry to date has been co-breeding the IDW 2005 and 2007 champion cow, Fairvale Jed Bonnie-ET 94, Excellent (together with Ross and Leanne Dobson). Bonnie was also Australia’s entry in the 2005 Holstein International cow of the world competition. Together with winning IDW 2006 with Fairvale Leader Josie, it means Dean has had a close link to the IDW Holstein champion for the last three successive years.

Dean leads Bonnie to reserve champion at IDW 2004 milking more than 300 days

Dean’s restless and agile mind led him to cattle photography to help clients who wanted to advertise and he is now one of Australia’s preferred photographers.

Before long, he decided to re-investigate the graphic skills that had lain dormant since high school when he won a Victorian graphic design award.

Today he is also one of CrazyCow’s main graphic designers. Dean is completely self-taught, proving his academic, analytical mind and perfectionism is just as valuable behind a computer as it is with cattle.

An example of Dean's work

Contact Dean on phone: (03) 5829 8331

 THE FARM

In July 2006 Dean and Dianna finally realised their dream of owning their own farm, Bluechip Genetics. They bought 150 acres five minutes from Shepparton and gathered their cows back around them, including the IDW 2006 grand champion Holstein and the 2007 IDW reserve champion Illawarra.

They were also lucky enough to include (in the 150-cow herd) close to 80-head from well known Western Australian breeders John and Andrea Shine and several partnership animals with prominant breeders in the industry.

Despite the severe drought they have continued with their plans and have a potentially exciting group of animals for IDW 2008. They also chose a selection of commercial cows from the property's former owner and several of them have completed their season with 10,000 litres. They are working with Holstein, Jersey, Illawarra and Ayrshires. They are active every day on the farm, together with their herdsman Scott Robinson, who joined the operation in February 2007. Scott and his wife, Pip, also run their own prefix, Eastview Holsteins.

Within changes to CrazyCow's website is the power for breeders to own and manage their own website. Bluechip Genetics has established its own as an example and it can be viewed by clicking on www.bluechipgenetics.com.au 

Bluechip is home to a number of Australia's high profile animals

Bluechip Genetics' herdsman - Scott Robinson

WEB IT

This web site continues to focus on what made it useful – its same-day news with photos; cattle and business marketing solutions; weather; semen listings; artificial insemination information; a farmer’s forum; classified advertising; calendars and educational farming information.

Its same-day news (complete with photos) has been one of its most appreciated services. CrazyCow’s real-time coverage draws up to 18,000 hits to the web site (October 10, 2005) within 24 hours. 

CrazyCow staged Australia’s first on-line embryo auctions and it was the first to host on-line breed photographic competitions, including several All-Australasian (Australia and New Zealand) photo competitions. It has a signature international judge and the peoples´ choice decides the final winners - deliberately empowering its readers.

The All-Australasian all breeds photo competition, was the latest initiative, which was voted on by people throughout the world.

PRINT IT!

CrazyCow In Print was launched in December 2003.

CrazyCow In Print is now mailed to readers in 15 countries (including every state and territory of Australia). New Zealand, Canadian, German and American advertisers are also using it to communicate to potential buyers.

CrazyCow In Print is also the Australian Illawarra Society’s official breed publication.

WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT CRAZYCOW IN PRINT

"Dear Dianna and Dean, Thanks for sending me the June-August 2005 edition of CrazyCow In Print. I got a copy of the previous edition while in Canada recently and think it’s a great journal. Please add my name and address to the subscriber’s list. It is the most exciting dairy breeds’ journal I have seen and having been editor of several breed journals I know just how hard you must work to produce it. The articles are very interesting and diverse and the ads make you want to keep turning over to the next exciting page - well done!”. - Derrick Frigot, JISEX International, Great Britain (Derrick is the author of “Jersey’s Rural Heritage”, a coffee-table book about the history of agriculture in the Island of Jersey).

"...Never before has there been a full colour dairy magazine and never before has there been one this RED HOT." - leading Australasian auctioneer (Elders) and co-owner of International Dairy Week (the world’s third biggest dairy show) Brian Leslie.

“Hello…we received our first copy of CrazyCow In Print at the World Dairy Expo in October (2005). Upon opening the magazine, we immediately fell in love with it! We have just subscribed to your fantabulous read and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the December 2005 issue. Congrats on your incredible magazine!” - Nathan and Jody Nus, Gold Mine Registered Milking Shorthorns Iowa US.

WHY THE NAME “CRAZYCOW?

The question has often been asked about why Dean and Dianna chose ‘CrazyCow’.

They both say they wanted something different, something people would remember and regardless of whether people love it or hate it…they never forget it.

Which, of course, is the biggest, single trick to master in marketing.

“We also wanted something that was upbeat and stamped us out from the crowd,” Dean said.

“It was probably one of the single, biggest, early decisions that proved integral to our success.”