Tag: New Zealand

New Zealand – DairyNZ, the industry organisation that represents all dairy farmers in New Zealand, has launched a new campaign with the aim to give Kiwis a better understanding of what it means to be a dairy farmer.

The new campaign, which was created in collaboration with creative agency Proximity New Zealand, looks into the daily life on a farm, from working with machinery and technology to caring for animals and the land. 

Titled ‘Join Us’, the campaign is fronted by Eastern Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Shannon Munro, who has been dairy farming for about 10 years. With her husband and three children, Munro moved away from urban city life to provide a different upbringing for her young family. They moved from Te Puke to Ngakuru, a rural community in Rotorua Lakes, where her husband found a job as a farm assistant, and over the next decade, as their family expanded, they progressed into farm manager and 2IC roles, and then into contract milking, moving around the country as opportunities came up which include farming in Canterbury and the Waikato.

Munro said that as a young Māori woman, she is proud to be presenting a different face to dairy farming and to be associated with the campaign to show people what dairy farming has to offer as a career.

“Dairy farming offers really great opportunities and a great lifestyle. There are lots of opportunities for people to progress quickly and it’s very rewarding,” said Munro.

Meanwhile, Tim Mackle, DairyNZ’s CEO, shared that the ‘Join Us’ campaign is part of a wider project – ‘Here for the Long Game’ – aiming to help communities understand what drives dairy farmers, and how they are working to provide a better future for their farms, the land, their families, and their communities, as well as New Zealand.

“Our wider ‘Here For the Long Game’ campaign is a platform for dairy farmers to share with other Kiwis who they are and what they do in a way that’s open and fun. It’s about showing young Kiwis that, for those keen to get stuck in, dairying offers a truly rewarding career and lifestyle. By joining us, you’re not only securing your own future but becoming part of creating a better one for all New Zealanders,” said Mackle.

Auckland, New Zealand – The programmatic DOOH steering committee of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) in New Zealand has agreed on a new industry benchmark impression called the ‘Impression Multiplier’ formula, in a bid to be used by New Zealand-based DOOH suppliers activating inventory programmatically.

The formula is commonly referred to as the value of impressions delivered by a single ad play, appropriate to the hour of the day, day of the week and the screen on which the ad is served. Arriving at this value requires the application of an Impression Multiplier formula.

The agreed formula consists of several variables; these include the cumulative data, pertaining to the hourly audience exposed at a screen level; the ad play duration and dwell time in front of each screen which used to determine a probable number of ad play exposures, and lastly, the number of ad plays within the hour on the screen being measured. Hourly audience volume and dwell time lengths are determined by each supplier’s respective measurement methodologies.

Said agreement follows last year’s announcement of the IAB Programmatic Steering committee, an initiative from the IAB to accelerate the adoption and revenue growth of programmatic digital out of home in New Zealand, through a program of thought leadership, education, inspiration and awareness.

LUMO’s Jack Plowright, who leads the committee’s Measurement workstream, said, “For a market in its formative period, this is a significant achievement. What we identified early on was a desire amongst members to find consistencies where practical for our respective networks. Having one recipe we can all follow.”

Meanwhile, Kurt Malcolm, committee member and trading and innovations director at JCDecaux New Zealand, commented, “’This piece of work was only possible because we acknowledged our responsibility as an industry body to provide clarity in an emerging marketplace. A robust and representative Impression Multiplier formula is a leap towards that.”

Auckland, New Zealand – AskNicely, the frontline success platform that provides customer experience software to service businesses, has announced that it has raised US$32m in a Series B funding round led by growth investor firm Five Elms Capital, which will be used in empowering frontline teams.

AskNicely, which has a presence in New Zealand, the US, and the Netherlands, has an industry-leading mobile platform that delivers personalized coaching and motivation for frontline workers powered by real-time customer feedback and eliminates the need for layers of middle management.

Through the new funding, AskNicely will be launching the world’s first Frontline Success Platform, which aims to bring better technology to frontline teams. It takes inspiration from people-powered businesses that have invested in technology to coach and motivate millions of frontline workers with no requirement for supervision or layers of traditional management. 

Aaron Ward, the CEO of AskNicely, shared that brands like Uber and Airbnb have proven how customer feedback can be gamified for customer-facing staff to unlock small daily improvements which, over time, drive status and rewards with concepts like ‘Superhost’ or ‘Uber Platinum Pro’. 

“For the first time, any service business can now empower every frontline worker with the same capability in a simple mobile app at a fraction of the cost,” explains Ward.

As part of the funding, Ryan Mandl, Five Elms Capital’s managing director, will also be joining the AskNicely board. 

Mandl commented, “Given that frontline workers make up 80% of the planet’s working population, we see an enormous market opportunity for AskNicely’s Frontline Success Platform, and are excited to partner with Aaron and the AskNicely team to continue to develop innovative products for their fast-growing, global customer base.”

Sydney, Australia – Asian food delivery platform HungryPanda is making its way to the ANZ region by acquiring food delivery app from Australia, EASI, and New Zealand’s food delivery platform BUY@HOME. This follows HungryPanda’s successful US$130m fundraising in December 2021,

HungryPanda has a presence in 10 countries, which includes Australia, alongside US and UK, operating across more than 60 cities. The platform said the acquisition will help it improve its local operations, empower restaurants to achieve business success, and improve consumer experience by widening their choice of authentic Asian restaurants. Through this, HungryPanda aims to be the Asian food delivery leader in Australia and New Zealand, bringing the greatest choice of authentic Asian food to customers in all the major cities. 

Kelu Liu, HungryPanda’s founder and CEO, believes that these acquisitions are an important milestone for HungryPanda in continuing to build the leading overseas Asian food delivery platform. 

“By combining our world-class technology and delivery network with the wider coverage of restaurants we can now offer consumers, I am hugely excited about the future potential for our business in these important markets,” said Liu.

Meanwhile, Kitty Lu, EASI’s national operations manager, stated that the strategic alliance will increase its effectiveness and reach in a busy marketplace, both regionally and internationally. 

“EASI has been growing nationally at a rapid pace since our launch in Australia and internationally and we are excited by the potential we can achieve working with Eric and the team at HungryPanda,” said Lu.

Auckland, New Zealand – In a bid to remind all of us to always keep safe come the Christmas festivities, New Zealand-based agency Motion Sickness has launched its newest campaign for their clients that plays on the notion of protocols we use to keep safe from COVID-19.

Titled ‘Scan In Santa’, the campaign features an artisan biscuit containing a directive for Saint Nick to follow the COVID protocol, all contained in a QR code. By scanning it, not only ensures that people can meet Santa safely this year, but each box also represents an NZ$40 donation to the Auckland Foundation COVID-19 Community Response Fund.

Will Macdonald, creative at Motion Sickness, said, “Given the events of the past year, it’s understandable that people might feel apprehensive about welcoming strangers back into their homes, let alone a paunch-bellied old man down their chimneys. With this in mind, we wanted to ensure Santa’s sack contains nil but joy.”

The campaign is a Christmas-themed target to the ‘new normal’ of relentless sanitizing, mask wearing and generalized droplet anxiety that has left this Christmas tradition in peril. In addition, with the long tail of COVID-19 wrapping itself around everything in its path, the preservation of a wholesome 2021 Christmas was paramount.

Meanwhile, Sam Stuchbury, founder and executive creative director at Motion Sickness, commented, “Let us be your Bloomfield as you sleep peacefully through the night, before Santa fills your stocking with everything you ever wished for.”

Auckland, New Zealand – Hong Kong-based communications and public affairs consultancy Sandpiper Communications has announced that it will be expanding to New Zealand by establishing a new office in the country. In addition, the consultancy has appointed Ed Brewster as director for New Zealand alongside assuming the position of director of international media at Sandpiper Communications.

Brewster has worked in corporate affairs both in-house and agency side for 25 years across the technology, financial and infrastructure sectors. Brewster previously led the corporate affairs, public policy and media for Huawei in the UK, as well as managing international media relations for Huawei Group in London. Prior to this, he was head of global media relations for Prudential.

Speaking about his appointment, Brewster said that in addition to being the perfect base for their primary industries offering, they believe that the consultancy can bring significant, tangible value to outward-looking New Zealand organizations. 

“Sandpiper’s established presence across Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Southeast Asia gives us a unique platform to help tell the stories of New Zealand companies to target growth and investment. While brand [in] New Zealand is very strong, significant opportunities for local brands remain untapped, and we want to help close this gap,” Brewster said.

Brewster will be supported by Julia Walker, director of ESG and sustainability at Sandpiper Communications, and Kelly Johnston, COO at Sandpiper Communications. 

Walker has worked in finance, technology, ESG and international business and market development for 20 years. She has driven the international market expansion for major multinational financial data company, Refinitiv, and provided advisory services on the changing business, regulatory, sustainability and technology landscape across Asia-Pacific.

Regarding her appointment, she noted that they believe that with their network and experience across the region, they are well placed to attract international investment for the consultancy.

“Now is the time for New Zealand companies to unlock the opportunity that the transition to a low carbon and digital economy presents. Integrating climate risks and opportunities and understanding global regulatory and business environment changes will help position businesses for future success. Green finance is on the rise and many international investors are very keen to find opportunities in New Zealand,” Walker said.

Meanwhile,, Johnston has two decades of experience in strategic communications, financial communications, public affairs and sustainability for organizations across a variety of sectors in Asia, Australia and Europe, with recently his stint as a journalist for Radio New Zealand.

“The potential for New Zealand companies has never looked stronger, their entrepreneurial nature combined with brand New Zealand means there are real opportunities for growth and investment. I look forward to helping New Zealand organisations realise their ambitions, and further extending our primary industries experience to clients across the Asia Pacific region,” Johnston said.

Sandpiper is also pleased to announce it has appointed Isabella Durant as a senior account executive in New Zealand, reporting to Ed Brewster.

Australia – DDB Group’s communications agency Mango has snared the account of intimate apparel and sleep brand Bendon Lingerie to be its PR agency for home markets Australia and New Zealand. 

Bendon Lingerie, which is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, is available globally in three continents through over 300 retail and partner doors. In ANZ, the brand has 59 company-owned retail and outlet stores with e-commerce via its website and social media. The company is composed of various brands such as Pleasure State, Fayreform, Lovable, and Bendon Man, as well as Davenport, among others.

As part of the remit, Mango will be supporting the brand’s return to its origins – “making comfortable underwear for women”. Mango Aotearoa and Mango Sydney will work in tandem to lead Bendon’s communications, handling seasonal launches and innovations, such as the recent Conscious Simplicity Collection – the brand’s first foray into a sustainable range. 

Furthermore, Mango Aotearoa will be working on the brand’s first-ever New Zealand Fashion Week Show, which takes place next year.

Sonya Wilkinson, Bendon’s general manager of marketing, shared that the brand was impressed by the strategic and creative thinking of both teams in New Zealand and Australia. 

“It’s an exciting time at Bendon Group, and we’re looking forward to Mango helping us grow our profile and business,” said Wilkinson.

Meanwhile, Tabitha Fairbairn, Mango’s managing director for Sydney, commented, “Being appointed by the smart and entrepreneurial team at Bendon sees Mango continue to bolster its list of trans-Tasman client partners. The brand’s history and future plans set it up for a huge year in 2022.”

Sean Brown, Mango Aotearoa’s general manager, commented “We are so pleased to be working with such an iconic New Zealand brand. The appointment is fantastic for the Mango teams in New Zealand and Australia. We’ve already hit the ground running and are looking forward to receiving plenty of great briefs and delivering some amazing results for Bendon.”

New Zealand – As New Zealand ramps up its vaccination efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, brands continue to spend aggressively on advertising, enabling the advertising economy in the country to increase by more than 18% in 2021 to reach US$2b (NZ$3.1b), according to a report by IPG’s media investment and intelligence arm, MAGNA.

In this environment, linear advertising revenues also increased by over 8.2%, which do not yet offset the declines suffered for linear ad formats in 2020, and linear advertising spending in 2021 was just 87% of its pre-COVID total. 

Moreover, the same report revealed that television revenues increased by over 15%, completely offsetting the pandemic crisis losses, and is also the strongest growth for television since 2003. Meanwhile, print continued to shrink by more than 6%, while OOH spending grew slightly by over 5%, but it is still just 68% of its pre-COVID total.

According to MAGNA, digital advertising revenues in New Zealand grew by +26% to reach US$1.2bn (NZ$1.9b). The spending was led by campaigns on mobile devices, which grew by +34%, representing 67% of total digital budgets. By format, growth was led by search with over 33%, social with more than 31%, and video with over 21%. 

“Digital will continue to take share compared to linear advertising formats, and by 2026 digital budgets will represent 72% of total advertising budgets,” said MAGNA.

Auckland, New Zealand – When you think of a Christmas-themed campaign, data utilization is the least you would expect to be at the core of it. However, New Zealand-based telco Spark begs to differ. The telco has just released its newest ‘Santa’ for its campaign: a tech assistant called ‘Spark’s New Tech Assistant’ or ‘S.N.T.A’ which allows online users to come up with the ideal Christmas gift for the ones they love. 

Created alongside creative agency Colenso BBDO, ‘S.N.T.A’ is built from thousands and thousands of data points designed to find out what every type of New Zealander wants this year.

The experience can be accessed online and in Spark stores around the country, allowing shoppers to discover what their cousin, family member, or co-worker wants. The data collected by Spark and Colenso is purposefully granular, segmenting giftees by much more than age and relationship, but unique interests and attributes, which add charm to what could have been cold facts and figures.

James Henson, chapter lead at Spark, said, “In the past, our focus has been on Spark’s great range of gifts. But we don’t shop for products at Christmas. We shop for the people we love, which isn’t always easy. Knowing that is what inspired S.N.T.A,”

Meanwhile, Lucy Grigg, who was recently promoted to the role of general manager at Colenso BBDO, commented, “Spark is New Zealand’s leading technology provider – which now extends to Christmas. It’s a pleasure to work with them to sprinkle a bit of holiday magic on their tech and build a product that is both charming and truly helpful to Kiwi shoppers.”

Auckland, New Zealand – Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time for another variety of heart-warming campaigns across the region. Such is the case with the latest ad from airline Air New Zealand alongside creative agency Bastion Shine, which is centered around the theme of aiding others to bring cheer this Yuletide season.

The ad features an assistant elf breaking the ‘news’ to Santa Claus that they might not be able to enter New Zealand this Christmas. While listing down potential personas that Santa thinks can be helpful, he ‘rings up’ flight stewards and asks them for assistance in delivering Christmas gifts across New Zealand. The campaign ends with the phrase ‘magical deliveries might be heading your way’, signalling upcoming campaigns from the airline this season.

As part of their Christmas campaign, the airline offers Kiwis the chance to win daily prizes for the 12 days of Christmas, including Airpoints Dollars™, a rewards program of the airline, and two return tickets to New York.

Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says it has been another tough year for many New Zealanders but things are looking up with international travel on the horizon in 2022, including the launch of the airline’s long-awaited New York route.

“We’re excited to be able to provide some cheer and happiness this holiday season and to be reconnecting friends and whānau when international travel restrictions ease in early 2022,” Geraghty said.

She added, “The daily prize draw along with some surprises around the country are our way of saying thanks to our valued customers for standing by us through another challenging year.”

Speaking about the campaign execution, Simon Curran, CEO at Bastion Shine, said, “There’s no doubt that the whole country has been looking forward to Christmas more than ever this year, so we’re glad to work with our amazing partners Air New Zealand to add a little extra cheer to this festive season. And thankful that we can look forward to 2022 with some optimism, both for Air New Zealand and for the entire country.”

Meanwhile, Josh Frizzell, director at Bastion Shine, commented, “What a great gig to get at the end of a very trying few months in lockdown, love the Air New Zealand crew and the team at Bastion Shine, full support from Reel Factory and a great cast and crew. The dream job to take us all into to Christmas. Thanks Santa!”