Tabla de contenidos para Issue 77 2023 en NZ Marketing

Tough times ahead for NZ media giants Recent financial announcements from some of New Zealand’s biggest media companies reflect challenging times for the industry. State-owned broadcaster TVNZ reported a net profit after tax of $1.7 million in the year to June 30, a 78 percent drop from $7.9 million in 2022. Revenue was down 4.1 percent year-on-year, from $341.7 million to $327.6 million, while operating expenses fell slightly, from $315.6 million to $313.6 million. EBITDAF (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, and financial instruments) plunged by 46 percent, from $26.1 million in the 2022 financial year to $14.1 million this year. Although TV revenue was down, TVNZ saw a 14 percent year-on-year increase in digital revenue. TVNZ is not currently planning to pay a dividend to the government. The broadcaster…

Even though New Zealand is a whopping 18,389 kilometres away from the UK, we share a connection that crosses this distance, seamlessly intertwining our narratives. However, for businesses with UK aspirations, amplifying a brand there presents its challenges. While technology has simplified many aspects of international business, the UK market remains vast and complex, with unique nuances that may only be fully grasped through local presence and experience. Milk is a strategic brand agency, rooted in New Zealand and Australia, striving for the growth of both local businesses and international brands. Their key expertise lies in crafting brand strategies, distinctive brand identity systems, communications and campaigns. With nearly 20 years of experience, they are humbled by their diverse portfolio which crosses many industries and borders – from Australasia to Asia,…

As we move into 2024, one trend that is gaining momentum is ‘Integrity Economics’, which according to The Pace of Progress: dentsu 2024 Media Trends, largely boils down to a strong emphasis on social and environmental responsibility, authenticity, and a genuine connection with culture. Integrity Economics encourages brands to find their true purpose and mission beyond profit. It’s about understanding why a company exists and how it can positively impact the world. When a brand’s purpose is aligned with the values of its audience, it creates a powerful emotional bond that goes much deeper than the more shallow transactional relationships. Authenticity also speaks to simply owning what you are as a brand. Sarah Bonnefoy, Senior Brand Strategist at Re:Brand uses KFC as an example of a brand that has learnt…

As technology continues to develop at an exponential rate, more and more opportunities are emerging for brands and businesses to delve deeper into providing personalised experiences at scale. These developments allow businesses and brands to tailor their offerings, enhancing customer satisfaction while nurturing meaningful connections with their customers. This heightened level of personalisation not only elevates the overall customer experience but also lays a foundation for enduring loyalty and engagement, fostering a symbiotic relationship between brands and their audiences. Robert Limb, CEO of TRACK, says despite the allure of cutting-edge innovations, the crux of the matter lies not just in adopting new tools but in using existing technologies to their full capabilities and fostering creativity into personalisation across multiple channels. He says there will be few technologies available that will…

While there doesn’t seem to be an agreed-upon number of ads an average consumer sees each day, it’s clear that whatever the number is, it’s growing. As we spend more and more time on the internet, our phones, and looking at various other screens either at home or out in the world, there are many moments throughout the day where advertisers can reach eyeballs. But what happens where there are so many that audiences stop taking notice? To cut through this clutter, and tackle what is sometimes termed ‘banner blindness’, New Zealand advertisers are jumping on the 3D bandwagon to stand out in a market where attention is the currency. The country’s first foray into the 3D space was a collaborative effort between MediaWorks, MBM and Wētā Workshop in June…

“There are three types of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” This famous quote, attributed to Mark Twain, could easily be applied to the myriad of different measurements and metrics available for online and social media-based marketing campaigns. Depending on the platform you are using, your business could be racking up views, page impressions, hits, click-throughs or even minutes watched. But what do these actually mean, and more importantly, how are they affecting your bottom line? Industry leaders we spoke to agree: while the raw numbers such as page impressions can be useful, you need to make sure they are translating to real results (like more people buying the stuff you are trying to sell), and they need to be looked at in the wider context of your overall marketing…

In an era of digital transformation and privacy concerns, marketers in New Zealand are faced with a shifting advertising landscape. The impending demise of cookies – those small pieces of data that leave a trail of digital crumbs to track online behaviour and allow for targeted advertising – has left many wondering about the future of digital marketing. As we embrace this new normal, it’s crucial to explore the mix of advertising avenues available, and one that stands out prominently is television commercials. TRA and ThinkTV have been studying New Zealand’s favourite television commercials since 2019. The learnings transcend television execution. All marketers can learn from what the top mass-market brands are doing to grab the attention of mainstream New Zealanders and create positive, lasting emotional connection. Brands with favourite…

This year, for the first time in three years, the Warriors returned to New Zealand full-time after playing in Australia during the pandemic. Sports marketing in general is heavily fuelled by the results of the team, with a good season always translating into a good marketing strategy. But with their return to home soil, the team’s entire marketing strategy shifted. Glenn Harris, General Manager of Marketing and Business Development for the One NZ Warriors, says that prior to the pandemic, fan engagement and attendance were heavily results-driven. “Our whole strategic premise for this season that just finished was to take the variability of football and results out of the brand framework, so our plan was to create something where the fans could be the star of the show,” says Glenn.…

This year was the first time Squirrel has entered the TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards, and we were absolutely delighted with our win. Squirrel’s in-house creative and marketing team have been plugging away for years to grow a strong brand and we’re proud of all we’ve achieved, and the work we’re doing. For most people, the Squirrel name is synonymous with ‘mortgage broker’, so we’ve been on a bit of a mission to build awareness about the saving and investing side of our business as well – and the ‘First 100 Get 100’ campaign was part of this wider business push to grow our investor numbers. Collaborating with the wider team – including our data and operations teams – Squirrel’s marketing team were able to deliver a cost-effective campaign, that also proved…

Video calling in from her high rise office looking out to a brilliantly sunny Auckland viaduct, Astrud Burgess looks quite at home. It’s a far cry from Kaikohe where she was born, or in fact Kiribati where she spent a lot of her childhood. Starting out as a graduate working at ANZ, Astrud spent her early years working six weeks in a branch and six weeks processing loans and doing general banking work, and credits this time as giving her valuable insight into the workings of a bank – something she’s been able to draw from throughout her career in marketing. Her new expanded role as Group CMO means she is responsible for overseeing a programme within ANZ which involves growing the capability of marketers, through assessment, growth conversations with…

What happens to you when you hear the jingle of your favourite fast-food restaurant? What about when you hear the tune that plays when you boot up your favourite streaming platform? And what about those songs that remind you of a particular person or moment in your life, no matter how many times you hear them? Sound has an almost unparalleled ability to evoke emotions and unearth deep-seated memories and associations, making it a powerful tool in the world of sales. The inaugural ‘jingle’ ever broadcast is often credited to General Mills, whose infectious tune promoting “Wheaties – the finest breakfast food in the land” made its debut in the US on Christmas Eve way back in 1926. Fast forward nearly a century, to an era where radio and podcasts…

The oft-professed ‘Father of Advertising’ David Olgilvy has been widely quoted as saying: “Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.” Market research has always been vital for advertisers and brands, as it brings to light important and often hard to spot consumer preferences, behaviours, and trends. It can guide strategic decisions (including around branding), hones targeting efforts, improves product development, enhances messaging to meet customer needs effectively, and is key to building competitive advantages and reaping the rewards of better ROI. With this in mind, there’s no doubt harnessing data and research is a key element of all successful marketing efforts. However, it is also clear that in this modern landscape and context, changes in research approaches will be necessary, particularly…

With expenses putting the squeeze on budgets, consumers and businesses are becoming increasingly savvy with their spending choices. The era of economic uncertainty is set to continue into 2024, challenging brands to adapt to shifting consumer preferences and financial constraints. In this turbulent landscape, the brands that will continue to thrive are the ones that genuinely listen to their customers and stand beside them during tough times. One such example of a brand and agency partner understanding the assignment, is FCB and the work it has done with PAK’nSAVE, and more recently, Four Square. With people paying close attention to their weekly outgoings, it has become more important than ever for retail brands to communicate clearly what these brands offer above and beyond their competitors. Matt Kingston, FCB Chief Strategy…

The relationship between the publishing industry and Public Relations could be likened to a well crafted tapestry. The PR industry provides threads of colourful information, while the publishing industry carefully stitches these together into stories and presents the tapestry to the world. Together, they create meaningful work that draws people in and keeps them engaged. However, in this tough economic climate, publishers need to pay their rapidly rising bills with advertising spend, while PR companies are working to get the best bang for their buck on their clients’ behalf. Earned media has the benefit of appearing organic, which can make it more appealing to consumers, particularly in this world where we are constantly being sold to. Coverage such as reviews, mentions, or press coverage, often carry more credibility and trust…

“You’d think I would be getting better at this,” he laughs as he struggles to get the camera going on his computer at the start of our video call. Interviewing a savvy television and radio journalist like Jack Tame would be a somewhat nerve-wracking job for any fellow reporter, but Jack’s trademark smile can dissolve any nerves, unless you’re a politician. When reading up on Jack’s long list of achievements to date, the first thing that stands out is his work ethic. Knowing from an early age that he wanted to be a broadcast journalist, Jack got his first taste of the media world during an internship on TVNZ 1 morning show Breakfast while at Christchurch’s New Zealand Broadcasting School. Seeing his potential and clear hunger for a career in…

wasteful drain on taxpayers’ dollars or delivering value to New Zealand? The New Zealand Government, being the country’s largest advertiser, allocates millions of dollars to media companies, agencies, and consultants. Prior to this year’s election there was plenty of rhetoric directed from the Opposition ranks. Questions were raised about the government’s use of advertising to promote its policies, leading to accusations of wasteful spending and claims that Wellington was disconnected from the rest of the country. With a change in government, advertising is going to come under a microscope. Health advertising budgets for instance equated to the cost of hospital beds and nurses. Emails and presentation decks were fair game to be OIA-ed (Official Information Act). Ministers were interrogated in Parliament or more conspicuously by Mike Hosking on NewstalkZB. Consequently,…

Matt Herbert, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of brand tracking platform Tracksuit – one of the country’s fastest growing start-ups – attended the event with other global companies such as Reddit, Canva and Spotify to learn what the landscape of global marketing looks like, and what the New Zealand market can learn from them. “There was a lot of rhetoric from speakers emphasising the belief in the importance of brand, how to communicate this and get wider buy-in. In order for agencies and marketers to succeed, they need to know how to communicate upwards and ladder their strategy up to the wider business strategy and revenue goals,” says Matt. At SXSW, Matt was able to listen in on many success stories, with many talking about having the right product at the right…

The most well-known marketing theorists of our time typically advocate two broad approaches to marketing. Target the whole category over the long term because mass marketing, penetration, and scale is “how brands grow”. But, for shorter term goals, that approach isn’t necessarily as efficient. Not everyone in a category wants to buy immediately. The latter makes sense. Consumers don’t evaluate advertising or marketing activity based on the number of people in a category that were made aware over ‘the long term’. Their focus is more short-term. They are evaluating advertising and marketing on how well their needs are met across the customer lifecycle, and all the different factors which influence each stage within the lifecycle. These factors are probably best summarised by one word: relevancy. Relevancy can mean many things;…

NZ Marketing caught up with Harvey Cameron’s Managing Director Gareth O’Connor and General Manager Digital James Duggan, along with Nero Motion’s CEO and Creative Director Alessandro Benintende, to shed light on what this partnership means for their clients and the strategic timing behind the decision to unite these two businesses. What is it about the current landscape that made it the right time for Harvey Cameron and Nero Motion to partner? ALESSANDRO: As software continues to transform the world, we are seeing more and more companies demand scalable software solutions customised to their customer needs, to their problems, and their internal workflows. Companies with outdated technology and antiquated systems are getting left behind (or at least significantly running that risk). Whether it’s internal operations, customer service, marketing, branding or strategy,…

Defined as those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Gen Z audience have been defined as money-driven, ambitious, pragmatic but most importantly, digital natives. With Millennials considered as ‘Digital Pioneers’, Gen Z were born into the peak of technological innovation, preferring the use of social media and digital platforms over traditional media such as television, radio, and print. Unlike other generations, as digital natives, Gen Z are highly connected and therefore accessible, which has created new opportunities for the marketing industry to tap into. According to Gen Z industry experts, this generation has a few specific traits the marketers trying to reach them should consider. Sam Stuchbury, Executive Creative Director of creative agency Motion Sickness, says Gen Z “have quite a high and sensitive bullsh*t radar” but…

The indie proving bold creativity works After experiencing significant growth over the past two years and winning clients such as Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission and Big Save Furniture, it’s not shocking that independent agency Motion Sickness has received more than 100 awards in the last year, acknowledging its skills in strategy and creativity. Seven of these were awarded at the recent 2023 Aotearoa Effie Awards for work done with Fire and Emergency NZ and Whānau Ora, and included the ‘Hardest Challenge’ award for ‘You’re Cooked’. So what was the hardest challenge deemed impressive enough to take out this dedicated prize? As the Effie judges said: “It’s really hard to connect with people who are hungry, even more so when they are pissed.” According to Hilary, a behaviour change…

Richard Hale, Managing Director of Media at dentsu NZ, says 2024 will be defined by our response to rapid changes, driven by AI, and intensified by other factors. “While the past few years have seen disruption at a global level from a pandemic and economic uncertainty, 2024 will be shaped by how we respond to the rapid changes we are seeing; driven by AI, increasing competition from the tech giants, the need for brands to act more in line with their customers’ values, and in turn understanding how those customers respond. While we can’t predict the future, identifying key trends, and preparing for them, is critical for success.” One aspect of AI that has recently garnered significant attention in the marketing world is generative AI, with ChatGPT being a prime…

In recent years, the media and advertising industries have seen a significant shift towards in-house production – a trend that is not only changing the way media organisations and advertisers collaborate but is also shaping the way content reaches and engages audiences. This reinvestment allows firms to retain control over content production and maintain brand consistency. Stuff is one example of a company that has started doing this, through its in-house strategic creative editorial studio Harakeke. Harakeke’s approach to in-house production centres on understanding and connecting with audiences on a profound level. As Stuff Ltd Managing Director of Brand Connections and Director of Harakeke, Sarah Stuart, explains: “No one understands our audiences better than we do.” Harakeke works across an ecosystem of brands on various platforms, which attract a variety…

Our benchmark for determining whether a computer can meet general intelligence has shifted over the years. First it was whether the top chess master could be beaten. Once that happened, we hurriedly decided it must be something else. We turned back to Alan Turing, who had argued in 1950 that to have reached general intelligence, an AI must convince a human, through conversation, that it is speaking to a fellow human. Most AI scientists now believe general intelligence is indicated by knowledge of communication. The frontline of modern AI is its ability to distil ideas and understand language. In his 2021 book, The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the Way We Do, Erik Larson, a natural language research scientist, argues that plausible conversation is not enough. The…

With a belief that technology will liberate individuality and fuel customer growth, it’s no surprise that Proximity has been behind some highly awarded pieces of marketing work this year. The 2023 TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards Supreme Winner, Spark’s Made For You Review was one such piece of work. The result of Proximity’s smart use of technology and data, drove business wide transformation, created a blueprint for how to launch and embed a new proposition, and created a true brand experience across multiple channels. Importantly, it also helped Spark customers see which plan was right for them. Proximity has made a name for itself as the holistic tech and data-savvy agency, suited for clients with complex tech and data problems that need to be solved. “Traditionally agencies are anchored in content creation…

The REACH we are familiar with today bears little resemblance to the ReachMedia that CEO Struan Abernethy assumed leadership of in 2019. Here he outlines the transformation he has steered in the company to support the growth of New Zealand businesses. You don’t get a much bigger challenge than the one CEO Struan Abernethy undertook when he acquired what was then ReachMedia, in July 2019. He was joining a business that was operating in a fiercely price-driven monopoly in its core product of letterbox marketing. It was suffering from an erosion of profitability, had low morale and high staff churn, and was confused on identity, direction and relevance in a rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape. Struan, was an experienced business professional and CEO with over five years experience as Global…