What is New Zealandness anyway?
I was flying home recently and for a change Aotearoa wasn’t living up to it’s name. The usual blanket of long white cloud was absent, providing me fantastic views from my window seat. As I gazed at the beauty 36,000 feet below I reflected on how lucky I am to call New Zealand home. It got me thinking…
Brands trying to appeal to Kiwis will often try to claim ‘New Zealandness’ as a way to win our hearts (and wallets), but what actually is New Zealandness?
Well, there’s the obvious – those who actually have it in their name. Think Air New Zealand, Kiwibank… Some claim territorial rights of being based here. Think 2Degrees, Fonterra..... Others go for the physical attributes of stunning landscapes and natural beauty. Think Tourism NZ, Icebreaker...
Yes, these things certainly make a New Zealand company. But there are other things you can do to be a ‘Kiwi’ company – and you don’t even have to hail from here!
I can’t help but think back to the early 2000s when a huge multinational corporate entered New Zealand and somehow managed to appear like a start-up based on College Hill…. I doubt anyone would think of Vodafone as a Kiwi company, but (at the time) they did a fantastic job of connecting with Kiwis by tuning into what we’re about…
They challenged convention – Kiwis love an underdog, and they somehow downweighed their global behemoth status to appear like a challenger to the incumbent telco provider. They took this further through their sponsorship of the Warriors – the perennial underdog taking on the established teams in Australia.
They embraced innovation – obviously leveraging the benefits of their global network, their range of handsets and ability to roam overseas created a significant advantage for them at the time.
They ensured a fair go – their calling circles made calling your selected friends a whole lot cheaper and acted like a snowball effect in attracting customers.
Sure, there are plenty of other characteristics that also paint a picture of who we are and what makes us tick… but the reality is you don’t have to have ‘New Zealand’ in your name, or have ferns in your logo to express New Zealandness… If your brand can capture the spirit of New Zealanders and what makes this place great then you’ll be connecting with Kiwis in a genuine way. I think that’s what New Zealandness really is.
On that… don’t get me wrong, I think the brands mentioned above actually do a good job of going beyond the superficial and tapping into the Kiwi psyche…. from 2Degrees’ quirky humour to Air NZ’s down-to-earth, friendly service, they have successfully infused New Zealandness into their brands.
And the view from Air NZ’s window seat as you fly over Godzone is pretty great too…