NZ Marketing Issue 79 2024

Welcome to issue 79 of NZ Marketing magazine – my first in the hotseat. Coming from a news background, I’m all about great stories, well told, but this job has also involved a whole new language – lots of jargon and acronyms to learn! This is especially true in the field of data-driven decision making, a fascinating and huge area. You can read about it from page 32. The maths averse might fear this topic strays perilously close to number crunching, but those I talked to used words like “sparkle”, “standing out from the crowd” and “feeling good” to describe the purpose of their work. In the best hands, it seems, data can draw out our most human qualities. The tension between people and AI – particularly whether artificial intelligence…

Kelly Bennett Founder of One Plus One Group on how PR has evolved over his time in the industry and what the future looks like. Arnya Karaitiana Creative Director and Kaiārahi at Special Aotea on how the media landscape should match our diverse peoplescape. Joanna O’Connor Marketing Director at Auckland Theatre Company on the role of community and AI in ATC’s latest play. Kate Boreham Head of Regional and Rural Markets at Stuff on how to reach audiences outside metropolitan New Zealand. Lisa King Founder of non-alcoholic drinks brand Curious AF on her major US deal with Target and Walmart. Samantha Osborne General Manager of Cartology NZ on the latest trends in retail media. Jacob Dawson Co-founder of ODV on what it takes to make a successful video in the…

The fortnightly NZ Marketing magazine newsletter is back Every two weeks, the NZ Marketing mag team is popping into your inbox with a special newsletter featuring up-to-date news, latest trends and insights into the world of marketing. Scan the QR code to sign up Say hi to Penny and Zahra Earlier in the year, the NZ Marketing team gave a warm welcome to our new Editor, Penny Murray and Sub-editor and Feature Writer, Zahra Shahtahmasebi. Penny has been an editor, writer and production journalist for three decades, in both Aotearoa and the UK. As well as working in newspapers, trade magazines and glossies, she has co-authored a book of short stories and most recently helped lead Stuff’s busy Auckland digital newsroom. She loves introducing readers to useful ideas and has…

DRIVING REVENUE IN A RECESSION When the chips are down and costs are up, what should marketers do? John Buckley, Stuff’s Director of Digital Revenue and Strategy and veteran digital agency expert, has five steps for brands navigating New Zealand’s cost of living crisis. It is the marketer’s eternal challenge: a recession has been called, consumers grow more vigilant about what they spend and the brands they choose, and marketing budgets are scaled back. Recession marketing is in, and price sensitivity is everywhere. But you can drive revenue in a recession and the clever will brand-build now while others will suffer from short-termism in teh long run. There are, however, a few tricks and strategies to successfully navigating such a challenging time. So, what can you do? 1. Get your data…

In a conference room overlooking the Auckland city skyline sit four of the top dogs at DDB Group Aotearoa, one of the country’s most highly acclaimed advertising agencies. You’d think it might be intimidating. But Group CEO Priya Patel, Chief Strategy Officer Rupert Price, Group Chief Creative Officer Matty Burton, and Chief Creative Officer Gary Steele are a fun bunch. All are expats and have been in New Zealand for five to 10 years. Only Patel, who was MD at DDB Australia from 2018-21, had worked elsewhere in the company’s global network before. So what brought them here? Their answers share a common thread: the creative work being produced in Aotearoa was enviable for a small and geographically isolated country. Our reputation for No. 8 wire ingenuity might result in…

The latest results are in and New Zealanders have spoken. What’s the secret to securing a spot in the top five? Resident New Zealand ad expert Carl Sarney, Head of Strategy at TRA, weighs in on what makes the top ads so memorable. A WINNING FORMULA In survey after survey, one of the stand-out favourite ad components uniting the top favourite ads is creative commitment. Creative commitment is an effectiveness strategy identified by James Hurman and Peter Field. It outlines three crucial commitments brands can make to embed their campaigns more deeply in the public’s consciousness. The first crucial commitment is sticking to a recognisable creative platform over the long term – such as characters or consistent use of brand codes. The second is media spend: brands need a sufficient share…