Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 84 2025 i NZ Marketing

When McDonald’s launched a limited-edition purple Grimace Shake for its mascot’s birthday, they surely didn’t predict teenagers on TikTok would turn it into a horror-movie meme. Within weeks, the #GrimaceShake trend – videos of kids dramatising grim fates after sipping the shake – had amassed over 3 billion views on TikTok. McDonald’s saw a double-digit sales lift that quarter (a 11.7% global sales increase) as executives marvelled at the viral phenomenon fans had created. The product wasn’t groundbreaking, nor (in my opinion) was it particularly good, but it demonstrated that sometimes the most powerful brand moments happen when marketers let go of the wheel and let the community drive. We’re witnessing a profound shift in how brands are built. The days of companies dictating their identity through controlled campaigns are…

Published every two months, dish is New Zealand’s biggest-selling food title, building up a dedicated following among Kiwi foodies over the past 21 years. A new distribution deal means dish will be stocked in Australia at Coles and Woolworths stores, as well as the country’s largest independent supermarket chain, Ritchies Supa IGA. Prior to this deal, dish was mainly available in Australia through subscriptions. Sarah Tuck, CEO and editor of Dish, marked the supermarket launch with a guest appearance on Channel 7’s breakfast show Sunrise in August. She says dish extended into Australian supermarkets after rival magazine Delicious stopped its monthly print edition in June. “The Australian supermarkets can be tough to break into, so when the decision was made to stop printing Delicious as a standalone magazine, we jumped…

Success on the stage doesn’t automatically transfer to the big screen – that was the lesson for the team behind The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It started as a musical, created by British-Kiwi actor and writer Richard O’Brien, and premiered in London in 1973. The production quickly packed out theatres and has been staged somewhere in the world ever since. Yet the subsequent film, released in 1975 with Susan Sarandon as Janet and Tim Curry reprising his stage role as Dr Frank-N-Furter, fell flat. “But it found its way, as all good things do, and it works on so many levels. That’s the reason for its longevity,” says Richard’s son, Linus O’Brien. Just how it found its way is an interesting story. Completely crazy The truth is that at first,…

It was December 31, 2019, and Joe Harawira was ringing in the New Year with a few close friends when a conversation over drinks changed his life. “I was drinking pineapple kombucha that night, and for the life of me, it tasted nothing like pineapple. “After complaining to everyone about it, we thought, ‘Why not create our own non-alcoholic drink?’” says Harawira. The barbecue quickly turned into a brainstorming session. “From the start, we wanted to create an export product that puts New Zealand on the map, and we saw an opportunity to build our brand around mānuka honey’s global reputation for health, wellness and quality. “The next day, I did a bit of research and found that no one was actually making a premium sparkling honey drink. That’s when…

When Spark New Zealand set foot in the gaming arena, the team knew it could make or break the brand. “Brands love ruining the things we love. They find something pure, joyful – then slap a giant logo on it,” the telco notes. Gamers despise brands trying to force their way in: they keep receipts, make memes and diss you in Discord servers you never knew existed, Spark says. Gaming isn’t a traditional area of play for a telco, but Spark had to do something radically different to stand out in a fiercely competitive market. Spark wanted to draw attention to its large, advanced broadband and mobile network. But talking about speed wasn’t enough to get people’s attention. “So, we stopped talking about speed – and started owning the future.…

BrÍd Drohan-Stewart Director brand & marketing, Woolworths NZ How do you incorporate eco-friendly practices in your marketing initiatives? I am incredibly excited about the integral role eco-friendly practices and sustainability play in our work at Woolworths. These initiatives offer a powerful opportunity to craft a compelling product and business backstory for our customers. They allow us to highlight the positive impact we have on our communities and underscore our deep commitment to leaving the land in better shape for future generations – truly acting as guardians of this beautiful country. At Woolworths, our love for food is matched only by our profound dedication to nourishing the nation responsibly and sustainably. It ensures we bring the very best quality food to our customers every day. PJ (Philippa) Morris Head of customer…

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare isn’t the only company making equipment to treat obstructive sleep apnoea, so it needed to stand out. The company chose a daring approach: making one aspect of the mechanism work beautifully, then taking people behind the scenes to prove it. F&P’s much larger competitors also offer diagnostic equipment and CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines to treat obstructive sleep apnoea. However, F&P Healthcare focuses on the mask, a critical component of the treatment system. CPAP therapy dramatically improves patients’ quality of life and health, but at least 30% discontinue therapy. Largely that’s due to issues with the mask, which is often uncomfortable and hard to use. Fisher & Paykel’s most advanced mask yet, F&P Solo, features autolock mechanisms that automatically fit it to a patient’s face.…

The New Zealand Herpes Foundation was established in 1994 to provide information, support and understanding to Kiwis diagnosed with genital herpes. But stigma, fear and misinformation was an ever-increasing challenge. In 2007, the foundation received a bequest from the family of someone who died due to herpes stigma. Yet the virus itself is relatively harmless, says Herpes Foundation trustee Alaina Luxmore. Up to 80% of New Zealanders will get genital or oral herpes at some point, but most are too afraid to talk about it. Thirty percent of Kiwis diagnosed say they have depressive or suicidal thoughts. “Every day we speak with people dealing with feelings of shame, self-loathing and social isolation. People who are finding their sex lives and dating lives disrupted. And for what? From the shame and…

Even savvy customers can get caught out by financial rackets, but no-one thinks it’ll happen to them. Until it does. Practising what to do in the most likely situations was the key to Kiwibank’s ‘Is it really real?” initiative. Kiwibank grounded its approach in behavioural science, recognising that preventing scams requires more than education. Interrupting decision-making moments with new, simple behaviours is key. From this insight came its strategic communications idea: “Is it really real?” The question aims to trigger critical thinking and interrupt impulsive action. It became the foundation of the ScamSpotter series, Kiwibank’s interactive fraud prevention platform. The idea transformed customer communications from passive alerts to active engagements, using gamification, real-life scam examples and scenario-based learning to instil questioning behaviour at scale. Research showed being scammed carries stigma,…

The way Aucklanders live, work and travel has changed significantly since the Covid era. By March 2024, 27% of Aucklanders had formed new working from home habits, affecting public transport numbers and local area congestion. Aucklanders’ car usage shot up post-pandemic, with residents using cars for more short trips, creating extra pressure on the city’s roads. In response, AT set itself ambitious targets – including increasing the number of annual public transport trips in Auckland by five million and growing cycle network numbers by 5%. AT, the country’s biggest public transport operator, needed to think and act like a challenger brand, disrupting the status quo for Aucklanders with alternative solutions that prioritised their needs. It analysed its network and found up to 750,000 Aucklanders lived within 500m of a bus…

aced with heightened price sensitivity during a cost of living crisis, Pak’nSave was determined to prove its lowest price promise against its largest competitor, Woolworths. With fewer stores – further away than a Woolworths for many shoppers – the challenge was to motivate customers to bypass more conveniently located supermarkets. Given its smaller budget, Pak’nSave looked beyond traditional TV advertising and explored cost-effective channels that were both scaleable and locally relevant. This led to the creation of the Price Gap Digital Platform: a data-driven, automated system that delivers weekly, localised price comparisons with Woolworths. Using NielsenIQ Homescan data, it generates a Top 50 check list across butchery, fruit & veg, chilled, frozen and grocery categories to serve as a consistent pricing benchmark. Each week, the team carefully analysed the savings…

Even in an industry where hyperbole abounds, it’s no exaggeration to say that Keith Norris is an absolute legend. For many, he needs no introduction – he has, after all, been a fixture in New Zealand’s marketing scene for half a century – but for the record, his current official role is compliance consultant at the NZ Marketing Association. But the job title doesn’t do him, or his tireless work, justice. “Keith is the reason marketers are trusted to operate the way we do in New Zealand – without loads of heavy regulation,” says Kirsty Jamieson, chief operating officer at the MA. “He has always championed best practice in marketing and worked closely with governments to ensure the industry remains self-regulated, enabling marketers to do what we do today. So…

Shane Bradnick Chief creative officer, TBWA\New Zealand: “With algorithms giving you itineraries and with social media like Instagram, everyone’s posting the same picture.” Joe Harawira Co-founder and managing director, Wai Mānuka: “We need to let entrepreneurs be entrepreneurs – to try things, to make mistakes.” Jenni Ryan Chief marketing officer, AA: “It is such an honour to be working with a 120-year-old brand… This has got to be the brand in terms of its heritage.” Pen Brown Managing director, media, at Together: “There’s a gnarly road ahead, I’m sure, but that’s the silver lining for indies: we are in control of our own destiny.” Zoe Madden-Smith Voyager-winning multimedia journalist, Re: News: “Writing for an audience that’s literally you is awesome.” Melanie Spencer Co-CEO, Thompson Spencer Group: “This is where marketing’s…

Federation is proof that independence can be a powerful thing. The agency, which works across Auckland, Wellington and Melbourne, is ranked in New Zealand’s top three independents by Campaign Brief. It is proving that quiet audacity, executed with precision, is the fastest way for brands to win and grow in 2025 and 2026, in both culture and commerce. Federation’s rise over the past five years is anchored in both its people and its marketing clients, who share the belief in creating “work that works”. Work that combines undeniable product truth with bold, creative thinking, challenging category norms, turning attention into measurable action. In 2025, boards and markets are demanding faster, sharper returns from CMOs and marketing teams. Says chief creative officer Brad Collett: “Federation is an agency that is deliberately…

Judging this year’s Brand of the Year award was a privilege. But more than that – it was an eye opener. New Zealand is a fantastic place for marketing. There’s an energy here. A sharpness. A creative edge. If you’re still clinging to the myth that we need to look overseas for “real” marketing innovation, it’s time to let that one go. People often ask me: What makes an entry stand out? I have a personal lens, and it might not reflect every judge’s criteria. Here’s what I looked for: First: Real customer impact Not likes. Not sentiment. Not some 3D brand metrics. I’m talking about behaviour change – measurable shifts in how people act, buy, choose. The brands that rise to the top are the ones that move the…

Animates has plenty of rivals nipping at its heels in the pet retail space. They come from across the spectrum, from pet specialty competitors and supermarkets to retail giants including Bunnings, Mitre 10 and The Warehouse. Facing the prospect of a price race to the bottom, Animates needed a shared, emotional moment. It chose fireworks, which each year cause trauma, injuries and even death to pets. Previous public petitions to ban retail firework sales had failed, so Animates decided to launch a movement that gave pets a say in the debate. At the heart of The Pawprint Petition was a world-first digital platform where pet parents and their fur babies could sign, to call for a ban on public firework sales. The mobile-first, AI-powered experience gave pets a voice in…

She’s been there less than two years, but Simran Wadhawan has brought fresh energy, strategic smarts and creative flair to multiple categories and teams at Goodman Fielder. Known for stepping into complex projects and reigniting momentum, she’s been praised both inside and outside Goodman Fielder for her confidence, clarity and contagious drive. “Simran is the kind of marketer every organisation hopes to grow: energetic, curious and relentlessly driven. She leads beyond her experience. The future of marketing is in very good hands,” says Goodman Fielder CMO Frankie Coulter. From decoding data in volatile segments like oils or championing fresh new product development ideas sparked by protein trends in yoghurt, she always starts with one question: what’s the real consumer challenge here? She has driven relevance to price-driven aisles – turning…

Established in 1963, Norsewear was once the go-to for outdoor woollen socks in Aotearoa. Made in the small Southern Hawke’s Bay town of Norsewood (population 150), the socks hit the spotlight thanks to Ed Hilary, who wore them on his last Antarctic expedition. But after years of underinvestment, the brand was fading. Revenue was flat, margins were eroding. In 2023, businessman Tim Deane bought the company. Along with his 19-strong team at the factory – the town’s largest employer – he saw the need for transformation. After all, local families depended on a Norsewear paycheque. By April 2024, Norsewear rolled out a refreshed business strategy that focused on its heritage brand story. Commissioned research showed consumers are increasingly seeking higher-quality products made from natural, sustainable materials that last. Yet most…

Abe’s holds 70% market share in New Zealand. But with only two in 10 households buying bagels, category relevance was the biggest challenge. To grow the brand, the company needed to grow the category, and that meant behaviour change marketing. Switching consumers from one bagel brand to another wasn’t going to cut it – Abe’s had to get more people putting bagels in the trolley to start with. To do this, Abe’s launched a new, long-term creative platform in 2024: ‘Put it on a Bagel.’ It planted the thought that everyday favourites (eggs, avocado, peanut butter) might be even more delicious on a bagel, reframing them as an easy, delicious alternative to regular bread. This marketing strategy supported Abe’s objective to act as the category champion, with a long-term vision…

Pak’nSave’s motto has always been to provide New Zealand’s lowest food prices. So it keeps things simple: no fancy store layouts and a bulk-buying, warehouse-style format that helps cut costs. The savings are passed on to shoppers. But what’s good for the wallet wasn’t always making people feel good about themselves. Low prices attracted and retained customers, yet many admitted that shopping at Pak’nSave made them feel “like a loser”. Customers said the no-frills instore experience made them feel “they weren’t doing well, and didn’t have much money”. On top of negative perceptions around the shopping experience, Pak’nSave was up against a well-funded and rapidly expanding Woolworths. Simultaneously, external pressures such as inflation and new players like The Warehouse’s grocery in 2021 and Costco in Auckland in 2022 further intensified…

at the king, you best not miss.’ This was Goodman ‘Come Fielder’s tactic when it launched new liquid breakfast drink Quick Brekkie. Others had tried to compete with category leader Up&Go. Others had failed. But why take on such a challenge? Despite being a trusted player in New Zealand’s dairy game for more than 80 years, Meadow Fresh was losing points to competitors in the fresh white milk category. Less dairy consumption in general and increasing commoditisation saw it conceding ground in 2024. Meadow Fresh needed to level up and connect with younger families. How? Time to make a switch and position Meadow Fresh as a disruptor with a bigger mission: nourishing Kiwi kids. “Sign me up,” said NBA star and beloved Kiwi figure Steven Adams. He was already on…

Their awards cabinet is bursting and they continue to pick up major clients, but the team at Motion Sickness wants to make one thing clear: they are a creative company, not an ad agency. This distinction is key to how they are repositioning themselves in the market, as they build for the future. “Motion Sickness is transitioning from just an ‘ad agency’ and into something much broader and more meaningful,” says executive creative director Sam Stuchbury. “In short, we’re Motion Sickness, creative company. It’s bigger than ads. We apply creativity to business and problems. Marketing and advertising is sometimes a function of that, but not always. Often the shape it takes is much more interesting.” Since it was founded in 2014, Motion Sickness has never behaved like the rest of…

The highly successful 100% Pure New Zealand brand has been going for more than 25 years, and the latest campaign goes heavy on the epic. Right now, 15 million people across the globe are thinking about coming to our shores, and every one of them will have a different experience. That’s the concept behind TBWA\NZ’s new global campaign for 100% Pure. Cinematic TVCs showcase versions of a trip to New Zealand – from watching a haka to meeting a kiwi – and contrast the diminutive houses of Hobbiton with the majestic scale of Tāne Mahuta. The campaign has been a hit on social media, with the launch video attracting over 5.5 million views across Tourism NZ’s channels. Tourism NZ general manager marketing Brodie McLeish says they wanted to put the…

‘Your brand is your company’s most critical asset. And must be treated like one – by all stakeholders including your C-suite.” This message for marketers from brand strategist Ryan France at Kantar Ignite Auckland is sage advice for navigating ongoing economic headwinds, AI disruption and consumer caution. France’s insights from 20 years of Kantar BrandZ – the world’s most extensive brand equity study – also revealed almost one-third of local brands are shifting towards performance marketing when taking a bolder approach to building brand equity is critical. He says marketers must be bolder as those perceived to be both more Different and Meaningful than competitors grow brand value by a much larger amount. “BrandZ evidence helps challenge your board to support marketing as a measurable investment and not a cost…

Vogel’s knows it occupies a special place in Kiwi hearts. On the packet it boldly claims to be: “The bread for New Zealanders.” Amid a cost of living crisis, a single dollar matters more to grocery buyers than you might think. Yet Vogel’s asked for a dollar more, just as Kiwis across the country were cutting back in every way they could. Meanwhile, the rise in gluten-free consumption over the past decades has added pressures to the traditional bread market – and even beloved brands like Vogel’s aren’t immune to macro market forces. To help convince consumers that an extra buck on a loaf wasn’t too much to swallow, Vogel’s introduced a new brand platform: “Nothing Compares.” “Sure, the brand is the only NZ bread with a wet bake formula.…

In his 13 years at ANZ Bank New Zealand, Matthew Pickering has led its brand journey from the lowest performing in market to clear category leadership. And the gap to the following pack continues to widen. As the GM of ANZ’s powerhouse marketing team – one of the largest and most capable in New Zealand – he unites technical, data, campaign and creative talent to deliver real business impact. Pickering is a rare marketer who combines creativity, strategic leadership and commercial acumen to deliver lasting brand strength. Since joining ANZ in 2012, he has championed a customer-first, insight-driven marketing approach, leading the historic National Bank/ANZ merger campaign and helping rebuild brand trust from the ground up. This change signalled the beginning of a transformation journey and a commitment to strategic…

The 18 to 29-year-old demographic is crucial for financial institutions, but Westpac found itself lagging behind the other major banks for consideration among this age group. The bank was losing 18 to 29s twice as fast as it could gain them – not through churn, but through existing customers aging out. So it needed to try something different. Westpac identified a big issue affecting this cohort: an overabundance of information has led to a mismatch between perceived financial confidence and demonstrated literacy. Buy now pay later (BNPL) products are one example of this significant knowledge gap. A survey commissioned by AUT found more than a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds are in constant debt with a BNPL service. Over 70% have used the service before, and 20% don’t think of…

Fletcher Living builds large-scale communities with quality housing that Kiwis can afford, and its main business objective is to sell a steady flow of homes across its 15 Auckland and Christchurch developments. Its martech strategy (powered by Salesforce Marketing Cloud Personalisation) was based on three key insights: ■ Not all leads are equal. Fletcher Living’s sales team was handling a high volume of leads, but lacked a standardised way to evaluate lead quality or understand intent. ■ Customers expect relevance and personalisation. With increasing competition in the housing market, generic content was no longer effective. ■ Time and resource limitations restricted marketing agility. Manually creating weekly email content was very time consuming and risked inconsistencies. Homebuyer journeys can be complex. People move between online and offline channels – browsing websites,…

It started as a fundraising campaign, but the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust’s bid for the world’s largest haka went on to capture not just Aotearoa but the globe. The trust, set up in 2004 by Dame Hinewehi Mohi, is named for her daughter, Hineraukatauri, who has severe cerebral palsy. For 20 years, music therapy provided by the trust has given thousands a voice and a way to express themselves. But like many charities in 2024, it faced critical funding cuts. The trust knew it needed a strategy and campaign that would stand out and raise the funds it desperately needed. No mean feat: tough economic conditions meant many in Aotearoa faced increased financial pressures in all aspects of life – and were tired of donation requests. “We knew our campaign…

Since 2021, beer category volume sales had declined by 8% as drinkers shifted toward RTDs. With Export Ultra losing relevance, the team looked beyond the traditional playbook to bring it back into the national conversation during summer – the make-or-break season for beer brands. In summer 2024/25, more than 400 different beer products lined supermarket and liquor store shelves across Aotearoa. While many of them are backed by big global marketing budgets – Export Ultra, owned by Kiwi beverage brand DB Breweries, isn’t. To win the moment, Export Ultra tackled a struggle every beer lover knows all too well: you pop a beer in the freezer to chill it quickly, then forget about it. By the time you remember, it’s frozen, expanded and exploded. The team even ran a quantitative…

While most welcome the arrival of spring, it is a challenging time for ski area management companies like NZSki, which typically see a drop-off in visitors to the mountains. NZSki data from 2023 shows season pass holders significantly reduced their skiing from early September until the end of the season in early October – averaging just 2.6 days on the slopes. It didn’t have much of a budget to play with, but NZSki set out to increase spring skiing frequency and boost spring pass sales. Connecting these challenges led to a creative solution: turn spring skiing into a fun, rewarding experience. In its sights were guests at its three ski fields – Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt. The idea was simple: if guests felt like they were playing…

What began as a few casual catch-ups between freelancers looking to stay connected has evolved into a trusted circle of collaborators. The PR Collab includes Lindsay Stanley of LSPR, Lwindi Ellis of Raise Communications, Jade Hart of ihartpr and Suzanne McNamara of kind&co. Stanley has been working for herself since she became a mother in 2017, seeking more flexibility and the opportunity to work with brands and businesses she believed in. “Many in our group are working mums who took a similar leap – and we quickly found common ground, all looking to balance meaningful work with family life,” she says. Ellis puts it simply: “Being a freelancer or running a small PR business doesn’t mean working in a vacuum. In fact, it can be the opposite. “The PR Collab…