Features >
Features
Top 10 for NZ
A Brand NZ?
Brain Exchange
Peter Jackson
Re-entry
Moko
Global Newzmakers
Transmit
Rugby Postcard
Pasifika Styles
Alan Gibbs
Nga Kupu Aroha
JaneInside
     
Who's next?
 Send us your pick with references and URLs.
    


 
Well think of New Zealand you have - eyes (and ears) wide open. Below are the first batch of responses to Turi's thought provoking letter. Whether brand is your mantra or the whole idea of branding our free land irks you, read below for stimulus from graphic designers, MPs, GPs, PR people, lawyers, writers, and cleaners, from Nelson to NYC, they offer names old and new, tug apron strings, and wave the flag (but which one?). 

Click here to add your voice to the chorus and here for page two of responses. 

And heed these words from Man Alone author John Mulgan: 

"There is nothing soft about New Zealand, the country. It is very hard and sinewy, and will outlast many of those who attempt to alter it."
'Report on Experience', 1967.

Export Manager, Auckland, NZ, age: 28
The way in which we brand NZ is intricately tied to the points of contact we have as a country around the world, whether as people or in the products and services we distribute. The contact we have as people will inevitably convey what it means to be a NZ'er.

The nature and quality of the products and services that we distribute will in turn convey just as much as what it means to come from NZ.
          



Brands anchoring our identity in the world?

I believe that the perception of the NZ brand needs to be built through the creation of products and services that encapsulate the NZ edge ethos.

The great brands around the world do not rely on the ties to their country of origin, instead they convey to us what it means to come from that country. Lets stop concerning ourselves with the peripherals and start making an impact by what we do.
          

Inventor/designer (Corp President), London, UK, age: 67
Visual language works for my but then I'm dyslexic. Black/Silver fern, Maori symbols, Fern Koru, Southern Cross without the Union flag. They all work for me.

Kiwi confuses non-english speaking peoples I find. They think Kiwi Fruit.

Maybe the visual language operates at different levels - those who discover NZ for the first time, then further deeper levels until they all arrive at 'The Land of the Long White Cloud'.

That's when they own their knowledge of this country and people and want more - either to visit or just enjoy the strength, reliability and warm comfort of the NZ experience.

All the best.
       

Kiwi Thinker, Wellington, NZ, age: 36
Tena koe e Turi
You have started an awakening of the mind and the heart. Words are but symbols on a screen e hoa. As you know from your work, it is the story that is important. The story of our country, where we have been, where we are, and where we are going? Very much like the stories of our own lives. What will be our own story when we have passed on? To experience this, one must imagine one's own passing.

I wish only that tui still remains to serenade the children regardless of race, the kowhai still blooms, the perfume of the tarata to delight the senses. Like the greenstone which endures sun and rain, I hope these gifts of Aotearoa remain. The story of Aotearoa as told through the oratory of nature. Nga mihi nunui ki a tatou....
       

Analyst, Wellington, NZ, age:
I closed my eyes and thought of New Zealand and New Zealanders and my time overseas and how we were perceived and how we wanted to be perceived and the answer came:  

Can Do
        

To expand....our backgrounds and ancestors had to make do and make a country (whether that was 400 or 100 years ago. We solve problems. We are a solution provider not a problem maker (or we should be). We use native cunning and innovative practical techniques to 'get it solved'. Its why we are valued, its where all the toys (black boats, Britten cycles etc) came from. It helps foster the David against the world Goliath image and it's why we never quit.

Now make 'Can Do' into an image!
       
Creative, Wellington, NZ, age: 27
I agree Turi, investigation into the very fabric of WHO WE ARE must be the only way forward. And even if we could lock this down for a moment, and stamp it quickly, it will change before we know it. The depth of a NZ cultural identity, its meaning and significance is not static but fluid.
          

Creative, Auckland, NZ, age: 35
What an intelligent, comprehensive letter. What an important discussion.

Based on my work in design and advertising, locally and globally, I'd like to suggest a different take to this letter on the term 'brand'.

I believe branding is a lot more than 'distilling and empowering a trade mark'. Brands live in people's minds - grey matter - not CMYK or RGB, as trademarks do.

New Zealand already is a brand. It exists as the sum of many individuals' experience of our country. It is made up of the visual and non-visual icons that move us. The stories we have heard. The people we have met. The food and wine we have tasted. The sport, culture, geography and history we have experienced in a myriad of ways.

Our brand exists. What we need to do is focus it, then grow it.

I agree entirely 'we need to strengthen our national identity and to unite currently disparate elements to form a strategic and empowering proposition'. But I think we need more than a 'visual language'.
       

 

 

 

 

 

Our country is a lot more than visual. The taste of our sauvignon blanc, the feel of volcanic rock, the smell of just caught snapper on the grill, the sound of moreporks at night. The creative expression of our nation is more than visual too. What's a list of national icons without pokarekare ana? Our brand should be big enough to encapsulate every form of experience and expression of our country.

I acknowledge 'brand' is an overused, misunderstood term, but it is the correct one. People buy brands. Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the United States of America. Seriously successful brands.

A full communication audit is necessary prior to the further development and formalisation of our national brand. I am positive this audit will reveal two major creative decisions have already been made by New Zealanders. The silver fern is our icon. Black is our colour. But what next? How radical are we going to be with this development? And will we and the world embrace it?

I see two options based on the reality of what we are, or are to become, as a nation. In other words the 'product' we are selling. If the product stays the same, the market won't swallow a radical brand change. If the product develops radically, so can the brand.

Option A - The Dominion of New Zealand

It's the same product so don't change the name.

'God Defend New Zealand' still rings true for the majority.

The flag is confusing and we're no longer a sub-brand, so there's good reason to change. Canada showed us how to escape the British parent brand with their maple leaf icon and red colour. The design challenge is to put our silver fern on black so it doesn't look like a pirate flag.

The monarchy remains relevant, but perhaps every coin is overkill.

Option B - The Republic of Aotearoa

The crown has gone, so can the replacement name it imposed.

Time for a new national anthem to celebrate our official independence.

Our flag - see above.

If the monarchy goes, surely so too will the Treaty. A lot changes about the product. A lot can change about the brand.

Either way, once we know what the product is, we need the best strategic and creative minds in the country to develop our brand's identity and communication. The designs and stories we take to our world need to be singing from the same waiata sheet. Whether it's a stamp in a passport, an Olympic medal ceremony on the BBC, or an ad in cyber space - the expressions that recreate our country's brand must be honest, intelligent, inspiring and consistent.

Our brand needs more than 'knowledge' too. It needs 'ideas'. Some of the best ideas I've heard are contained in two of Kevin Roberts' speeches - 'NZ on the Edge', 28 August 1998, and 'At the Edge', 6 October 2000.

I'm no Kevin Roberts groupie - I found Turi Park's letter in ProDesign - but I recommend you read them if you haven't. E James Bowman, bowpoms@hotmail.com

PS 'bowpoms' because even though I'm proud to be a fifth generation Kiwi, I'm also proud of my British citizenship that I received last year.

Cleaner, Hastings, NZ, age: 28
See photos of the "newly evolved" kiwi flag in Italy at the end of this message!

Everyday I feel more and more Kiwis are heading in the direction that was outlined in this very thought provoking letter. I as a young New Zealander have wondered for many years now, how my free and independent country can wave a national flag which has another nations flag within its design. In fact why when NZ has been independent since 1947, have we had to wait so long for a national flag of our own design and making. Republic or no republic, our flag should state what we are, and we are more than the colony that our current national flag was designed for all those years ago. 

You can read more about the changing face of the New Zealand flag debate at www.hbtv.co.nz/flagnz
         
Associate Minister for Arts, Culture, Heritage
Dear Turi, I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage to your recent email regarding New Zealand identity

From reading your letter I do not think we differ essentially in our views on the importance of a shared sense of national identity.  Like you, the government is aware that not only is there a great deal happening in New Zealand in a range of fields, but also we have enormous potential for development.  And integral to the realising of this potential – not to mention our own wellbeing and sense of belonging – is the need to enhance our understanding of ourselves and our cultural identity.  Of which, of course, our Maori culture is an essential part.

A New Zealand brand is one way to signal to overseas countries encountering our products a sense of pride in our own identity and produce.  It does not claim to be a ‘solution to our quest for a national identity’ which is, of course, a task of far greater scope.  The government has engaged with this ‘quest’ in a number of ways since coming into office.  You will be aware, for example, that we are seeking to encourage television (through the charter and increased funding to NZ On Air) and radio (through discussions resulting in the voluntary Radio Code of Practice) to include more local content in their programming.

In recognition of the vital role artistic and heritage activities play in challenging and defining who we are, we have also placed great emphasis on supporting our artists and strengthening our arts and heritage institutions.  (You will remember the ‘cultural recovery package’ of May 2000, for example, and the Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment scheme launched last year.)  Further, with regard to the relationship between creative and economic potential, and the unique ability of our creative sector to present an image of who we are in an international context, we have identified the creative industries as one of three sectors to be targeted for development under the ‘Growing an Innovative New Zealand’ strategy.

The discussion of national identity in your open letter is most interesting and I applaud your initiative in circulating this to encourage wider debate.
           

Partner, Australasian Law Firm
You have my vote on this issue; we must accept that "brands" in this instance are merely physical symbols; symbols which can not and never will reflect the personality (Which is ever changing) of our society . What we must first start doing is telling ourselves (And then, when necessary , people from other societies) that we are "brilliant'', "attractive" & "forthright" people who want to be "Kiwis " --- we need to applaud ourselves before we start trying to create an image for overseas consumption . That said, after many years living overseas (Part of the Muldoon diaspora). I find that other people are fascinated by NZ partly due to its isolation but also because we are seen as "successful"!!! And because we are not Australian nor Poms. Lets start celebrating how good we are & not be afraid to be a little arrogant about it -- it's time to drop the "Aw shucks" approach. ie. when we are told we are good we respond , in a typically self depreciating way , by saying "Aw shucks, are we ? ".
              

Designer, Wellington Design Consultancy
Read your treatise. interesting. But I am not too sure that I totally agree with ALL your thoughts. A brand needs to be a mantra, a maxim for existence. A marque or identity by itself can only achieve so much - it is an encapsulation, a signature of the brand's passion, ethos, vision and values. And we need this brand. AND we need a marque that IS truly symbolic.

Partner, Wellington Public Relations Company
I have not long arrived in from Ruatoria where I attended a tangi for one of my nanny's who was 82 and whose life, like many others in this country, is and was affected by the tangled web of inputs you have mentioned in open letter. I agree with everything you have said and will certainly forward it to others in my network so that they too might engage in the debate that this country really needs to have. Congratulations not only for the thought that has gone in to it but for the action that has given those thoughts form and expression.
       

Partner, Wellington Public Relations Company
I love your open letter, the initiative of it, the content and courageous conviction of it, and the distribution of it. I shall certainly forward on [...]

Senior Consultant, Wellington Public Relations Company
I agree, but it's a biggy. In the mid-1980s a similar problem arose - visual versus real identity. Little progress has been made since. The nature of the problem - too many competing hands on the handle bars. That is, direction and lack of leadership. It may be THE time.

Founding Director, Wellington Public Relations Company
Excellent piece.

Wellington-based Writer
Wow. What an initiative, and how beautifully executed. Grand to see you working with all your cylinders firing. I'm very happy to forward this.
        

New Zealand Lawyer, New York
I think the issue you raise is really important. My first reaction is bring on the republic. Quite apart from the fact that our continued allegiance to the English Crown as head of state is almost laughable, the national analysis and debate needed to sort out a workable republican framework could be a brilliant way for the country to really focus on what we are all about - and certainly a lot more meaningful than a corporate name tag. For me one of the best things about living overseas is the way it forces you to acknowledge all the intrinsic New Zealand characteristics that lurk about inside you - living in New York I am constantly confronted by my New Zealand-ness and while it often ends in complete humiliation, I can't escape the fact that where I come from completely shapes who I am and how I operate. It is a sad cliche, but New Zealand has not even got close to what it can be. When you combine all the natural wonder and basically decent people with a slightly looser attitude, a whole lot more diversity and a little more attitude the place could be booming. All these concepts are obviously nurtured by a greater understanding of what we are and what we want to be, so I think what you are trying to do is bang on the button. Would be interested to hear what anyone else has to say.

Auckland IP Lawyer
Like it. Welcome the debate.
        

Maori Language Scientist
Kia ora Turi, thanks for your letter and hey it's very impressive, well done. 

New Zealand Graphic Designer, London
I'll spin it round to the London massive. Keep fighting the good fight.

Nandor Tanczos, Member of Parliament
Tena koe Thanks for your email. I agree with much of what you write, especially in regard to identifying ourselves as proud to be Aotearoa.
           

Founding Director, NZ Music Label
Nice work. After my recent time away in France and London with the NZ Music Commission I have become more aware of the need for a collective and strong visual (and audio) language.

Prominent Nelson GP
What you are advocating has some valid points. I can see you are advocating Republicanism which does fly in the face of quite a lot of the Pakeha history of the country which involves Mother England. I believe this Heritage can be adequately represented in our Museums and History lessons at school without impinging on our current national identity or our identity for the future.

However, this stuff comes at a price. Think of all those souvenir shops that sell NZ flag tea towels, and those cute fluffy kiwis holding NZ flags (Made in China). Think of the human cost.

I believe the first start is to change the flag to the Maritime ensign (Union Jack on white background). That will stop Oz confusion, and get people used to change. That is the problem. People are apathetic and resistant to alteration of the status quo. That is why my aunt has always voted National.
            

Founding Director, Auckland Electronics Company
I have to say a big well done to the ideas put forward in a short version of your Open Letter just read. I agree almost totally, and wish you every success in any effort to stamp a strong, unique identity on our country.

Industry Project Manager, IndustryNZ
I agree that a wholistic [sic] approach should yield a more useful result, but I would despair of ever getting agreement from all of the parties who would have to be consulted. Sometimes it is easier to carve off a slice of the problem and solve that, then carve off the next slice, and so on. It takes a long time, but it does not have to be done quickly...

Founding Director, NZ Web Development Company
I read your open letter and strongly agree with you that we need a new flag a new name (yes Aotearoa!) etc etc. It seems to me that there is a new pride emerging in NZ and we need the to support this with emblems and a visual identity that reflects just how special we are. I've forwarded it to a few people just in case they haven't seen it...
       

Creative Director, Wellington Design Consultancy
I like Mr Park's line of thinking. But there are more important considerations. If we have a desire to change our name and flag then we must consider [this]: the only reason that we are able to rationally consider these questions in the context of culture and commerce is because of our British heritage. 

Our links to Britain are more important than I think most of us realise. Do we all understand how equity and natural law work, and how we are represented through Common Law, Parliament and the Crown? Do we know our history, and see how this system has provided stability and the life we now enjoy? Changing our country name and flag could be likened to a teenager changing their name simply because they have left home and gone out flatting and feel that their personality is different from their parents (blood related or foster) who brought them up. Think about it. People who believe that changing their name will make them better are deluded. They have no pride. They would rather navel gaze than get out there and live life. They are the ones that believe they would be a bit happier if their nose was a better shape.
       

This search for 'a symbol that we are proud of' is not unique to us. It is also happening on certain levels in England. Some Englishman also have a problem with the Union Jack because it represents 'Britain' because Scotland now have their own parliament and Ireland are long gone. At football matches, English fans use the 'English' red and white George Cross flag.

Our name 'New Zealand' has massive market share. Is our country perceived as any less Maori/bi-cultural/beautiful/innovative because of the name? Of course not. Do we all go around changing our names because our personality has changed? Of course not. Certainly we have nick-names, alias's and titles. They are useful, just as New Zealand uses other names and symbols in appropriate situations.
        

Plumber, Middlesbrough, England, age: 29
As a British national, from an outside point of view if you like, I believe that New Zealand should stay the way it is. I think you have a beautiful country and some wonderful culture but I'm proud to say that you as a nation are a part of us and I'd like to think most kiwis feel the same way. Who are we to argue with history? it wasn't decided by us, yes we may disagree with certain elements of our past but this still doesn't stop us from moving forward. How would changing the NZ flag develop your individualism any more? I believe that the Union Jack in the flag lets people know who you are and the Southern Cross shows that you're an independent nation in your own right. We cannot take that away from you nor do we want to. 
        
I for one am proud knowing I can travel to NZ and not require a visa, knowing it's part of who we are - it's almost home - the same as Australia. I truly feel you need to embrace us as a nation and not run away from us. Look at where our influence has got NZ. The crown, parliament, prime ministers … the list is endless, can you honestly ask yourself where NZ would be without our influence? No you can't because we are just as much as part of you as you are of us. When people see your national flag they know you're part of our commonwealth. Embrace this. What are the alternative choices? Become a republic like America? No offence USA but I like NZ and Britain just the way they are. I want to retain my heritage and stay British just as you want to stay New Zealanders. So what I'm saying is change is good, but ignoring your heritage and the union jack flag is a crime. It is who WE ARE. Thank you.
         

Click here for page two of responses and here to have your say
       

  

  
Nga Kupu Aroha | Transmit | Pasifika Styles | Peter Jackson   
Brain Exchange | A Brand New Zealand? | Re-Entry | Moko  
KR on Rugby | Alan Gibbs | JaneInside | Global Newzmakers


Top of Page


Home | Blog | About | Top 10 | Heroes | Features | Gallery | Media | New 
Contact | Updates | Links | Mailbox | Speeches | Shop