Brand Passion Paramount
Sean Fitzpatrick and the All Blacks are held up as inspiring examples for business leaders by American finance blogger, Jim Citrin: “No other sports franchise in the world has achieved a 72 percent winning percentage over…
Tag Archives: New Zealand
Top of His Game
New Zealander Bob Hayward has found success in the highly competitive US film industry. Based in Los Angeles, Hayward is the Chief Operating Officer and founding partner of Summit Entertainment, an independent distribution company…
Cinema Success Story
Auckland-based Vista Entertainment Solutionshas become one of the world’s leading cinema software providers since its launch in 1995. Vista’s systems, which run entire movie theatres from selling tickets to calculating studio royalties, are used in nearly 600…
Peace of Mind
NZ has been named the world’s second most peaceful country in the inaugural Global Peace Index, a study commissioned by Australian IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Killelea and sponsored by peace advocates such as…
New Zealander Heads Microsoft Innovation
NZ software architect Nigel Keam has spearheaded the development of Microsoft’s new Surface technology, the subject of much excitement and speculation in the computing industry. Surface is a tabletop PC device with a touch interface that uses…
Skim Straight from the Cow
Scientists in NZ have found cows that produce skim milk naturally, a discovery that could potentially revolutionise the dairy industry. If researchers can identify the genes responsible for skim milk production, they could breed cows that produce…
Xero on the Money
A NZ online accounting software company has won the inaugural International Technium Challenge, a business planning competition sponsored by International Business Wales. Wellington-based Xero beat 19 entries from five other countries, winning the opportunity to open…
Fletcher Nets Formica
NZ manufacturing company Fletcher Building has bought the iconic Formica Corporation for US $700 million. Fletcher Building already owned the rights to Formica products in Australia and NZ – chief executive Jonathan Ling said the latest…
Aotearoa on the Cheap
The Bangkok Post takes a budget tour of NZ “that in some countries could easily pass for luxury”. Spending just fifty NZ dollars a day, the travel writer visits Wellington’s Botanic Gardens, Te Papa,…
First in Flight
Nelson’s Ngati Koata has become the first Maori tribe to venture into the airline industry. The iwi aims to launch a Nelson-based passenger charter service in the next three to four months, and…
The Rings Effect Continues
NZ features in a new weekly video series on international branding practices by British marketing guru Martin Lindstrom. In Altering the Brand of a Country: How Movies Hurt Columbia and Help New Zealand, Lindstrom…
Pure and Simple
NZ mineral water Antipodes was reviewed by Michael Mascha, author of Fine Waters: A Connoisseurs Guide to the World’s Most Distinctive Bottled Waters, in the LA Times. “The soft, light bubbles (it’s artificially…
The Sweet Sound of Success
NZ company Marshall Day Acoustics has won the contract to design a $400 million concert hall in Paris. Marshall Day, together with French architect Jean Nouvel, beat 97 international design teams for the…
Surfers Give Back to Mentawai Islands
NZ doctor Dave Jenkins’ SurfAid International charity is having a profound effect on the inhabitants of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands. The picture-perfect beaches are a playground for wealthy Western surfers, yet locals have continued to suffer high death-rates…
Clean, Pure, Natural Cosmetics to France
NZ cosmetics companies Trilogy, Skinfood, Art a Face, Living Nature and Antipodes have presented their ranges to 50 French retailers and beauty journalists at the NZ ambassador’s residence in Paris. The May 14 breakfast event received a…
NZ Judge Finds PM Blair Guilty
Retired NZ Supreme Court judge Ted Thomas has published an article condemning outgoing British PM Tony Blair for his “immoral and illegal” invasion of Iraq. The essay, which is written as a judicial…
New Voice in US Media Marketplace
NZ-born advertising executive Antony Young, US CEO of Optimedia, is about to publish his first book in America. In Profitable Marketing Communication he offers US marketers a fresh perspective on the media marketplace, based largely around successful…
NZ Pathologist Testifies in Canada
NZ-based pathologist Dr James Ferris has given evidence in the most high-profile murder case in recent Canadian history. Ferris, a veteran of 40 years forensic investigation, has testified at the trial of Robert William…
Diving’s Best Kept Secret
Jacques Cousteau named the Poor Knights Islands one of the world’s top ten dive sites and Australian travel writer Nigel Marsh agrees. Located 24km off the coastline of Tutukaka, 200km north of Auckland, the Poor Knights…
NZ Ranks Swell at Creative Hotspot
Geoff Coyle is the latest New Zealander to join advertising powerhouse 180 in Amsterdam, bringing the combined total to eight. “Of the 23 nationalities employed here, NZ is by far the most over-represented group,” said Coyle’s…
Designs on New York
Christchurch-born art director and graphic designer, Jeff Docherty has spent the last seven years making a name for himself in NZ, Australia, and New York. To date, Docherty’s work has appeared in the New…
Healthy Competition
A NZ healthy fast food chain has opened its first European outlet in Glasgow, Scotland. Owner Conrad van der Klundert believes that Reload, a South Island-based juice, salad and sandwich bar, can take…
All Black Up-and-comers
NZ has won the world under-19 rugby championship for the first time since 2004, with a decisive 31-7 victory over South Africa in Belfast, Ireland. “To win tonight, and also so resoundingly, was just fantastic,” said NZ…
Blanket Bay Among World’s Best
Queenstown’s Blanket Bay Lodge has been selected as the best lodge in the world by the US Discovery Travel & Living channel. Blanket Bay will feature on Discovery’s new Five-Star Insider series alongside the world’s best…
Something for Everyone
The recent volcanic lahar at Mount Ruapehu has done nothing to put off eager skiers, from NZ or overseas. As a news.com.au article points out, visitors continued to ski and snowboard both during and immediately after the…
Planned to Perfection
The Toronto Star reports on the wonder of Victorian-era town planning that is Christchurch, NZ. Prior to its December 1850 settlement, Christchurch was designed to be a replica of the ideal English, Anglican town – right…
Te Mata in Dream Opener
Hawkes Bay’s Te Mata Estate will open next month’s London International Wine and Spirits Fair (LIWSF) with a tasting celebrating 25 years of its flagship Cabernet/Merlot, Coleraine. Te Mata CEO John Buck and winemaker Peter Cowley will…
Cheap Solar Power a Step Closer
Massey University researchers have developed a novel means of harnessing solar energy, at a fraction of the price. Scientists at the university’s Nanomaterials Research Centre have produced a range of coloured synthetic dyes for use in dye-sensitised…
More Gold for Kendall
NZ sporting legend Barbara Kendall is back in the spotlight after winning the women’s RS:X windsurfing event at the Princess Sofia Trophy regatta in Palma, Spain. The three-time Olympic medallist was also named the overall Princess…
Fresh Perspective on Antarctica
A NZ doctoral student and her Dutch counterpart have initiated a radical new program to involve the humanities and social sciences in Antarctic research. Canterbury University’s Daniela Haase and Machiel Lamers of the University of Maastricht launched…
Praise for Bright and Vital
Ferris South Australian Liberal Senator Jeannie Ferris has died after a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. Born in NZ, Ferris studied agribusiness and worked as a journalist and political adviser before entering Australian parliament…
NZ a Modern Treasure Hunter’s Dream
NZ features in a “21st century treasure map” for entrepreneurial Americans, published by Inc. magazine. The interactive online map is a guide for American business owners looking for international opportunities. The NZ economy is described as one…
Mason Wins at Raglan
NZ surfer Airini Mason has scored her second Billabong Pro Junior Series title for 2007 by winning the girls’ division of the $13,000 Raglan leg. The 18-year-old beat pre-event ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons (Gerroa,…
Incredible Journey Revealed
Massey University ecologists are conducting a groundbreaking study of the bar-tailed godwit’s northern migration. While the 11,000 km southern migration of the godwit from Alaska to NZ is thought to be the longest non-stop flight by any…
Schoolgirls Spill the Juice
A science experiment by two Auckland schoolgirls has resulted in a major lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the world’s second-largest food and pharmaceutical company. In 2004, Pakuranga College students Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo (then 14) tested several…
Clark Visits Oval Office
Helen Clark made an official visit to Washington last month, in what was her second such meeting with President Bush and just the third between NZ and US leaders in the last 24 years. Bush described Clark…
Double Victory in Pakistan
NZ cyclists Robin Reid and Justin Kerr have completed a 1-2 victory in the annual Tour de Pakistan road race. Reid won the gruelling 1,648km rally with a time of 44 hours, 59 minutes and 33 seconds….
Victory in Hong Kong
NZ horse trainer Paul O’Sullivan has leapt to second place on the trainer’s premiership table thanks to a stunning feature win in Hong Kong. Together with Australian jockey Brett Prebble and NZ-bred horse Vital King, O’Sullivan won…
Falklands History Discovered in NZ
An important piece of Falklands War history has been discovered by New Zealander Neil Shaw on the eve of the conflict’s 25th anniversary. A former member of the British Antarctic Survey, Shaw discovered the message…
Legend of The Bear Lives On
NZ car racing great Denny Hulme was the subject of a retrospective article on the sport in the Guardian. Known as The Bear for his rugged looks and gruff manner, Hulme dominated Formula One…
Paradise Home to Future Leaders
Paradise, NZ, could be home to the first United World College (UWC) in Australasia, and just the second in the southern hemisphere. Based on the philosophy of Kurt Hahn, who also founded the Outward…
New Era in Online Advertising
NZ internet entrepreneurs Firstlight are emerging as world leaders in online advertising with their Editorial Related Advertising (E|R|A) programme. With offices in Bangalore (content support), New York (sales) and Wellington (research and development), Firstlight have developed what…
NZ Retreat in Roppongi
Tourism NZ and Air NZ are co-sponsors of the New Zealand Travel Cafe, recently opened in Tokyo’s Roppongi entertainment district. The café serves NZ burgers, beer, wine and ice cream, plays NZ music and houses a…
ANZACs Honoured in Acton
The second annual ANZAC Sports Challenge will be held at Twyford Park in Acton, London, on April 21. The event celebrates NZ and Australia’s shared ANZAC heritage by staging friendly matches across a range of sports…
Another Red Destined for Greatness
Observer wine critic Tim Atkins calls Hawke’s Bay Syrah “one of the most exciting wine styles I’ve tasted in the past five years.” The red varietal makes up just 3% of the region’s vineyards, which are…
Playboy Bunny Turned Property Mogul
New Zealander Sandra Costa is co-owner and designer of new LA super-club Tatou. The 35,000 sq ft space features state-of-the-art sound and lighting, 45 plasma screens, a 40 ft stage, private VIP rooms and a rooftop restaurant,…
Black Caps Victorious
Three famous victories in a row have seen the Black Caps complete a “black-wash” of the world champion Australians and claim the Chappell-Hadlee series. Over a period of six days the Black Caps broke a number of…
Altitude with Attitude
Whare Kea Lodge – the “ultimate mountain hut” – featured in the Observer’s dream travel series. The luxury lodge is located at 5,600ft in the South Island’s Buchanan mountain range. Observer: “A mountain hut that mixes altitude…
Landmark Brain Research
A joint discovery by NZ and Swedish neuroscientists could potentially revolutionise the study of the human brain. The eight-year collaboration has succeeded in finding the path adult neural stem cells travel to repair the human brain, opening…
Miracle Escape
A NZ skydiver has survived a 3600m fall after his parachute became entangled. Michael Holmes, 25, filmed his fall with a helmet camera as he spiralled out of control over Lake Taupo. The video…
Not Your Average Winery
Americans can finally appreciate the work of artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser on home soil, with the opening of the Quixote Winery in California’s Napa Valley. Owner Carl Doumani commissioned the eccentric Viennese-born artist to design…
World Firsts for NZ Ref
North Canterbury’s Nicky Inwood made history this month as the first woman to officiate in a Six Nations women’s rugby match and the first to referee at England’s Twickenham Stadium. The 37-year-old controlled the match between…
Everest Round Two
NZ innovation could conquer Everest for a second time thanks to the invention of an unmanned helicopter capable of rescuing stricken climbers from its summit. Auckland-based company TGR Helicorp has spent six years developing the Alpine Wasp,…
Northern Delights
Vancouver’s North Shore News featured a travel special on NZ’s North Island. In the Bay of Islands, the writer used the Eagles Nest villa complex as a luxurious base for sailing with dolphins, taking bush walks and…
Medal Haul for Touch Blacks
NZ won two gold and two silver medals at last month’s Touch World Cup in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The Touch Blacks’ mixed over-30 and mixed open teams won their respective finals, while the men’s and…
“A Country Waiting to be Explored”
South Africa’s Cape Times features a travel special on NZ, with a focus on Auckland and Wellington. ” is not difficult to see what makes NZ attractive, both as a holiday destination and a potential new…
