Page 31 - AdNews Sep-Oct 2021

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“Whether we’re talking about the media industry, or our Olympians, we seem to bat beyond our average. This is possibly due to being so remote — we seek guidance from other markets, innovate and adapt, and always look to continually improve. We’re also very focused on
a team culture, a family focus and ‘mucking in together’.
“This stems from our early settler days where everyone had to pitch in to build communities, and as a result we have an egalitarian view of the world. It is this sense of a group mentality, collaborating for the greater good rather than being individually focused, that
could also be the secret sauce?”
A Kantar study in 2017 found that Kiwis are more likely to see them-
selves as hard-working with a can-do attitude. Australians rate themselves more highly when it comes to standing up for themselves.
Vile: “We pride ourselves on Kiwi ingenuity and tend to get stuck in, find solutions and do something ourselves.”
He refers to this as “the number 8 wire mentality” a term used to describe Kiwi ingenuity and resourcefulness. This goes back to the 1860s when every farm had rolls of this type of wire and it was used inventively to remedy all types of mechanical and building issues.
Jodi O’Donnell, commercial director at TVNZ and chair at ThinkTV NZ: “The Kiwi tone is one that is pretty relaxed (not too casual) and just friendly. I think we like to have fun and take the mickey out of ourselves, but get the point across, too.”
Angela Watson, managing director at Colenso BBDO: “I actually think it’s our remoteness that has always been the secret to our success.
“There’s a long history of talk about Kiwi ingenuity. That was born out of being so far from anywhere else, you had to be ingenious about how you did things. And that spirit still exists to this day.
“From a historical perspective in advertising, we’ve had the sense that we can do anything. There’s something also about being so far away, that you want to be recognised in the world. We love to feel our presence
on the world stage. And I think that’s something that drives us.”
Ben Hart, who runs the Australasian health agency, Essence, out of Auckland: “NZ has a strong reputation for innovative thinking and
creativity plus a servicing approach that is refreshing and high touch.
“Our client partners would define our ways of working as intu- itive, inclusive and cost effective versus offshore agencies.
“Having a smaller pool of cli- ents domestically, NZ agencies have always looked to Australia to grow and extend their offer, and with borderless working via virtual channels now widely accepted there really is no limit to reach. The industry here is buoyant and flourishing with strong bounce-back despite the
NZ breaks away from the pack when you look the headstart the NZ economy has had on the rest of the world.
Jonathan Waecker The Warehouse Group