Marketing teams are constantly striving to engage with their audience through brand reputation, but according to Nielsen, Kiwis are more relaxed and optimistic than our peers, so how should that factor into how you project your brand?
Kiwis differ from our Australian neighbours, and even more so from the rest of the world, the differences are what Nielsen says are important to look out for and factor in.
New Zealanders are more optimistic, the study states, in comparison to our Australian brothers Kiwis are 10 percent less likely to worry about money matters yet 10 percent more focused on future planning.
Our feeling of fiscal responsibility extends to bargain hunting; 73 percent of New Zealanders shop for specials and bargains while 55 percent of Australians say they tend to hold out for a sale.
While there’s some shared history and good-natured sporting passion between Australia and New Zealand, there’s also some key differences in demographics, how we shop and our views.
When it comes to putting consumers front and centre for new products, marketing messages and media planning, a one size fits all approach requires finesse.
The report says Kiwis prefer brands and advertising that project optimism and future goals. According to a second study by Nielsen, Kiwis also prefer brands that are distinctly ‘made in New Zealand’ when looking for product benefits and quality (32 percent over 30 percent), but prefer global brands when focusing on price and available promotions (53 percent over 43 percent).
Nielsen retail director Lance Dobson frames the results, “It is all about understanding consumer tastes in the local market,” Dobson said. “Local brands often cater best to local preferences due to their agility and ability to innovate. This contrasts to global brands that capitalise on economies of scale and offer more homogenous products across markets.”
A Stoppress article published in January, Which YouTube ad did New Zealanders watch most in 2016?, says that New Zealand audiences will engage with the fun or the serious if the ad hits the right note. Nielsen’s first study backs up this statement, saying that in the current consumer environment knowing your consumer and getting a better understanding of consumer attitudes is fundamental when projecting your brand.
This story was originally published on The Register.
