C O M P A N YO V E R V I E W

New Zealand Made:Showing home is still where the manufacturing heart is

New Zealand Made:Showing home is still where the manufacturing heart is

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NEW ZEALAND MADE

No matter how small the world may be getting in terms of travel and trade, there’s a

clear and growing message coming from consumers: that when it comes to buying products, they’re

on the look out for high-quality options that have been made in their own back yard.

Admittedly, that hasn’t always been the case. There was a time when products or services that originated

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overseas were coveted by many, and consumers had to be persuaded to buy homegrown goods.

That was the thinking when Buy NZ Made was formed in 1988. Their goal was to put New Zealand-

made goods in the spotlight and encourage consumers and businesses to spend their hard earned dollars on locally made products instead of imported ones.

Unlike Australia, there are no exact

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proportions to determine whether or not a product is made in New Zealand. Instead, the Fair Trading Act looks at where significant points of transformation occurred.

For example, if an item of clothing is made in New Zealand from foreign fabric, it’s deemed to be NZ Made. Likewise, for a food item you would determine where the essential

character of the food was created and for a manufactured product, if a substantial part of the creation happens onshore.

The acid test to decide whether a claim breaches the Act is quite simply whether that claim is likely to be misleading.

With that boundary firmly in mind, Buy NZ Made membership is open

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to anyone who creates or sells New Zealand-made products within New Zealand.

There are more than 1100 members currently with the organisation, across 27 different business categories.

Members have access to a range of support and promotional opportunities to help them grow their business. The organisation represents all of businesses through their own website, and assists with marketing their products both in New Zealand and overseas.

Buy NZ Made also runs themed promotions throughout the year, which are circulated throughout the membership base and advertised through social media.

One of the most simple but powerful benefits is that members are able to use the Buy NZ Made logo on their products and marketing. This ensures they get maximum exposure with customers who are keen to support local business.

The logo has proven to be equally powerful on foreign shelves where customers are drawn to New Zealand’s clean, green

image and growing reputation for innovation quality.

One of Buy NZ Made’s key marketing strategies has been their ‘Clever Kiwis’ campaign, which showcases the many achievements of Kiwi entrepeneurs.

Many of these businesses are discovering new ways to utilise natural resources, developing solutions for local and international demands and creating new production standards around the globe.

The Buy NZ Made campaign has received much support in return over the last few years due largely to concerns about the carbon footprint attached to imported products, as well as growing awareness surrounding the working conditions of employees overseas, FairTrade and the impact buying homegrown goods and supporting local business has on our own economy.

Obviously, the answer doesn’t lie entirely with Buy NZ Made but it’s a good start. The more success local businesses can create and sustain, the better it seems to be for everyone.

New Zealand Made

Address Level 6, Lumley House

3-7 Hunter Street Wellington

Tel. 04 496 6557 Fax. 04 496 6550

www.buynz.org.nz