100% Pure New Zealand turns 10 years young
31 Jul 2009
Tourism New Zealand’s ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ brand - recognised as amongst the world’s most successful - is celebrating its tenth birthday with the promise of a hundred percent commitment to its message.
While the ‘10 Years Young’ celebration looks back on the birth of the ground-breaking campaign launched on 31 July 1999 and its ensuing success, it also provides the background to address how ‘100% Pure’ will face the future in a challenging global economy and environmental commitment.
Birth of a Kiwi icon
When the ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ campaign was launched 10 years ago, it was seen as a revolution in tourism marketing. Developing one brand to speak for a small industry from a tiny country seemed a brave step into the world of global tourism.
Initial caution was borne out in the media who highlighted Tourism New Zealand’s need to show a hundred percent success from the new idea.
The marketing challenge involved New Zealand as a small, far-flung country with just three million people competing with 103 national tourist offices around the world. At that time, 70% of tourists worldwide focused their travel on the 10 most popular countries.
One year into the ‘100% Pure’ campaign, New Zealand visitor numbers were up 10% and visitor spending had risen 20%.
The upwards trend continued, and between 1999 and 2004 visitor numbers grew at an average of 7% per year.
From 1999 to 2008, arrivals went from 1.6 million to 2.4 million, and foreign exchange earnings from tourism increased from NZ$3.5 billion to NZ$5.9 billion.
New Zealand visitor numbers had risen 50% compared to Australia’s 23% increase in visitors, the UK at 18% and Canada at 4%.
International media programme
Despite the success of the new brand, Tourism New Zealand’s budget was limited so attracting high quality international media to New Zealand to gain positive coverage for the country as a destination became an important part of the strategy.
In 2007/8 Tourism New Zealand’s international media programme saw one billion people exposed to stories about New Zealand in print, broadcast and online.
Major events like the America’s Cup, the Rugby World Cup, World of Wearable Arts (WOW) Awards, The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and the Chelsea Flower show created valuable leverage.
‘100% Pure’ today
Today the ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ brand is one of the most highly acclaimed in the world, and is used in all New Zealand’s key markets for trade and consumer events, advertising and marketing.
The campaign has proved flexible enough to deliver new messages whilst maintaining the strong branding of ‘100% Pure’.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton says the ‘100% Pure New Zealand’ has undergone distinct change in 10 years.
When it was launched, the phrase was "the synthesis of everything we are - as a people, as a country and as an experience. It embodies our warmth, diversity and celebrates our unique identity," Hickton said.
Today that position was reinforced with a focus on New Zealand as "the youngest country on earth".
Complementary campaigns in Australia, the UK and the US, internet, social networking websites and new technology had all come into play in the past 10 years, but the core essence of the campaign had remained the same and was just as applicable, Hickton said.
Enduring message
"The 100% Pure New Zealand campaign still provides potential visitors with an enduring message of New Zealand. The reason the campaign has been so successful is not just because it’s a great catchphrase but because it’s true and the people of New Zealand give it that truth.
"Ours is an authentic country, its landscape, its culture and its people live the 100% Pure New Zealand values every day in their everyday lives," he said.
Hickton agrees it is a difficult time for Tourism New Zealand, given the global downturn and hot competition from countries coming up with global campaigns to rival ‘100% Pure New Zealand’.
But New Zealand continued to win votes in the popularity stakes with numerous global awards, and there would be continuing focus on the environment as part of future development, he said.
Tourism strategy
The Tourism Strategy 2010 - formulated by Tourism New Zealand, Ministry of Tourism and Tourism Industry Association (TIA) - had set ideals for sustainability, and TIA had pushed for the introduction of ‘Green Globe 21’, an international benchmarking framework for businesses that could reduce their damage to the environment.
New Zealand’s Qualmark Green, a national environmental rating system for tourism businesses, was another positive step towards continued improvement, Hickton said.
"The 100% Pure New Zealand brand has developed to the point where it has become something that New Zealand can aspire to in its environmental performance. It is a promise, but it’s a promise we believe the country can, and should live up to for New Zealanders and visitors alike," he said.
More information:
100% Pure birthday celebration
Video news release:
View 'The Youngest Country' in the making
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