WooHoo a winner for NZ Tax Refunds

WooHoo a winner for NZ Tax Refunds

Christchurch, 30 August 2013 – NZ Tax Refunds’ had a WooHoo moment of its own last night when the company’s WooHoo brand was a named a winner at the prestigious TVNZ NZ Marketing Awards to celebrate ‘Everything Marketing’.

Cilla Hegarty, the founder and CEO of NZ Tax Refunds says, “We’re absolutely thrilled to be named as a winner. Our customers have made us one of the top 10 brands in New Zealand. Our WooHoo campaign has really resonated with people and really helped people engage with our brand. We’ve sort of achieved the impossible and made tax fun.”

‘WooHoo – Differentiating a Brand by Owning a Feeling’ was the Financial & Banking Industry category winner.

New Zealand’s leading online tax refund company, NZ Tax Refunds was a pioneer in the industry when founded in 2008 to help get paying clients their share of the $700 million in overpaid taxes held by the IRD. In 2012 with more than 30 competitors in the market NZ Tax Refunds rose to the challenge to differentiate in a crowded marketplace – and WooHoo was launched. The idea was to dramatise the moment of elation customers experience when they receive their tax refund and give the feeling a name, ‘WooHoo’.

The judges said that in a sea of sameness and functional claims, NZ Tax Refunds rose above the rabble by giving a feeling a name with WooHoo. “This campaign has created real differentiation for the brand and moved the category. The extension of the idea across all aspects of the business has been well carried out, and the idea of owning a feeling has made them stand out from the pack.”

The creative campaign was developed and implemented with the assistance of Special Group and Media Co. It included TVCs, online banners, radio, social media and sponsorship (the Christchurch-based business sponsors The Crusaders, which includes ‘WooHoo’ featuring on the big screen at the ground at every home try). Each creative execution brought to life different WooHoo moments, like the ‘better not let the girlfriend know’ WooHoo, the ‘thought no-one was watching’ WooHoo, the ‘maintain a professional air’ WooHoo, or the ‘already spent it’ WooHoo. The call to action across all material became ‘Do you have a WooHoo waiting?’

The campaign met all its objectives, with growth in brand and word of mouth awareness. Website traffic also increased dramatically, with a 260 percent uplift in total web visits and a 67 percent increase in total customers year on year, and a 194 percent increase in total online customers.

Over 93% of NZ Tax Refunds customers have found out they’ve overpaid their tax in the last 5 years. The average refund is around $460. Refunds can be applied for online via www.nxtaxrefunds.co.nz

Unlike previous years where there were some clear front-runners, the judges said they had an extremely difficult task coming to a decision on the ultimate winner. For more on the TVNZ NZ Marketing Awards and the NZ Tax Refunds’ WooHoo story see http://www.everythingmarketing.co.nz/showcase/2013/entrant/113

ENDS

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