Turbocharging ‘New Zealand Educated’

Turbocharging ‘New Zealand Educated’

Education New Zealand: Media Release 27/06/07

Embargoed till 1.30pm; Wednesday 27th June 2007

‘New Zealand Education will be boldly positioning itself on the world stage as the compelling choice for the discerning student via a lively and vigorous brand image revamp’ says Robert Stevens, Chief Executive of Education New Zealand. ‘Our education offering is second to none, and our revised brand captures this and pitches New Zealand as contemporary, classy and capable. It’s a look that students and educators alike can carry with pride’.

The new ‘New Zealand Educated’ brand was launched today by Minister for Tertiary Education, Hon. Dr Michael Cullen, at a function in Parliament attended by industry representatives and other stakeholders. The brand is at the forefront of New Zealand’s international education promotion, underpinning a business worth around $2billion to the New Zealand economy.

‘It is critical that New Zealand has a national brand for international education’ say Robert Stevens. ‘The education brand is an industry led initiative that is actively supported by Government and other stakeholders. The positioning of New Zealand educationally is a careful and finely balanced strategy. We seek to add richness to the well known image of New Zealand as a place of bountiful scenery and scant population, and emphatically let intending students know that New Zealand is a sophisticated country with excellent learning opportunities and an environment that appeals to a student age market’.

The new brand emphasis New Zealand’s core values as connected, inventive, lively, adventurous, personal, welcoming and trusted.

‘The brand brings these values to life, and positions them so that intending students can immediately associate themselves with the opportunity’ says Rob Stevens. ‘We have used real stories and real students to bring out the core values. Institutions and the industry as a whole have a bold new way to bring their story to the global audience’.

ENDS

‘New Zealand Educated’

Questions and Answers relating to the new Brand

Q: Why is there a separate Brand for education?
A: Education is not about tourism, or widgets. It is a major industry in its own right, and a specialist one in terms of both customer and provider. The ‘New Zealand Educated’ brand fits alongside other brands (such as ‘100% pure’ and ‘New Zealand New Thinking’) and uses some common elements, such as the fern. Both the education industry and Government and other stakeholders endorse the ‘New Zealand Educated’ brand.

Q: How did you come up with the brand?
A: There was an existing international education brand for New Zealand that had been developed by Government agencies. This brand was devolved to Education New Zealand in 2004. At the time that devolution occurred, some brand development was in process. Education New Zealand completed that phase of development, and concurrently undertook an independent audit of the brand. That audit found that more development was desirable to better position New Zealand in a globally competitive marketplace that was changing quickly.
Education New Zealand then engaged a brand developer, and undertook an extensive industry consultation to underpin a new direction for the brand.

Q: Who has been involved?
A: Education New Zealand engaged Brian R Richards Ltd as our brand development partner. Both BRR and ENZ have undertaken extensive industry consultation across all sectors through the development. The overall direction was presented to industry at the Education New Zealand Conference in 2006 and following an overwhelming positive mandate development has proceeded. BRR Ltd has been an excellent brand partner, bringing both knowledge and experience to the table, and an understanding of what we are trying to achieve.

Q: How long will this brand last then?
A: A long time. It is not a complete re-direction, it is a thorough evolution of the former brand. It builds on what was there, rather than displacing and replacing all the former branding work. And it will evolve further, as the market evolves. However, the core objective, which is to invest the words ‘New Zealand Educated’ with a meaning and resonance to a variety of education audiences around the world will continue, and so evolution, not revolution, will be the ongoing direction.

Q: Brands sound like a load of corporate guff. Is it needed? Do other countries have them for education?
A: Every other major education competitor country (including the UK, Australia, Canada, USA) has an education brand – they are critical to positioning. New Zealand is competing on a global market, and we have to position ourselves in a relevant and accessible way. A brand for our international education industry isn’t a luxury, it is an essential tool in helping place New Zealand on the choice set of what are by definition smart and savvy customers.

© Scoop Media