MEDIA RELEASE

01 November 2011

Rena oil spill blow to Kiwi pride

The impact of the Rena oil spill could have a far reaching impact on Kiwis’ national pride and export ability, according to a recent survey.

Colmar Brunton’s annual ‘Better Business Better World’ survey showed that virtually all New Zealanders (94%) believe New Zealand’s clean green image was an important marketing advantage for our exports and tourism and that the ‘100% Pure’ vision is worth aspiring to.

Managing director for Colmar Brunton, Jacqueline Ireland, said that in the wake of one of New Zealand’s worst environmental disasters, these results show that the emotional and economic impact on Kiwis could be very far reaching.

“We are probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of the impact on Kiwis,” she said.

“New Zealanders value our clean green image as underpinning tourism and food exports. To see that compromised, as in the case of the Rena oil spill, could have a profound effect, not just on our pride but on how we sell ourselves to the world. After the Rena there may be a greater sense of wanting to protect what makes New Zealand unique in the world, even as some industry sectors push for mining and deep-sea drilling.

The ‘Better Business Better World 2011’ survey is the third of an ongoing trend monitor around sustainable issues from a consumer’s point of view. It investigates consumers’ perceptions of sustainability and how it is impacting on people’s behaviours and choices.

It seeks the answers to important questions such as:
- What factors impact consumers’ choice of everyday brands or products at the supermarket
- How much influence sustainable issues have on consumers’ purchases of products and services
- How committed we are to a green and sustainable lifestyle
- What’s keeping us up at night

The survey showed that most Kiwis value sustainability in their lives and for New Zealand as a whole, with 85% believing the nuclear-free policy was good for our image and 81% believing that deep sea fishing nets that trawl the ocean floor should be banned from New Zealand waters.

In addition, most Kiwis (88%) said that sustainability influenced their purchasing decisions and 84% would choose a sustainable product if it cost the same.

The survey also showed that the top three concerns keeping Kiwis up at night have remained the same for three years running, but ‘cost of living’ has shot from third to first place, and ‘violence in society’ has slipped down to second, followed by ‘crime levels’ which was third. ‘Pollution of lakes and seas’ stood at fifth place, ahead of ‘stability of global financial system’ which shot up six places to become Kiwis’ eighth biggest concern.

The ‘Better Business Better World’ survey captured 1000 people online, representing a national spread of age, gender and region.

ENDS

About Colmar Brunton
Colmar Brunton was started in 1981 by two Kiwis with a passion for taking consumer research ‘from the backroom into the boardroom’. It is now New Zealand's best known and most trusted market research company, with offices in Auckland and Wellington, and employing more than 100 research and business consultants. Colmar Brunton is part of the global Millward Brown network covering more than 51 countries around the world, and Kantar, WPP's insight, information and consultancy group.
For further details see www.colmarbrunton.co.nz.

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