ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕡𝕙𝕖𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕦𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕒 𝔸𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕟

ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕'𝕤 𝕣𝕖𝕡𝕦𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤𝕟'𝕥 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕤 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕒𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕞𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕚𝕥 𝕚𝕤

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hocking images and reports come from flood-ravaged Auckland where four people have died. Rising cost of living crisis. A housing crisis. Infrastructure in crisis.

It’s easy to see why some might feel things aren’t going so well in Aotearoa New Zealand.

If it feels like this to us Kiwis, just what does the international stage make of our many apparent failings?

These marketing experts have some goods news in that New Zealand is not alone in its many challenges. 

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International marketing expert Brian Sweeney said New Zealand was thought of internationally as “highly desirable, young, adventurous, and a beautiful place to visit”.​

The former Wellingtonian, now a New York-based chairperson of SweeneyVesty, a strategic communications company operating in New Zealand and the United States, thought the recent severe weather had no impact on Aotearoa’s reputation.

“Climate change is in local cities and towns and districts everywhere.”

Sweeney said it was New Zealand’s response to such crises that was more important.

“In a crisis you spend your reputational capital. New Zealand has a lot in the goodwill bank and will get a lot of support.”

While there was bad news sometimes it didn’t “dent that positive halo of how people see New Zealand”.

He credited former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s crisis management style as contributing to this, her leadership style in stark contract to that of ‘strongman’ leaders.

“She’s been seen as a ray of hope.”

New Zealand’s creatives – like film director Taika Waititi and music artist Lorde, as well as top sports people had also helped build the country’s reputation.

“New Zealand has got a phenomenal international reputation,” Sweeney said. “Its role in the world is to be its change maker.”

He said reputations were like gardens which needed to be tended regularly.

“In the business of managing reputation it needs to be continually, proactively worked on rather than passively managed.”

University of Canterbury’s Ekant Veer, a professor of marketing in the department of management, marketing and entrepreneurship, agreed none of these issues were unique to New Zealand.

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“What is unique to New Zealand is the response,” he said.

It was a video of people “having fun”, playing in the Auckland floodwaters that had gone viral abroad. Veer is quick to point out this is “deeply unsafe behaviour” and not to be recommended.

Internally the focus has been on the handling and failings by authorities, particularly that of Auckland mayor Wayne Brown.

Veer said this was because it was not what we were used to, and differed from the crisis response seen by leaders like Jacinda Ardern.

He said New Zealanders might have a “different impression” about the state of the country compared with those overseas.

“Most people still think of New Zealand as this beautiful place.”

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