23 Aug 2005

Did you know that:

• Consistency can be deadly for a brand;
• Radical changes in the cultural landscape provide huge opportunities to develop iconic brands;
• Following trends can never build iconic brands;
• Paying attention to the majority of your customers can destroy a brand’s value

In a book by Douglas B Holt (How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding)these elements are discussed extensively.

You can preview the book by clicking on the following links:

• Introduction
• Chapter Two: How is Cultural Branding Different

The clear message from Holt is that iconic brands can't be created through conventional branding strategies, instead there is a need for a cultural perspective to branding.

It is acknowledged that cultural branding is difficult because brands change over time and their essence is not timeless. Yet with Maori and other indigenous groups their culture is in fact timeless, with a changing to adapt to the modern environment. This is their competitive advantage when it comes to cultural branding.

Following in from this Maori are proving themselves to be savvy marketers. From all over the country the cultural brand is paying off for many Maori businesses, especially for creating a point of difference in export markets.

A recent marketing success to note is that of Te Awanui Huka Pak Ltd, who have become one of the largest exporters of kiwi fruit in Malayasia. Te Awanui recently took a kapa haka group to visit Malaysian supermarkets to perform, educate and support the kiwifruit brand.

The kapa haka group created an entire perfomrance about the fruit and where it comes from, as well as ran tastings, answered questions and acted as ambassadors for Te Awanui.

Other notable cultural branding initiatives happening around New Zealand include:

• Kono
• Whale Watch Kaikoura
• Kia Kaha Clothing worn by Michael Campbell when he won the US Open this year.
• Cultural Tourism
• Iwi branding

For more interesting reading click to view an NZIER Report for TPK on World Markets and Maori Economic Development and an article exploring consumer-brand relationships When Good Brands do Bad