Advertising and marketing in New Zealand

Marketing opportunities

Consumer Profile

In New Zealand, the GDP per capita is USD 47,500 in 2021 (IMF) and economic growth remains strong, fuelled by solid population growth, private consumption and booming tourism. From 2019 to 2020, household incomes have grown by 3.6% and household expenditure has increased by 7% since 2016 (Stats NZ, latest data available). Income inequalities are quite high for a developed country: the income of the highest-earning 10% is 4.3 times higher than the lowest 10% of the population (OECD, latest data available). With rising housing costs, some vulnerable households can only afford to purchase vital commodities. Nevertheless, New Zealand purchasing power is quite high and most New Zealanders are confident regarding financial matters. New Zealand consumers are relatively well-off. While they are not particularly interested in high-end purchases, they have diverse interests and tastes. They value home comfort and are interested in innovative technology and fashion from Europe and the U.S. DIY (Do It Yourself) projects and outdoor products are also an area of growth. According to a National Consumer Protection survey, New Zealand consumers are generally confident and trusting when making purchases. According to a research by Nielsen, 73% of consumers are looking for special offers. Even if New Zealand consumers are increasingly aware of health concerns, the fast-food sector is still an interesting market. The rapid growth of online services provides a new demand for e-marketers. New Zealanders are educated, technology savvy and willing to spend time and money through online shopping. For example, 10% of Kiwis regularly access their grocery retail websites.

Consumer Behaviour

New Zealand is a multi-ethnic country, with people coming from Europe (70.2%), Asia (15.7%) and Oceania (8.3%), as well as natives Maori (16.7%) (Stats NZ's latest census). In 2019, 86.6% of citizens in New Zealand lived in cities (World Bank, latest data available). 52% of New Zealanders prefer to buy products made in New Zealand as often as possible (Nielsen Survey).
Recently, purchases in the food and beverages segment have increased consequently, mainly driven by tourism. Customer service is an important element of sales. The quality of the service will sometimes depend on the speed at which an item can be delivered.
There are many similarities between European countries and the New Zealand market when it comes to lifestyles and purchasing behaviour. New Zealanders, or Kiwis as they are colloquially known, are educated and tend to be relatively well-off. Kiwis like to shop, have a passion for sports and have quite an active culture. In its Active NZ 2019 survey, Sport NZ reported that 72% of adults in the country practised sports weekly. This indicates that Kiwis are concerned with healthy lifestyles.
They are also likely to make healthy food purchases. As consumers, New Zealanders are concerned about convenience, time management and nutrition. E-commerce is well developed in New Zealand: the market represented about 4 billion USD in 2019 (J.P. Morgan, latest data available), with 50% of New Zealanders shopping online (2020 New Zealand eCommerce Review). Travel is the lead purchase, followed by clothing, entertainment and fast food. About one-third of the purchases are made overseas (mainly from Australia, China and the United States).

Consumers Associations

Consumer.org

Main Advertising Agencies

Advertising agencies are listed on the Communication Agencies Association web site.