THE NEW ZEALAND PR HALL OF FAME: KIWIBANK


These are tough times for all types of business, excluding the receivers....Those in retail are struggling to move enough stock and the word 'finance company' is becoming an increasingly dirty word. Getting positive public relations for businesses is tricky as audiences are low on trust and the media are baying for blood, seemingly only interested in stories about soaring petrol prices and failing enterprises.

This is why I am so impressed with Kiwibank's ability to rise above the bad luck stories and to maintain their positive reputation.

The guys at Kiwibank obviously have a very good grasp of online communications. The 'Join the Movement' campaign has really got people talking and there are now a multitude of blogs and forums discussing the ins and outs of Kiwibank: what the positives and negatives are, what new products have been released, what Kiwibank has planned for the future etc.

Kiwibank is also not afraid of standing up and tackling industry issues, which gives the impression that they actually care about their shareholders and where the industry is heading.

The PR campaign ties in well with a series of unique and attention-grabbing TV advertisements. The ads are so popular that as soon as a new one has been released, it is added to Youtube by its fans just a few moments later.

Although they appear to have a great public relations strategy and a clever and creative approach to their advertisements, there is another reason that Kiwibank is so popular. They have identified their USP, their point of differentiation and they are working it. On top of this, they know what their customers want. While all the other banks are increasing their mortgage rates, without any clear rationale, Kiwibank is cutting theirs. While New Zealanders are bemoaning the number of companies going offshore, Kiwibank is publicising the fact that they are 100% New Zealand owned and based.

There is only one aspect of Kiwibank that does not work in its favour- the location of its branches. Having to queue up in a post office is just not as convenient as popping into your local bank. If they managed to streamline this aspect of their business, then Kiwibank would truly have it made.

If anyone else has an example of a company which is running an excellent public relations campaign, feel free to email the details to me at jennifer@intermediary.co.nz and I will include them in the 'New Zealand PR Hall of Fame'.

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