6 ways to connect with Kiwi consumers

There’s research and hard data to inform where you put your advertising, but what about the contents of the ad itself? Read our article ‘The real cost of boring marketing’ and you’ll learn that research says exciting, creative ad campaigns get up to seven times greater performance for every dollar put behind them (compared to boring ones). Now we’re going to help you build on that and really supercharge your marketing by tapping into TRA’s ‘Kiwi Codes of Advertising’ - 6 surefire ways to connect with Kiwi consumers and grow your brand.

Why should you care - what are the codes good for?

TRA (The Research Agency) specialises in understanding people, using data and research to find patterns, uncover meaning and make sense of consumer mindsets and behaviours. They’ve spent decades diving into what Kiwis enjoy in their ads and crucially, whether it drives purchase decisions.

The output is the Kiwi Codes and they’re your key to making your brand feel like ‘one of us’, an everyday Kiwi that consumers can like and trust. The research shows the more ‘Kiwi’ you are, i.e., the more your brand aligns with the codes and references them in marketing, the more beloved you will become. And there’s a strong correlation between this and people choosing your brand over one they perceive to be ‘less Kiwi’.

The Kiwi Codes overview

The codes are divided into two main categories:

Fairness Codes:

• Individuality

• Earned Success

• Social Equivalence

Connection Codes:

• Humour

• Connection to Nature

• Outward Worldview

ALL are important so it’s a good idea to try and hit as many as possible. But if you have to prioritise, this tends to be the order of importance: humour, connection to nature, individuality, earned success, social equivalence, outward worldview.

1. Humor

Humour is such an ingrained part of our culture. Kiwis will use it in every and any situation. It’s particularly good for broaching difficult subjects because our sense of humour is a bit dry and self-deprecating. In 2025, Kiwis tend to like humour that’s inclusive and empowering rather than putting people down; empathetic humour, if you will.

This PGG Wrightson Seeds’ spring and autumn campaign uses humour to highlight the uncontrollable nature of farming.

2. Connection to nature

You probably won’t be surprised to know that New Zealanders LOVE nature. We’re very proud of having access to it in abundance and being in nature is a part of our everyday lives, almost spiritual to a degree. Many of our social connections happen in the outdoors. Kiwis love it so much, every brand should be asking its ad-makers if there’s a way to set their ads outside. What’s important to note about this Kiwi Code is that we now see it as a two-way relationship. Over time the code has shifted from conquering nature to kaitiakitanga.

Watch this video we made with Environment Canterbury - it could have been a simple explainer video but instead we were able to create something beautiful by putting the focus on people interacting with the natural surrounds they also work to protect.

3. Individually

We are curious about the things that make people different. Kiwis like to see people doing their own thing, being themselves; often challenging the status quo and coming out a winner somehow. Our enjoyment of individuality is why you see a lot of long-running advertising fronted by quirky characters these days.

This campaign based around hair and identity that we created for HWR is a classic example.

4. Earned success

This code is all about working hard and staying humble; achieving your dreams whatever they are (and it doesn’t have to be money or fame – as we’ve just mentioned, the quirkier the better probably).

While we still appreciate that classic ‘No 8 wire mentality’, in recent years, softer success has become more prominent too. We also love to see others being taken on the path to success together. Think hard workers who care. As well as hard work, earned success can be through cunning or smarts.

For agricultural seed seller RAGT we created a world of colour characters that tick the individuality and humour box. But they’re also a great example of earned success as they dream up innovative new ways to break out of their paddock.

5. Social equivalence

Kiwis share a desire for everyone to get a fair go and be treated equally. Today, the range of social issues people care about has grown so vast, this code comes with a bit of tension and should only be utilised with authenticity.

Undoubtedly this Kiwi Code works well for not-for-profits. Even so, this is a competitive and nuanced type of marketing that needs as much as possible to connect with Kiwis. Check out how this fundraising campaign for Rānui Apartments does it.

6. Outward worldview

While Kiwi consumers take pride in being globally capable, we will always stay grounded and true to our roots, valuing mana and homegrown success over global domination.

A simple starting point

Trying to hit six different values Kiwis care about is a big goal! So here’s a couple of easy things you can start with. Kiwis LOVE wrongs being righted, and we LOVE to think of ourselves as a team. So if your brand can show up as a team player who plays fair, you’re on the right track.

Smart business owners and marketing managers already know that creativity is an advantage that delivers real-world results to accelerate growth. Creativity with a commercial lens is precisely what we specialise in at Plato. And with our integrated services covering not only campaign ideation but the marketing and media placements too, you’re getting a holistic, aligned approach to advertising that is proven to be more effective.