Bay website showcases primary sector globally

Sally Cooke, Andrea Nilsson, Karen Littlewood and Tara Fowler. Photo / George Novak

A major new website launched to showcase New Zealand's primary sector to the world was created in the Bay of Plenty by Tauranga creative agencies Tuskany and MOCA Design, who won against tenders from Wellington and Auckland companies.

The website was built for the Te Hono Movement, the brainchild of New Zealand Merino chief executive John Brakenridge. Te Hono members represent about 80 per cent of the New Zealand primary sector.

Te Hono began in 2012 as the New Zealand Primary Sector Bootcamp at Stanford University, a gathering of 23 chief executives from New Zealand's primary sector, together with then Minister for Primary Industries David Carter and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise chief executive Peter Chrisp.

It is now made up of more than 130 alumni - including Bay business people - who have attended the bootcamps.

"New Zealand has a significant global opportunity to really move into becoming much more of a value player in how we sell our products. And you have great examples of that in the Bay of Plenty," said Mr Brakenridge.

The idea for the website came when Stanford Bootcamp alumni met last year to discuss how to keep the momentum going and globally showcase the sector.

Te Hono alumni Steve Saunders, head of Tauranga's Plus Group, suggested that local companies should be given a chance to pitch alongside Auckland and Wellington contenders.

"We're delighted with the website and the quality of the work," said Mr Brakenridge.

Tuskany director Sally Cooke said it was late in the game when they were asked to pitch.

"But we were determined to demonstrate that just because we live and work in the Bay doesn't mean we can't be just as good, if not better than agencies in Auckland or Wellington. We feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to work on such a vital project for the primary sector of New Zealand."

Tuskany and MOCA worked closely with Te Hono on the strategic functionality of the website. Tuskany then developed the design, tone and languaging and MOCA built and optimised the online capability.

Ms Cooke said the project was an example of regional firms punching above their weight.

MOCA production manager Andrea Nilsson said Te Hono had a suite of requirements.

"That meant integrating some of the practical actions and behaviours of how Te Hono work in the physical sense, and leveraging these with online capability to directly support their vision," she said.

Te Hono Movement:

* Te Hono comes from a greater concept: Hono tangata, hono whenua, hono ki te ao - strengthening relationships by linking to the land and connecting to the world.

* Chairman: Greg Muir, managing director,

* Tru-Test.

* www.tehono.co.nz