Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Get tech savvy with the new digital strategy

By Allison Hess
Junior reporter - digital·Bay of Plenty Times·
12 May, 2017 03:53 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Despite its less than inspiring name, the Digital Enablement Project kicked off with how businesses are using tech to get more money and customers. Photo/Andrew Warner

Despite its less than inspiring name, the Digital Enablement Project kicked off with how businesses are using tech to get more money and customers. Photo/Andrew Warner

"If you're not online, you're invisible."

That was the message from Ross Young of Google NZ to those who attended a presentation this week focusing on how small Tauranga businesses were benefiting from technology.

The Digital Enablement Project, part of Techweek, was officially launched on Thursday evening at Tauranga Art Gallery.

Tauranga's Venture Centre was carrying out the project, which would digitally upskill youth, business owners and entrepreneurs through workshops and presentations over the next 18 months.

Surrounded by one of the oldest forms of communication hanging on the walls of the gallery, businesses described how using the newest forms of communication had transformed their businesses and grown revenue and customers.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Unique use of technology had allowed New Zealand oranges to enter and succeed in the Chinese fruit market - previously dominated by the sweeter Australian orange.

John Miller, of Foodview, explained how using WeChat - the Facebook Messenger app equivalent in China - they were able to market their oranges to its 850 million users.

"We became a multinational fruit business in four short years."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

People could ask about the oranges and buy them straight from WeChat. It bypassed suppliers and went straight to the consumers.

Lisa Buck from Thorne Group architects showed how their strong social media presence reeled in customers and hooked them with a detailed and interactive website.

"Technology has been a game-changer. We have been able to grow without significant investment."

The architect firm used Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram to attract customers.

Technology meant they could give their customers everything - virtual 3D walkthrough videos, costing software that would cost each job down to the cent.

Clients were given their own website where they could see live schedule updates on their build, updates from project managers and progress pictures.

John van der Zwan from Schools International Education Business Association (SIEBA) relayed how using an online hub helped them attract 250 schools to sign up to their business.

SIEBA helped schools with their international education business - connecting local schools with international schools - and fee-paying students.

On their website a message board allowed schools to chat about the business of international students and give each other tips and advice.

Digital Enablement Project

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The project began back in 2015 when the Government told councils to come up with a digital strategy to ensure communities would make use of access to ultrafast fibre broadband connections.

The goal was for Western Bay District Council and Tauranga City Council to come up with a plan to ensure everyone had access to benefit from digital technologies.

Last year Venture Centre found business owners were using digital tools though not necessarily reaping increased custom, revenue or new markets,

The Digital Enablement Project pilot runs from Techweek '17 until Techweek '18.

What's on in Tauranga for Techweek: http://techweek.co.nz/whats-on/

Digital Enablement Project events here: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/digitally-empowering-people-tickets-33357179221

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash which has closed SH29.

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM
Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP