Ateed: The Auckland Story

Ateed says its purpose is to leverage Auckland's potential, to be more attractive than other international cities. Photo / Nick Reed

Opinion

A recent front page report in the Weekend Herald declared Ateed, the Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development agency that I chair, had spent $500,000 of ratepayers' money on a slogan - and that 115 people had worked on the project over two years.

Ateed is a council-controlled organisation.

Our purpose is to leverage Auckland's potential, to be more attractive than other international cities - for visiting, studying, investing and living.

In years to come, if we get this right, Auckland will have received more capital, more smart money and more smart jobs for our population, and ultimately boost our prosperity.

While as an agency we "promote" Auckland as the Herald article said, our overwhelming reason for being is to advance Auckland's interests. We strive to get ahead of the game. We have to anticipate what will provide the gains for Auckland that we seek. And we need to get there before our competing cities.

The Auckland Story, which the Herald's story highlighted, if in an overly narrow way, is a core component of our marketing strategy. It provides a consistent framework from which marketing collateral and initiatives are aligned to.

The Auckland Story has been about coming up with a summary of what Auckland is and stands for, what Aucklanders do and are capable of and what this place can be for overseas investors, migrants, visitors and businesses looking to base themselves here.

Most global cities have a 'story'. It is an important marketing tool and Auckland is now a global city competing on the big international stage.

We have been developing a story in a way that is similar to the New Zealand Story commissioned by the government.

It is a series of narratives summing up this place, people and potential. It is aimed at Auckland organisations, not just businesses but others with international ambition or reach, and offers them a coherent summary of what Auckland is all about.

The framework that is encapsulated as the Auckland Story is comprehensive and runs into the hundreds of pages on how it is applied to various audiences.

The Weekend Herald and subsequent media organisations have misrepresented statements associated with the Auckland Story Initiative:

There was no "slogan". The purpose of the work was never about developing a new slogan. At no stage did Ateed or the people who were asked for their input suggest that one should be formed, let alone chosen for Auckland.

Yes, a central theme of this body of work had been identified in draft as "the place desired by many"; a literal translation of the meaning of Tamaki Makaurau. But it is a theme running through the work, not a marketing slogan or a catchphrase or a sign at the entrance to the city.

A core project team of three people worked on the development of the Auckland Story, with staff from across Auckland Council attending occasional workshops. There was not 115 people working on the project full time for two years.

There had been extensive consultation with representatives from across the Auckland diaspora, including with mana whenua, business groups, the broader public through social media campaigns, council and councillors throughout.

Each step of this process - which had been requested of Ateed by the council - had been reported back to the relevant council committees.

The Herald had reported before on the Auckland Story, as it is formally known. From the launch of an advisory group chaired by the Herald owner's former chief executive Jane Hastings to stories about progress of the project. We were also open about the project's budget to the media at that time.

Ateed has spent a total of $500,000 on this project. That is over two and a half years.

Most of the cost was in research, finding out what many groups of Aucklanders believed we should highlight to the world about what makes this city an attractive place to live, work and play.

This compares favourably to the $2 million investment central government made on the development of the New Zealand story. In both cases, the rationale is to spend a modest sum to help businesses and organisations attract a far greater total of investment or spending into this city or country.

In terms of cost, the expense associated with the Auckland Story is a relatively modest investment to fundamentally inform how we attract and stimulate investment and growth for Auckland in the future.

Those are the facts.

Ateed made it clear to the media that many of the facts being put to the public were incorrect or misrepresented the real circumstances.

But in the process of the story being readied for publication, the paper tells us, some of that explanation and context was lost.

The false impression caused by misreporting has in all likelihood undermined some public faith in local government and Ateed, but more importantly, efforts to provide Auckland organisations with professional and high-calibre material to take out into the world.

As a board we know who we are responsible to, that being the Mayor and Auckland Council and the ratepayers of Auckland. We take on this responsibility with the sincerity it deserves.

David McConnell is chairman of Ateed.

Clarification
The Weekend Herald invited Ateed to write an opinion piece about the global brand project it had been instructed to develop by Auckland Council, after our November 12 story on the issue incorrectly focused on a slogan component of the project. We apologise for that. We are also happy to clarify that the 115 people who worked on the project did not do so full time.