Buy Kiwi Made Campaign Takes Off

Kiwis have got behind the Buy Kiwi Made media campaign and the Government has agreed to give it a new lease of life says Sue Bradford, the Buy Kiwi Made Government Spokesperson.

"More than 1.3 million shoppers are now thinking 'Kiwi made' when they step into our stores," says Ms Bradford, "an increase of more than 200,000 since August when the consumer campaign began."

"The level of support from manufacturers, retailers and shoppers has been fantastic," she says. "I'm delighted to announce that Cabinet has agreed to extend the campaign so we can enjoy yet another Buy Kiwi Christmas in 2008."

"Support from retailers has more than doubled to reach a similar level as the 60 percent of manufacturers who support the campaign," she said.

Ms Bradford said that the campaign extension would be funded from savings within the Buy Kiwi Made programme itself. "This releases $2 million to invest in the media campaign that is proving effective and well on track to meeting all its targets."

The campaign had helped to increase by 50 percent the number of manufacturing members of Buy NZ Made Campaign Ltd, a private organisation that licenses use of the kiwi in a triangle logos.

Along with this increase in manufacturing members, major retail chains have joined such as Foodstuff's New World, Pak'n'Save, and Four Square stores, Progressive Enterprises' SuperValue and FreshChoice stores, along with service providers such as TSB Bank, KiwiBank, NZ Van Lines, The Lone Star Restaurants, and the Department of Conservation Visitor Centres. An online product locator has been developed at www.buynz.org.nz