Plunket is on the look-out for a new partnership with a creative agency to help re-engage New Zealanders in its cause.
“We’re looking to work with a creative agency that’s strong on strategy, to help us reposition our brand and develop a new fundraising campaign,” said Plunket marketing manager Benj Berryman.
“Finding an agency that’s the right fit with Plunket is high on our list of priorities.”
Plunket’s high brand recognition (99% prompted awareness) is built on generations of New Zealand parents finding the support they need, at the moment they need it, from Plunket people. Today, Plunket nurses are welcomed in to New Zealanders homes across the country, seeing 9 in 10 newborns.
But being well-recognised and well-loved doesn’t automatically translate to well-understood – or well-funded.
“We work with the Ministry of Health to deliver the Well Child Tamariki Ora service – which people would recognise as the Plunket nurse home visits for families,” Berryman said. “Due to this, many people assume we are a government department, which is a barrier when it comes to raising funds for our services for families that run on donations.
“We need to bring our cause to the forefront of New Zealanders’ consciousness – starting with defining our cause.”
He says Plunket’s playgroups, coffee groups, family centres and parenting courses are all funded by donations, grants and sponsorships.
“While it might not seem like a coffee group has the power to change a person’s world, research finds that actually, that’s exactly what it does. Plunket is the antidote for isolation – connecting parents with one another, creating stronger communities where children can thrive.
“But finding the funds to keep existing services going is a continual challenge.
“We’re looking for an agency that can work with us to define our story, why we exist, and why New Zealand can’t do without Plunket. This will then underpin our fundraising, customer and internal communications.”
Plunket has commissioned The Navigators to conduct research, to form the basis for the agency brief, which will be complete by early November.
“This is an exciting moment in Plunket’s history, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to work with one of New Zealand’s most iconic brands which has been largely untouched for decades,” Berryman said.
“In many ways our cause has remained constant since our founders established Plunket to ‘help the mothers and save the babies’ – it’s about articulating how we do this in the 21st century. We’re looking for an agency that understands that the partnership is key, and that as a charity, seeking value for money is mandatory.”
The call-out for a new creative partnership follows Plunket’s appointment of Amanda Malu as chief marketing officer in December 2014. Malu led the production of the It’s Not OK campaign while at the Families Commission, now Superu.
“This is about keeping Plunket relevant, so we can continue to give families the support they need for the next 100 years,” Malu said.
Berryman said: “We want to start having conversations now, so we’re ready to kick into it when the research is complete in early November.”
- For more information, contact him at benj.berryman@plunket.org.nz.
- www.plunket.org.nz
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