Courtesy of TV One "Breakfast" 2005-08-10
An interview with international branding expert Creenagh Lodge

Presenter (Kay Gregory): What country do you think of when I say precision engineering - Germany, perhaps? Or design - Scandinavia, maybe? What about clean and green? Well undoubtedly, New Zealand, but is that the way the rest of the world sees us, and in fact, is that the way we want them to see us? Well few in the world know more about branding than my next guest. One of her most recent successes is helping London secure the 2012 Olympic Games. Creenagh Lodge is with me now. Good morning, Creenagh.

Image: "People discover that you're not what you claim to be and you're in a worse state after that than you were without a brand at all." Creenagh Lodge. Credit courtesy of www.thescoop.co.nz

Courtesy of TV One "Breakfast" 2005-08-10
An interview with international branding expert Creenagh Lodge

Presenter (Kay Gregory): What country do you think of when I say precision engineering - Germany, perhaps? Or design - Scandinavia, maybe? What about clean and green? Well undoubtedly, New Zealand, but is that the way the rest of the world sees us, and in fact, is that the way we want them to see us? Well few in the world know more about branding than my next guest. One of her most recent successes is helping London secure the 2012 Olympic Games. Creenagh Lodge is with me now. Good morning, Creenagh.

Image: "People discover that you're not what you claim to be and you're in a worse state after that than you were without a brand at all." Creenagh Lodge. Credit courtesy of www.thescoop.co.nz

Creenagh Lodge (Branding Expert): Good morning.
Presenter: Why do we need branding?

Lodge: In a competitive world, as the world grows more global, as the marketplace expands, you need branding to tell the world what you stand for, what it is that you want them to buy from you, whether it's tourism or investment, or your exports, and you need to deliver that message very, very quickly and very persuasively and very distinctively from your competition.

Presenter: Do brands just happen or do they have to be very well thought out? I mean, for some countries they do just happen, don't they?

Lodge: Yes there is... well Singapore for instance, or Ireland have not got the kind of brand that you and I are now talking about, but they have got a very clear identity and a very, very well-defined offer... [sic] so people know who they are, can place them and understand them. So yes, they've arrived at a brand, if you like, rather than having had one constructed for them.

Presenter: But if you haven't got one you've got to make one up?

Lodge: Well not quite make it up out of nothing. [laughter] Construct one.

Presenter: Well I guess some places do, don't they?

Lodge: Possibly, but then it falls foul of reality, because people discover that you're not what you claim to be and you're in a worse state after that than you were without a brand at all.

Presenter: Before you came to New Zealand, what would you have said our brand was?

Lodge: Well I first came to New Zealand 15 or 16 years ago to help look at a brand for New Zealand, and I'm not sure I could say, personally, what I thought, because I have some family here. But I do know from the research we carried out how New Zealand was then seen - very quiet, very sleepy, a large suburb, and, you know, would the last person to leave New Zealand please put out the lights, so that was the brand then. It has changed.

Presenter: Has it? Are you satisfied that it has changed?

Lodge: It has. Oh I know that from... it's changed... if I was to summarise it, I would say that New Zealand is seen by the rest of the world as a model 21st century country. People greatly admire small clever countries, and particularly small clever countries like New Zealand whose values seem to be very appropriate and very, very admirable for the 21st century.

Presenter: Is the clean, green brand right for us?

Lodge: I think clean and green is not a whole brand, but it is part of the values, its part of the characteristics of New Zealand and yes, it fits. But I think too, that when I said it belongs to... New Zealand belongs to the small clever country set, it is that cleverness that is also important too, because it brings in people and attitudes and intelligence and innovativeness.

Presenter: Are we not marketing that enough, do you think?

Lodge: Well we've only just started, or you've only just started, as I understand it, so... but it is known around the world - New Zealanders are known as really, really good employees. I don't mean just for sweeping out latrines, though I daresay you're very good at that, but certainly, middle management, high management - New Zealand scores very highly.

Presenter: Now you were involved in London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics. Was that... what sort of branding exercise was that, Creenagh?

Lodge: It was an interesting exercise, because it's a temporary brand, of course, a brand for the Olympics, but it draws on the whole reputation and a general brand, if you like, of Britain, particularly Britain in the 21st century... the early 21st century.

Presenter: And Britain's brand is?

Lodge: Britain's brand is large and varied, but in effect it's based on the fact that it's a successful economy. For the young, for instance, in Europe... throughout Europe, it is the iconic place for fashion; for music; so it's got vitality in there and it's thought to have advanced ideas, and it is essentially a progressive place. It's very inclusive. A large number of different people are in there - it's a very open society, and all of these things give a lot of strength and confidence.

Presenter: All right, Creenagh Lodge, thanks for being with us this morning.

Lodge: A pleasure