March update from Kea

Kia ora and welcome to Kea’s online monthly report, showcasing our highlights for March 2021. 

As the Northern Hemisphere launches into spring, vaccines are rolled out worldwide, and global consumer spending increasing, we’re seeing renewed focus and growing business confidence in our Kea Community. Further expansions of government-backed programmes are assisting in capitalising on this confidence, motivating our Kea Connect businesses to explore new opportunities.

This month we spoke to two Kiwi companies, Neurocruit and the National Distillery, about their global ambitions and how Kea Connect has assisted their operations in the UK and the US. Kea Connect assisted in focus sessions for UK-based Neurocruit, a Kiwi start-up based out of the UK that works to connect neurologically diverse people with professional opportunities. The National Distillery made their entry into the US with the help of Kea Connect in brand building and influencer community advice.

Kea Connect is also thrilled to be joining forces with HTK Group to enable Māori businesses and support their growth offshore. We spoke with Riki Manarangi about how culture-led values anchor their strategic direction and propel their business forward.

In good news for Kiwi export businesses, consumer spending continues to increase, as seen in a 70% increase in Shopify usage in the US, and a 78% increase in courier delivery in China compared to this time last year. Our global Regional Directors and Ambassadors share how Kiwi businesses can take advantage of this trend in their monthly on-the-ground market insights.

Finally, we showcase some of the partner and Kea Community content that has been resonating with our community, with a particular focus on economic development and innovation.

Read on to find out more.

• GROWTH THROUGH KEA CONNECT
• INSIGHTS FROM OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY
• KEA CONNECT: SPOTLIGHT ON PURPOSE-DRIVEN BUSINESS AND HIGHLY CRAFTED F&B
• IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• TRENDING AT KEA
• UPCOMING EVENTS
• CONNECTIONS THIS MONTH
• HOW KEA CAN HELP

Indigenous values leading Māori business success

Kea Connect spoke to Riki Manarangi, the Chief Innovation Officer of HTK Group, about their work supporting Māori entrepreneurs and the importance of respecting Te Tiriti. Riki discusses their integration of Māori values including whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and rangatiratanga, and how prioritising these can help in unifying both their internal practices and business outputs, leading to more authentic growth.

READ MORE

USA

Confidence is growing in North America as we get closer to things returning to normal over the summer period, with the USA hitting daily records of three million vaccinations a day and the FDA approving more applications for treatment.

New Zealand companies are exhibiting this confidence through a clear focus on taking charge of their US market entry strategy. This is reflected in a global trend by Bloomberg that reported a 77% year-on-year bump in online “micro-sellers” as well as Shopify usage growing 70% over 2020.

We are seeing this charge led by the ever-growing NZTE presence in North America. The Made With Care influencer campaign has many eyes on New Zealand brands across the F&B space, Exports to the US have increased 18% in 2020, with the food sector – meat, horticulture, wine and chocolate in particular – all performing strongly.

Additional Covid-relief funding via NZTE is supporting Kiwi exporters in gaining helpful market insights and influential data to support their strategic direction. This has been reflected in market acceleration and has been another valuable amplification for New Zealand companies in the US.

Ryan Mulcock, Kea Regional Director, North America

UK & EUROPE

The impact of Brexit for business is reflected this month in a continued drop in shipments between the UK and the EU.  Business leaders attribute this trend to a number of factors: British businesses stockpiling inventory before the UK left the EU, the difficulty in navigating the post-Brexit paperwork needed and also changing official advice.

British exports to the EU year on year dropped 38%, and its exports to the rest of the world were down 7.5%.  At the same time, Britain imported fewer goods.  Imports from the EU were down almost 16% and those from the rest of the world dropped more than 9%.

Despite these challenges, the UK is definitely open for business, and continues to proactively work with other exporting nations even as friction in cross-border commerce increases.

Although business leaders in the UK anticipate continuing instability between the UK and the EU in the months ahead, this environment also creates increased opportunities for NZ businesses across sectors to seek opportunities and market share.

Read on to find out where UK consumers are spending from our UK/Europe Regional Director, Sara Fogarty. READ MORE

CHINA

We welcomed the year of the Ox on February 12. 

While most of the country went on a long break, the courier sector handled about 4.8 billion parcels in a single month, showing a 73% increase compared to February 2020. This demonstrates that the pandemic has significantly influenced the purchasing habit of Chinese consumers over the past year. 

With the Spring Festival holiday, China’s February box office revenue exceeded RMB 12.26 billion, breaking the world monthly box office record. At the same time, the catering industry earned RMB 708.5 billion from January to February, up 68.9% year on year. Both statistics show clear post- COVID-19 market recovery, boosting the confidence of both foreign and local investors. 

As this year is symbolized by ‘牛气冲天’ (‘the soaring Ox’), China is very hopeful for a year of prosperity and good fortune.

Ciara Liu, Kea Regional Director, China

AUSTRALIA

Australia’s defence sector is seen as a key pillar of its economic recovery.  Over the next decade Australia will spend some $250 billion on improving their defence capability, and that will be backed up by a further $250 billion dedicated to maintenance and operations.

To enable a sustainable defence manufacturing capability, at least 50% of any programme must involve local providers.  This presents significant opportunities for New Zealand, being that NZ is deemed a local supplier by way of the CER agreement.

The opportunities are far reaching; think technology, small parts of the supply chain and high end specialist areas such as cyber security.  This, coupled with the considerable flow on effect for skilled labour development, signals exciting times ahead!

Anna Shere, Kea Ambassador, Australia

SUPPORTING NEUROLOGICALLY DIVERSE PEOPLE INTO PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Kea supported a UK-based member with her new purpose-driven business venture called Neurocruit.

Neurocruit’s purpose is to connect neurologically diverse individuals with resources and professional opportunities. Their mission is to help those who see the world differently to find their place in it. Neurocruit exists to find and make a fit between uniquely gifted, neurologically diverse people and businesses evolving to meet the extraordinary challenges of our times, through workshops, in-house training and more.

Through their offering, they will tackle the difficult topics of working and learning from home, effective digital communication, and staying switched on remotely, providing tools to gain rather than lose momentum during this time. The ultimate goal is to offer ongoing support and real-world skills to take into the professional arena.

To test drive their material, the founder sought connections with Kea members who could participate in virtual focus sessions, to receive feedback and help Neurocruit best meet market needs. 

At present, Kea has introduced Neurorecuit to a Tech Founder who themselves is passionate about this cause and has engaged in activity to support the recruitment of neurodiverse individuals in New Zealand.

MODERN KIWI DISTILLERY WITH SIGHTS SET ON THE US

Kea worked with The National Distillery company to shape their entry strategy for the USA. 

Headquartered in Napier, The National Distillery use modern distilling techniques and time-honoured traditions to create a selection of gin, vodka, rum and whiskey. This duality inspires their approach to crafting the finest selection of copper distilled liquors.

Over the course of 2020, this Kiwi business successfully grew within New Zealand. This includes winning both the Best New Zealand and Best overall awards for the Gin category of the NZ Spirits Awards 2020.

Now they have two representatives based in New York to drive export growth in the USA. Their Manager contacted Kea for connections who could help them understand:

• Distribution channels and opportunities along the East Coast
• Brand building within the region
• Influencer communities

Kea facilitated an introduction with a Kea member with extensive experience in building global brands and influencer advocacy within the drinks industry.

TECH TRENDS LOOKING FORWARD

The Future Today Institute released their 14th Annual Tech Trends Report, analysing nearly 500 tech and science trends across multiple industry sectors. The report publishes 12 separate reports with trends grouped by subject such as artificial intelligence, privacy and security, and biotech and agriculture.

CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

On April 9th 2021, join Xero in supporting small businesses on Small Business Day. When you spend with an associated small business, you go in the draw to win a share of $200,000 worth of prizes. Any small business can register.

MFAT’S GLOBAL ECONOMIC AND TRADE UPDATE

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have released their latest Global Economic and Trade Update. The report provides insights into recent domestic, regional and multilateral updates.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EMPOWERING WOMEN

Pam Ford of Auckland Unlimited talks to Kea about the benefits of collaboration in economic development, and how to remedy the disproportionate economic effect felt by women through Covid-19. READ MORE

DAIRY UPTURN HELPING NZ’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Kea Independent Economist Tony Alexander shares his insights on the influence of demand for New Zealand’s “soft commodities” in our Covid-19 economic recovery.  READ MORE

USING INNOVATION TO SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS

We spoke to Kate Sutton, Head of the Innovation Centre at the UNDP about how the private and public sector can work together to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, and her view on New Zealand’s approach to innovation.  READ MORE

To help returning Kiwis settle back into New Zealand and help build their personal and professional networks, Kea are thrilled to be hosting ongoing monthly meetups for returners and their partners in Auckland, on the first Wednesday of each month.
Kea understands how important it is for our returning Kiwis to meet, network and share their experiences. Our next meetup is Wednesday April 7th, spread the word!

The Kea World Class New Zealand Awards will be held on June 3rd 2021. We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of world leading, exploring Kiwis with you.

SECTORS KEA CONNECT SUPPORTED THIS MONTH

*Year to date reflects financial year commencing 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021