Creative industries
Introduction |
Research reports |
Action plan |
Advisory group |
Business and industry events |
Key facts |
Screen production industry |
Business support |
Features
Features
The following content features articles written about creative industries in
Auckland and Auckland City Council's support of them.
Making shifts happen in brands
Duke Stump
"Look at me" branding has given way to meaningful dialogue between brands and their customers. And taking inspiration from nature will help create sustainable brands that draw people to them, and are inherently sustainable.
These were some of the pointers provided by US-based brand architect Duke Stump (www.thenorthstarmanifesto.com) at Semi Permanent 09 and in an Auckland City Council workshop (the Sustainable Brands 09 Outreach) in August. Mr Stump challenged the audience to take a pause, step back, and seize a different approach in brand development.
Under the title of "Shift Happens", he urged brand builders to be audacious about building genuine principles of sustainability into brands. He said a new approach to brand building could be applied to cities too.
"If you're branding a city," he said, "as Auckland will soon be doing with the unification of councils, make the city a place of inspiration. Ask yourselves: what are we really good at? What are our passion and our aptitude? What is the nexus between what the city's strengths are, and what the local or global stakeholders need (e.g. food, water, land, transportation, health etc), and rally people around that."
Mr Stump argued that sustainable brands of the future were 'beyond green' and were about a shift in the actions of companies (or cities)
- what companies actually do and the effect they have, rather than what they say.
"Strong sustainable brands are incredibly transparent. They are about creating meaningful, relevant, trusted relationships," he said. Giving as an example California outdoor clothing company Patagonia (www.Patagonia.com) which he dubbed
"conscious capitalism" because of its efforts to document where every item of clothing had come from in its manufacture, Duke said:
"They have created the 'footprint chronicles' - complete transparency in all
they do in terms of CO2 emissions, carbon footprint and so on. They also tell
you what's good and what's bad about them."
"Green principles" and "Sustainability" become brand drivers rather than anchors where companies are transparent, he argued.
Mr Stump outlined five beliefs and five principles of a sustainable, trusted and relevant brand.
Five beliefs
- Building bonfires with soul. Sustainable brands build bonfires with soul where all stakeholders are passionate.
- A different lens. Sustainable brands see the world through a different lens. A Japanese farmer Stump admires did not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers. Yet his farm produced more and better crops than any other farm around him.
"He saw the world differently," said Stump.
- A wider lens. Sustainable brands see the world holistically - as a whole.
They have a full appreciation of biodiversity and place humanity first. Duke
says - "Place humanity in your every deliberation."
- Aim for icebergs. Sustainable brands see the tip of something new, and don't disregard it. US companies Pixar and Seventh Generation are examples. Pixar saw opportunities Disney did not, and seized them.
- Empathy for the 'we' generation. Sustainable brands understand the 'we' generation (1976 to 1996).
"These young people don't define success as doing better than their parents. They believe in environmental stewardship and social justice," he says.
Five principles
- It begins inside. Great brands have great cultures. Human capital is the basis of brand capital.
- Inspiration overcomes desperation. Great brands play to their strengths. They play to win, rather than not to lose.
- See, feel, change. Master the art of storytelling by getting folks to see the vision of the brand and opportunity, in a way that they feel it
- and are subsequently moved to change.
- Nature as a mentor. Nature's principles can inform thinking in a way that helps create thriving, living cultures.
- Trust equals authenticity. Great brands recognise people don't want perfection
- they want honesty.
A beginner's guide to sponsorship
 |
| Air New Zealand Fashion Week ad. |
 |
Common mistakes for an organisation or individual seeking sponsorship include: making assumptions about the sponsor, and a cookie cutter approach to the pitch. Yet by astute observation, asking the target organisation for pertinent information, and understanding their objectives, those new to seeking sponsorship can be successful.
Recently Auckland City Council co-hosted a Fashion Industry New Zealand-WHK Gosling Chapman workshop on sponsorship. The workshop was delivered through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Enterprise Training programme, and was targeted at young fashion industry entrepreneurs and seed companies.
Paula Corcoran, event sponsorship manager for Auckland City Council presented to the gathering which aimed to assist young fashion designers in their development of sponsorship.
"Sponsors need a return on investment from their contribution," says Paula, "and this is a source of misunderstanding by those new to seeking sponsorship. Basically, prospective sponsorship seekers have to connect with the objectives of the sponsor. The matching of objectives
- where both partners look at exactly what they can each achieve, and how they can achieve it together
- provides the basis for any sponsorship proposal and on-going collaboration.
"Too often, she says, while the organisation seeking sponsorship understands exactly what their own points of difference are, and what their business and marketing needs are, they can be bereft of the same information about their prospective sponsor.
"It's easy to become fixated on the pitch for sponsorship," she says, "but the content is very, very important
- more important than the presentation. The content needs to focus on the unique ways you can add value to the sponsor
- not the other way around."
Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
- Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them. Don't just look at what they're doing now. That activity will probably have been planned 12 or more months ago. Insightful questions about where their brand is going, and how they wish to grow it will help tailor the sponsorship proposal.
- Understand the difference between sponsorship and grants (funding). Grants are usually contestable funds which can be applied for (often by application to a public organisation or a benefactor. They usually impose few commercial obligations, but there are still contractual clauses to be met.) In a sponsorship, there is a contractual obligation on the part of the sponsored party to assist the sponsor in its commercial goals. These may be very clearly specified.
"The objectives of a contract need to be fully serviced by the organisation that's sponsored. If you don't deliver on them, sponsors may withhold money or product in kind," says Paula.
- Measure the outcome of the sponsorship against the objectives you both set in the first place.
- The proposal itself should be tailored - and never generic. It is highly
unlikely a sponsor will meet the full financial needs in the proposal first
time round, so offer options that they might consider. While every proposal
structure is different, it still must have all the relevant factual information which might include:
- the date and nature of any event
- the cost of admission to any event
- numbers expected
- type of market reached (socio-demographic etc).
- Clearly understand how the audience for your own product connects with the audience targeted by your sponsor. If their target audience is 45 plus, with discretionary expenditure, and yours is not, the fit won't work.
- Always formally contract with your sponsor, recording what you have agreed will be delivered (and how). Many sponsors want to use their own (complex and long) contracts. This saves you money, but you need to be mindful of what they contain.Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them. Paula listed key points about seeking sponsorship:
Don't make it a best guess proposal. Find out about the sponsor's market, their target customers, and their marketing needs. Ask the target sponsor questions to find out information about them.
Paula also says there is a psychology of sponsorship which the sponsorship seeker needs to understand.
"Sponsors don't need to be passionate about your brand. To get their signup, you need to be passionate and knowledgeable about theirs!" she says.
"They just need to be able to see the unique commercial benefits of the potential partnership."
While no sponsorship workshops are currently firmly planned, please contact us if you would like to put your name down for any in the future.
Make the most of summer at Music in Parks
 |
| Music in Parks 2009. |
|
Auckland City Council is proud to be providing the sixteenth year of Music in Parks concerts
- free Kiwi music in our city's stunning parks and reserves.
The 2009 programme from January to April features more than 40 concerts showcasing the best musical talent from Auckland and around the country. Headline acts in the Summer Sounds series include Tahuna Breaks, House of Shem, Luke Buda, Anna Coddington, Ardijah, and Pitch Black. The Jazz at the Rotunda series and The Culture Garden offer explorations into specialised genres.
Returning for a second year is the Movies in Parks programme, which sees classic Kiwi films paired with live music setting the scene beforehand. Films include recent releases Rain of the Children and Apron Strings, as well as The Piano, and King Kong.
Visit our events pages to see the full line-up, order a programme, and sign up for the council's events e-newsletter.
Nearly half of those employed nationally in the music industry call Auckland city home. As well as creating opportunities for local talent to showcase their music, the council is committed to ensuring a strong and vibrant music industry continues to bring economic benefits to our city.
See the council's action plan
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries for more information.
There's no business like… the fashion business
 |
Design by AUT Rookie student
Abby Foy. |
|
New Zealand's fashion industry is centred in Auckland, and over the last few months, the fashion industry has been in the city's spotlight, with help from Auckland City Council.
First down the catwalk in September was
Air New Zealand Fashion Week, held at Auckland's unique Viaduct Harbour Marine Village. The council recognises the important contribution the fashion industry makes to Auckland's economy, and is proud to be a longstanding supporter of Fashion Week as the industry's premier event.
In 2006, an economic impact report stated that Fashion Week 2004 was worth an estimated $33.06 million to the New Zealand economy in terms of total output generated, and an estimated $29.75 million in the Auckland economy. The event has continued to grow since this report, in terms of participating designers, buyers, registered delegates and media coverage.
The council is also working to nurture young talent in the industry. AUT University held its Rookie fashion show independently from Fashion Week for the first time this year, and the council was proud to continue sponsoring this exciting showcase of emerging talent.
Alex Jaeha Kim's stellar rise through the New Zealand fashion industry shows the path possible. Kim made his Fashion Week debut in 2006 with the AUT
Rookie Show, and his debut solo runway show last year was hailed as one of the
best of the week. This year Kim returned with a stunning collection, "Call Me
Princess, My Daddy Says So". The 'Jaeha' label is sold through stockists in New Zealand, Australia and the US, and the designer is currently a finalist in the 2008 Mango Fashion Awards, a major international award backed by the world's most prestigious fashion schools.
Conquering the fashion industry is not just about talent and determination - and Auckland City Council recently held a workshop on
'The Business of Fashion' for graduating fashion students. Open to final year students from AUT University and Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design, the workshop focused on the critical success factors of the fashion business world and was designed to develop business acumen and commercial savvy. Guest speakers were Murray Bevan, director of Showroom 22, and leading New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester.
The students found facilitator Dianne Ludwig's expertise particularly impressive and valuable. Whitecliffe College graduate Maxine Woolridge said,
"I have already graduated and have started my own label so this workshop was
perfect for bringing my knowledge up to date - loved it!"
The various projects the council supports in the fashion industry are part of its commitment to growing the city's creative industries through its action plan,
Blueprint. The council also sponsors Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ)
as an industry organisation.
The Big Idea moves to Web 2.0
 |
The Big Idea is the online home
of New Zealand's creative community. |
|
The Big Idea is the online home of New Zealand's creative community. As the most visited creative sector website in the country, TBI is about to step up a gear by migrating to a Web 2.0 format, with the help of Auckland City Council sponsorship.
Te Aria Nui, www.thebigidea.co.nz is the space where creative people find the connections between creativity, innovation, enterprise, and each other - to activate creative thinking and innovation across sectors, disciplines and communities. The site has a growing membership and currently has 17,000 registered members.
TBI 2 will bring Web 2.0 innovations seen in social networking sites to the creative entrepreneur network TBI has developed over the last seven years. It will bring in new users and extend possibilities for sharing, collaboration, and of course, creativity.
Visitors to the site will still be able to keep up to date with the latest creative industry news, interviews and columns, as well as find tools for creative development, browse forums and galleries. Members create profiles of themselves and their creative work - and the job and opportunity listings remain a steady drawcard. The weekly e-newsletter, the navigator bulletin, helps to keep members informed, and stimulate discussion and debate.
Increasing the functionality of TBI will help creative people to make the most of new web technology to showcase their work in dynamic and versatile ways, and improve the ability to connect with creative sector employers. TBI 2 is currently undergoing trials and will be formally launching in February 2009.
The creative industries employ around 13,100 people in Auckland city, and the sector's stand-alone contribution to Auckland city's GDP is estimated at over $1.7 billion for 2006, equivalent to seven per cent of the city's total GDP. The creative sector is also an enabler of economic activity in other sectors.
Auckland City Council sponsors The Big Idea as an important vehicle to
deliver the goals under its action plan,
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
Visit www.thebigidea.co.nz to become a member and profile yourself or organisation.
 |
Cover of Auckland's creative industries:
The Numbers 2007 report. |
|
Auckland's creative industries - we have The Numbers
With its wealth of talented and highly creative people and
businesses, without a doubt Auckland is the home of New Zealand's creative
industries. Auckland City Council's in-depth quantitative research report
'Auckland's creative industries: The Numbers 2007' shows how it all stacks up.
The update of the creative sector business location and
employment data originally set out in
Snapshot: Auckland's creative industries shows that the creative industries
are still extremely important to the city's economy.
Of all New Zealand's cities, Auckland city has the largest
number of people employed in the creative industries (approximately 13,100
employees). The creative sector is concentrated in Auckland city, with 39 per
cent of New Zealand's creative sector workforce. The sector is estimated to
contribute over $1.7 billion GDP to the Auckland city economy. Location-wise,
three-quarters of Auckland city's creative sector employment is located in the
CBD and fringe areas.
Download 'Auckland's creative industries: The
numbers 2007'.
Design for Auckland - Designers
Institute of New Zealand
Design is a major contributor to
Auckland's cultural and economic landscape. Design
unlocks business and is a driver of innovation. Good
design facilitates social cohesion and wellbeing, and sets New Zealand and New
Zealand goods apart on the international stage. The Designers Institute of New
Zealand plays a key role in the recognition and growth of the sector.
The DINZ national conference day will
be held on 10 October at Auckland Museum, with the
BeST Design Awards taking
place at Aotea Centre that evening, celebrating the best in New Zealand's design
industry. The conference theme this year is around sustainability and imminent
change, see
www.dinz.org.nz for registration.
By supporting DINZ, Auckland City
Council is implementing its goals in
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
ART Venture accelerates
Focused on the professional development of individual
creative careers, ART Venture sets out to accelerate achievement. This year's
participants are:
- Andrew Malmo
- Arani Cuthbert
- Dan Shanan
- Duane Wichman-Evans
- Justin Lewis
- Mem Bourke
- and Wilhemeena Gordon.
Each participant is provided with mentoring, workshops,
access to investment, and a significant international focus. The programme
builds individual innovation, intellectual property and business potential.
ART Venture participant from 2007 Philip Patson said:
"I've learned that acceleration is not just about speeding up, it's about first
ensuring that the vehicle, conditions and destination are suitable for a faster
ride forward.
Auckland City Council is committed to building the
capability and business growth of Auckland's creative sector through programmes
like ART Venture, as articulated in the council's action plan
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
To find out more about
ART Venture participants and other Arts Regional Trust programmes, visit
www.artsregionaltrust.org.nz.
An Evening of Shameless Networking
 |
| Sea cocktail by SEA. |
|
It was billed tongue-in-cheek, as an Evening of Shameless
Networking for creative entrepreneurs, 'business cards essential' - and the
results are proving that networking works.
On 13 August, Auckland City Council and the British Council
co-hosted an Evening of Shameless Networking, featuring Bryan Edmondson of
SEA Design. The London-based designer
came to Auckland for a fleeting visit to speak at
Semi-Permanent, the largest
design forum in the country held at Aotea Centre, also proudly sponsored by the
council.
Ingrid Leary, country director of the
British Council in New
Zealand, says the event was a great example of how willing creative
entrepreneurs are to jump in and make connections. "Many people have told me
already how they were able to find synergies with their creative projects
through connecting at this event," she says.
Bryan Edmondson gave his tips for creative entrepreneurs,
based on his own experience of learning things the hard way on his road to
success. Established in 1997 by himself and John Simpson, SEA is an
independent, multi-disciplinary and award-winning design agency. A popular
example of their work is the brand identity for Jamie Oliver. The picture
(right)
is from the name generation and identity for a London Restaurant, OQO.
Facilitating opportunities for the people working in the
creative industries to build networks is a crucial part of Auckland City
Council's work as outlined in its action plan
Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
Renewed commitment to Film Auckland
 |
Filming of a TV commercial for
VISA Brasil, courtesy of Joyride Films. |
|
Auckland City Council has increased its sponsorship of Film
Auckland, the destination marketing office and industry body for screen
production in the Auckland region. The organisation, which has received support
from council since its inauguration in 2003, promotes the local screen
industry's capabilities nationally and globally.
"Productions have been brought to New Zealand as a result
of Auckland City Council's support," says Michael Brook, Executive Manager of
Film Auckland. "By providing sponsorship to Film Auckland, they help give us
the ability to really achieve."
Not only are productions attracted, more than 500
productions are also facilitated and permitted by council's event and film
operations team annually.
Feature films such as Under the Mountain, Underworld 3
and Apron Strings, television productions Life's a Riot, Diplomatic Immunity, Shortland Street and commercials for X-Box, National Bank, and Visa Brazil
(pictured, courtesy of Joyride Films) have all been facilitated in recent
months.
Auckland is the home of New
Zealand's screen production industry, with half of the nation's screen
production employment, and three quarters of television employment. The screen
production industry is the second largest subsector in Auckland city's creative
industries. Auckland City
Council is committed to assisting growth in this significant sector as outlined
in Blueprint: Growing Auckland's creative industries.
See
www.filmauckland.com for more
information.
Updated November 2009
