Glenn Harris is the national marketing manager of Mazda New Zealand.
How would you describe the New Zealand identity?
Despite our relative geographical isolation and scale compared with larger trading partners, New Zealand continues to be seen as challenger economy within the global marketplace. Kiwi businesses are renowned for their unique competitive advantage achieved through creativity, innovation and the contribution of diverse, high-performing teams with distinctive ‘twinkle in their eye’.
What will be our next major challenge?
While the origin of our unique identity leaves us free from the complexity created by larger economies, we must stay connected with the international marketplace to ensure that the product and service offerings of New Zealand businesses continue to maintain relevance with the needs and behaviours of an increasingly global ‘Kiwi’ consumer.
What do we need to do to prepare ourselves for this?
We must take every opportunity to engage with the wider commercial and social environments outside New Zealand and immerse our business leaders in the learnings, best practices and investment from around the world and across different industries. This exposure provides the catalyst for extending our distinct competitive advantage and wide-ranging appeal by embracing the flavours and diversity of the global community to enhance our unique New Zealand offerings.
