With a reputation for a relaxed lifestyle, beautiful scenery and welcoming culture, it's not surprising that Aotearoa New Zealand has been recognised as a top country for migrant professional workers by the OECD. But after the move, do migrants feel at home? And how well do brands and organisations meet their needs?  

To find out, we conducted a major study with over 2,200 first, second and third or longer generation New Zealanders. Through quantitative and qualitative research, our findings built a clearer picture of the experiences of this group and their relationship with organisations and brands. It's similar to a study we carried out in partnership with The Growth Distillery that explored how brands are connecting with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia. 

Two generations, three groups

More than a quarter (27%) of the New Zealand population were born overseas and another 16% have at least one parent born overseas (Stats NZ). The experiences of this diverse group, however, vary significantly. To better understand the diversity of experience, we surveyed three groups: recent first-generation migrants, established first-generation migrants and second-generation migrants:

• ‘Recent first-generation migrants’ refers to people who have been in the country for less than ten years.
• ‘Established first-generation migrants’ refers to those who have been in New Zealand for longer than ten years.  
• ‘Second-generation migrants’ refers to people whose parents migrated here.  

Across the three groups, our research identified variations in the aspirations, values, identity, media uses and brand relationships between all three groups.   ‍

First-generation migrants seek new beginnings  

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Both recent and established first-generation migrants come to New Zealand to achieve a better future for themselves, their families or both. They seek new beginnings, career opportunities and a safe experience living overseas. Many of these people are young adults – our study identified 55% of recent first-generation respondents are between the ages of 25 and 39 years old. They arrive as decision-makers, job talent and customers.  

“Fiji has gone through a number of coups… I was a journalist, an editor at one of the only private radio stations in Fiji. It was quite heavily involved with the politics of the country. So one of the influence to why I moved was because we were having children. I wanted to make sure that my children were not born in Fiji.” - Sam, 1st Gen Fijian Indian  

Second-generation New Zealanders engage with their cultural roots  

Among second-generation people, on the other hand, there’s an increased connection to New Zealand culture. In some cases, however, this group does lean back toward their cultural roots – perhaps reflecting a greater confidence in their place in New Zealand and a desire to appreciate their cultural heritage. 

“I like sharing in other people’s culture, I align culturally with Kiwi, but with hints of Asian culture. That’s probably because my parents aren’t together anymore and my Dad has moved back to Indonesia. So growing up you can quite easily lose touch with elements of culture.”  - Jasmin, 2^nd Gen Chinese-Indonesian / Pākeha

Brands aren't connecting as well as they could 

At a broad category level, retailers and product producers are better at connecting with first and second-generation New Zealanders than service providers are. The data shows an interesting curve, where recent first-generation New Zealanders are more positive than established migrants. Perhaps disappointment sets in? 

This feeling bounces back among the second-generation group, who score similarly to other New Zealanders.

Across all groups, few brands and organisations come to mind for ‘best speaking to you and your culture’. Our data shows that brands and organisations could play a bigger role in helping people establish their lives and feel at home in the country. Doing so starts with respect, recognition and encouragement.‍

Respect

We know that first and second-generation New Zealanders want to stay connected to some aspects of their cultural heritage. So it's important to acknowledge and respect the diversity of traditions, moments and needs among this group. These are aspects of life that are inherently linked to identity and remain anchored in cultural heritage, such as family values, religion, food, and spirituality. 

But this must be done cautiously, the way brands and organisations should respond is tailored and nuanced. Cultural activities should be put in context, not singled out. During our qualitative study, for instance, a participant cited a recent Maccas ad featuring a Chinese family.  

“I saw the McDonald's ad with the family celebration. At first I though this is so nice. But as I watched I was like, Oh, this is so fake. Because your grandma would not buy McDonald's. I appreciate the emotion that it wants to deliver from the story, the connection of family but I don’t think it’s authentic enough. McDonalds is not a family meal, you might buy McDonalds for the kid… It’s nice to have representation, but it needs to feel like it's still respecting the representation by the community it represents.” - Summer, 1^st Gen Chinese

Recognise

Some aspects of the lives of first and second-generation New Zealanders will change over time. These aspects might span generations and include things like language, medicine, dating and aged care. Brands and organisations have an opportunity to recognise and support this transition by providing information that eases adaption to new cultural norms. 

“I don't know if it's actually adopted or kind of shaped me because I was here at a young age, kind of like part of my growing up, so I grew up to who I am. But that's a big portion of the contribution of what I had seen and experienced in New Zealand. Yeah, so I probably won't say it's changed me that marginally. I have certainly had a lot people saying, the way of how you think is completely a foreigner, like from China.” - Megan, 1^st Gen Chinese

Encourage

People who move to New Zealand have an aspirational MindSet and are open to enjoying and learning more about the culture. Aspects such as fashion, sport and travel are commonly adopted quickly by new migrants. For brands and organisations, there is an opportunity to encourage engagement with these areas of life – showcasing the benefits of being part of New Zealand culture.   

“I just want to experience and see as much as I can, like the national parks, go surfing, mountain biking, it’s just like getting my teeth stuck into doing fun stuff.” - Vic 1^st Gen, British  

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At TRA, we practice the art of knowing people. It's a practice we apply to see what others don't, the new insights that take us from the every day to the exceptional.

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