Made With Care New Zealand campaign launches in Qingdao and Weihai

Summary

New Zealand's national brand promotion made its Shandong debut on 5-6 September, as the Made With Care New Zealand campaign took place at Jiajiayue (603708) stores in Qingdao and Weihai. Supported by the New Zealand government, managed by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and delivered with Jiajiayue Group in the Shandong market, the event aimed to present New Zealand's three core values to Shandong consumers. The site featured three experience zones: a giant kiwi photo spot, a marketplace for tasting quality products and DIY crafts.

It brought together core New Zealand categories to create an immersive consumption scene in which consumers could 'learn while playing and buy while tasting'. The meat section was a highlight, with the consul and a chef completing a stove-lighting ceremony for the meat section and presenting a cooking show. Drawing on the FernMark silver fern certification system, the event systematically presented New Zealand's three core values to Shandong consumers: origin credibility, high-standard food safety and a sustainable supply system.

Jiajiayue Group will work with NZTE and New Zealand brands to provide Shandong consumers with trusted, traceable and quality New Zealand products available over the long term.

Commentary

NZTE's choice of Shandong supermarket chain Jiajiayue as the first stop for its national brand promotion is no tentative foray. It targets incremental demand for imported food in China's second- and third-tier cities. Jiajiayue's dense store network and mature cold chain in the Jiaodong Peninsula offer New Zealand SMEs a more pragmatic route to market, bypassing the high channel fees of first-tier cities.

FernMark silver fern certification, showcased systematically at the event, can effectively lower the trust threshold for unfamiliar brands. This is especially true in red meat: China is already one of the largest export markets for New Zealand lamb and beef, but Australian and South American competitors are also strong. Cooking shows and tasting experiences at the event help educate consumers, yet a single offline event is unlikely to generate sustained repeat purchases.

NZ SMEs should ride the momentum by simultaneously stocking e-commerce or community group-buying channels and adjusting pack sizes to Chinese household preferences. Otherwise, the national brand halo may remain at the level of exposure and struggle to convert into actual orders.

Keywords: New Zealand national brand promotion, Made With Care New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Jiajiayue, Qingdao and Weihai, meat section, FernMark silver fern certification, Shandong first stop, food safety, sustainable supply system

Source: Hithink RoyalFlush Finance Network