CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF STATE HOUSING

In 2019, Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand) was engaged in an ambitious state housing delivery programme to help address the serious housing challenges faced by Aotearoa. At the time, around one in eight homes nationwide were state housing homes. With that number set to grow, there was significant engagement work to be done with local communities, to provide positive context for the work Kāinga Ora was doing in their neighbourhoods.

Client

Kāinga Ora

Date

April 2019

Deliverables

Market research

Creative and content strategy

Video production

Media planning and buying

Reporting and analytics

A LAUNCH PAD FOR EVERYDAY HEROES

Although we all want more and better state homes for vulnerable Kiwis who need help with housing, Kāinga Ora strikes resistance to its new building projects in some neighbourhoods. We decided to use video storytelling to challenge misconceptions about Kāinga Ora tenants, and show how secure tenure housing helps people not only live decent, dignified lives but also achieve their true potential. We called the series ‘Launch Pad’.

The communications strategy we developed utilised written and video content to reach target audiences via Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Neighbourly. Most Kiwis know people who live or have previously lived in state housing. We tapped friends, family members and Kāinga Ora’s tenancy managers to find five New Zealanders who were happy to share how their state house has helped them live a good life and achieve their potential.

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Our first state home star was Darcy. Darcy’s Kāinga Ora-owned state home gave him the stability he needed to attend university while caring for his unwell Dad.

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Our second hero, Tracy, uses the backyard of her Kainga Ora-owned state home to grow a productive vegetable garden. She gives the produce back to her community, including Women’s Refuge, the organisation that helped her into the home she loves

MAKING IT COUNT

Across all channels, the six Launch Pad videos generated engagement rates between 3-6 times the industry average. Tracy’s video achieved viral momentum, and her story went on to feature in a number of media outlets. During the campaign period, positive audience sentiment on Facebook increased by over 50%.

The findings of the 2019 Colmar Brunton Public Sector Reputation Index and the State Services Commission ‘Kiwis Count’ saw Kāinga Ora ranked as the most improved agency in how the public perceives their performance across a range of measures. This is a testament to the great work their people do every day, and their newly-enhanced ability to share positive frontline stories with New Zealanders.

10

million impressions

3-6x

higher engagement than industry average

50%

lift in Facebook positive sentiment

'Most improved'

agency, as rated by Kiwis

Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities

LAUNCH PAD