In Auckland’s Tāmaki (that’s Glen Innes, Point England and Panmure), the sense of tūrangawaewae runs deep. People here have strong ties to their neighbourhood - whether through whakapapa going back generations, or via connections to church, marae and schools. But as Auckland’s housing costs continue to rise, many worry that their future in Tāmaki is precarious. 

Tāmaki Regeneration Company (TRC) has a core promise: That all locals can stay in Tāmaki if they choose to, in a home they can afford. TRC’s affordable housing programme gives local whānau - often living in a TRC state home or spending an unaffordable portion of their income on private rental housing - the skills to pay down debt, save a deposit, and get mortgage-ready. At the end of the programme, they have the opportunity to share ownership of a new affordable home with TRC, gradually buying out TRC’s share over time as they can afford it. But many locals were cynical about whether the programme was a genuine opportunity, and uptake had been low. That’s where we came in. 

TRC asked us to help turbo-charge enrolments, focussing on around 3,000 mostly Māori and Pasifika locals. We started by engaging an independent research company to conduct a workshop with people who had already bought a home through the programme, so that we could understand what the barriers to entry were for this very niche audience. We used the findings to closely inform the campaign strategy. We undertook an extensive review of the programme’s components (workshops and financial products) in order to simplify how they are communicated, and we created a new brand architecture for the programme.

The campaign built on a foundation of trust that TRC’s affordable homes team had been working hard to earn for years. The stars of the campaign were generous in sharing their stories, their initial concerns, and their successes. For hundreds of Māori and Pasifika people in Tāmaki, the campaign flicked a switch. They moved from believing they would never own a home, to taking the first bold steps towards owning their future.