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If I see a product with only the NZ Marine logo on it, I would think  

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  1. 1. If I see a product with only the NZ Marine logo on it, I would think

    • It is made in NZ
      8
    • The company who sells it is in NZ but the product itself could be made anywhere
      8
    • Nothing, I have no idea who or what NZ Marine is
      18


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A marine product with no 'Made in XXXX' on it anywhere and the only reference to any country is the below logo on the label.

 

FYI - The logo belongs to the NZ Marine Export Group. An association that helps NZ marine exporters in many ways around the world. They do good work.

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The 'brand' has been around for quite a long while and is reasonably well known. It is targeted more offshore than locally as one might expect with it being an 'export' group ;)

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No particular insights into this one but many organisations think the logo will do the job and don't have (or realise) the structure needed to deliver an actual benefit.

 

Q: What do you want this logo to convey?

A: That it is a quality product and customers can buy with confidence.

Q: So you have some way of making sure your members are turning out a quality product?

A: Ah...not as such.

Q: So do your members all turn out a quality product?

A: Well, most of them. There are a few ratbags though.

Q: So what do you do about them?

A: Nothing really, we need their subscriptions to run the organisation.

 

The ones that succeed are those that confront the issue of the ratbags and provide the consumer with an added level of protection. Which usually means being willing to go to the extent of taking action against the proportion of their members who are not measuring up.

 

Otherwise it's just another sticker. "We promise you that this product may not be any worse or any better than any other product."

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OK maybe I worded the question a bit wrong.

That logo isn't new and isn't aimed locally, it is well known overseas which is the intent.

 

How about I ask - "If a item had only that logo only on it, no 'made in NZ' and no reference to any other country, would it make you think you are buying a NZ made product?"

 

The question is not about the logo as such.

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I have become so used to reading the words "Made in New Zealand from local and imported ingredients" that - in the absence of any other information - the fact that it was a marine product from NZ would be essentially meaningless to me.

 

If I was someone overseas, I think it would come down to the size/price/importance of the item. If it was small, I would probably give some points to the vague perception that NZ had a strong boating/yachting track record. If it was a big-ticket item, I would do more homework to find out whether NZ and the specific manufacturer had a measurable advantage in this area.

 

Are you trying to say "One of my competitors is slapping it on inferior imported rubbish and I think they are ar*eholes and misleading the customer"?

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Are you trying to say "One of my competitors is slapping it on inferior imported rubbish and I think they are ar*eholes and misleading the customer"?

No. The product is a good item but there is a distinct angle being taken with the marketing that I think is both a tad dodgy and very miss-leading.

 

The item is knot made in NZ but there seems to be a strong theme which is 'never say made in XXX and imply 'made in NZ'. Hence no 'made in XX' on the item only the NZ Marine logo. To me that would imply 'NZ made'. I was wondering if I was the only one who would think that.

 

Doesn't really affect me as we make sure people are aware of where they are made. But I'm a little concerned by the technique and what may happen to real NZ manufacturers if there was a product failure, as in if something bad did happen, just how badly could it reflect on real NZ manufacturers and products from them.

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Arrr, now I see where you are coming from KM. Are yeah, I would have assumed if I was an overseas'er and saw that logo. This is one of many cases happening overseas at the mo and some cases are actually involving logos with "made in NZ" or words to that effect on them. It is serious and particular area of worry is apples. Apples are being sold overseas with NZ stamped on them and they never came from NZ or had anything to do with NZ in anyway.

Similar examples of not telling the whole truth is happening here too. Once again especially in the food industry. Although the one advantage is that it has to be shown somewhere and if you want to read the small print of ingrediants on the back of a can, then it will tell you. Usually something like "made with Local and imported ingredients.

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It is an interesting question, especially if you extend it to the reality of product quality/support.

 

When I cast my mind back to the subjects that have infuriated the members of these forums, I can think of two (instruments and hatches) that seem to be coming up with substandard product or uninterested support. If they drive us round the twist - and we're just a local phone call or a drive away - they won't be doing the NZ name much good offshore either. And I'd hazard a guess that they both have the right to use that logo.

 

Then again, when I finally saved up for my Raymarine autohelm, unpacked it and found "Made in Hungary? Poland? Czechoslovakia?" on it, I was disappointed but did not actually feel ripped off because I had bought on the basis of the brand name and the expectation (hope?) well-established local distributor would come to the party if things went wrong.

 

Apples are being sold overseas with NZ stamped on them and they never came from NZ or had anything to do with NZ in anyway.

Somehow this bothers me more! :wtf:

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This specific subject was raised after 2 people (both overseas and shopped overseas) brought one each on the understanding they were buying a NZ made product. They were a little pissed off to find that even though it is a good product they weren't actually made in NZ.

 

Hence my concern that if anything goes wrong will we, as a strong maritime manufacturing and exporting nation, cop flack unfairly. And if anything does go wrong the world will know quickly, it's one of 'those' items.

 

And it's knot alone by the way. We have 'aussie' product here that was actually made in Europe and some in China. But then Aussie doesn't have the strict country of origin marking rules NZ does.

 

'Perception' I suppose is what it's all about.

 

I am making enquiries, mainly just out of personal interest, at just how that logo can be used. And before anyone gets the wrong idea I have zero issue with the Export group, in fact I thinks it's a bloody good idea which seems to be working bloody well, more power to it.

 

Ha, my new AP had made in Hungary on it as well. The one it replaced, pretty much the same unit one size down, had made in England. But that sort of thing is far from un-common and at least it did have clearly written on it where it was made. The number of things I see people think are made in one place but are made somewhere completely different is large. I could name a couple of big well known brands whose product is made many 1000's of miles from where most think it is.

 

So if something from China or where ever breaks tuff shite. But if something that is NZ made or people think it is, that's knot good for us all. Yes, that is selfish but also fiercely loyal to my little country is me, so NZ first and f**k the rest.

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I reckon you should directly let the Export group know about those two incidents as well.

 

I would say that it was (or should have been) a conscious decision to have opted for that ambiguous wording, therefore they need to know about the consequences of their decision. Otherwise it will become a case of "well, nobody seemed to notice so it must have gone OK." :problem:

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You also have the "Assembled In" issue as well. That happens a lot. Assembled in Japan for instance, but it is all Chinese. When I was in sound, we always had an issue with where stuff came from. I was often importing US equipment and you would have all the splashy US bages and Eagle emblems over the stuff and then find that darn thing had made in Mexico or China. Mexican equipment was just as rubbish as China by the way. Really really annoying when you thought you were buying US quality equipment and doubly especially annoying when you had used that as a sales lever.

Actually I had that just recently with an explosion proof electric motor. It used to be Italian made and I sold it with the pitch it was Italian and not Chinese. I was embarresed to read made by the "Chinese Explosion Proof Motor Group" on the safety papers that had to be sighted and signed. Luckily no one pulled me up on it.

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NZ Marine is the 'brand' I suppose you would call it for the NZ Marine Group. That group is part of the MIA and is a collection of NZ exporters who basically band together to promote NZ manufacturers in the world stage.

 

I think there maybe a NZ Marine named company but that's nothing to do with the group as far as I know except it maybe a member.

 

I must learn to word things better. It did sound OK in my head at the time, which probably doesn't help anyone bar me often :?

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