Is Maori culture too precious to brand?
By Amokura Panoho,
Idealog May/June 2007, page 44. Detail from Pakeha Taniwha by Mike Davison
From the All Black haka to Michael Campbell’s new fashion label, Cambo, Maori culture and branding are helping New Zealand position itself in an increasingly crowded global market. But international interest doesn’t necessarily create opportunities at home
When Fiat launched an advertisement of women imitating the ‘Ka mate’ haka last year, the carmaker had been warned by our government officials that the ad would be seen as insensitive. It isn’t the first time that an international company has trespassed into our cultural hinterland and no doubt it won’t be the last.
But what’s more interesting is the response to the ad in New Zealand. On one side of the debate are those who were offended, with comments ranging from “disrespectful” to “a poorly-made advertisement”. Then on the other side are those offended that anyone else should be offended, with responses such as “imitation is the greatest form of flattery” and “just another example of New Zealand being far too PC towards Maori culture”.
Fiat was unfazed. But it must have wondered what it had done wrong when even New Zealanders can’t agree on the treatment of iconic Maori symbols.
This is a big deal. In a world desperate for authenticity and cultural experience, Maori culture is the real deal. The Country Brand Index last year listed New Zealand at second place among the most “authentic” brands in terms of distinctive, genuine and unique cultures (India took out the top spot).
“Maori culture can add value to New Zealand’s identity in such a significant way,” says brand strategist Brian Richards. “It can influence the way we position our internal and external products, services and hospitality systems. It can heighten our point of difference—a critical factor in a world spoilt for choice.”
“The risk is that an asset of enormous importance for Maori and New Zealand is misappropriated and misused—the branding equivalent of a plastic tiki stamped Made in China”
But he warns that unless we maximise Maori potential, “commercial interests outside New Zealand who clearly recognise the value of our cultural intellectual property will use it for their own ends”. The risk is that an asset of enormous cultural and economic importance for Maori and New Zealand is misappropriated and misused—the branding equivalent of a plastic tiki stamped Made In China.
So why do we continue to experience this conflict when the rest of the world sees Maori culture as hot property?
Recent findings from a Waka Tohu research programme on ‘Maori Business Branding’ conducted by Mana Taiao Limited identify key themes in how Maori and non-Maori businesses respond to the demand for Maori cultural elements.
The research reveals that Maori businesses are motivated to provide cultural elements based on personal values, beliefs and cultural knowledge. Non-Maori companies aim to strategise and rationalise ‘Maori-ness’ into business goals and objectives and are motivated by status, brand position or the desire to demonstrate a sense of cultural awareness.
“This research has helped us articulate a substantial market demand for Maori branding elements to be used for commercial advantage,” says Kingi Gilbert, a co-author of the report. Gilbert, who owns Ignite Studios, an interactive games developer, has taken on international giants like Sony to prove his point. But he thinks the demand isn’t understood at home.
“It is that exclusivity of our culture that creates tension here in New Zealand,” he says. “The concept of Maori is seen as older, in the past, but as Maori we know it to be a living culture. Yet it is our Pakeha contact that continues to define us in the national psyche and as a result our contribution continues to be undervalued.”
The international interest seems likely to escalate. FutureBrand, which produced the Country Brand Index, highlights the value of authenticity in its report. “The global desire for authenticity favours countries which tend to have more preserved and unique cultures … sense of place, culture and character must be evident as a country expands or creates its travel, tourism, trade and investment offerings.”
With this positive performance appraisal, surely we should be seeing the benefits manifesting themselves in opportunities for Maori and non-Maori businesses alike.
Matene Love, the managing director of Kia Kaha Limited, which developed the Cambo sportswear range with Michael Campbell, believes New Zealand businesses don’t seize the opportunity to promote our uniqueness offshore.
“We are sheltered and insulated to a degree from what is happening in foreign markets and our naivety can create mistakes from which other people profit,” he says. “Part of the problem is that we are entering a different arena and we are not strategic enough.”
Love has experienced first hand how well Maori culture is received offshore and insists that New Zealanders can’t have things both ways. “We can’t push to be part of a global economy and marketplace and then try to protect everything that is specific to New Zealand. In order to remain in the value chain we need to exploit the opportunity—otherwise someone else will.”
The answer, then, is less about control and more about quality. Consider another cultural ruckus, when renowned performer Hinewehi Mohi sang the national anthem at the 1999 Rugby World Cup only in Maori. The Maori Language Commission saw the subsequent national outrage as an opportunity and launched a campaign to encourage a bilingual version of the national anthem. It worked. It’s now normal practice to bellow out both the Maori and English verses at any major sporting event and our anthem is more authentic, more unique and more recognisably Kiwi.
When commercialising Maori culture, Love says that creating authentic, quality products and services is the best way to protect against negative exploitation of the culture.
“We need to make the call as a cultural identity: do we want to compete or not? We can’t be too precious and do it piecemeal or we shouldn’t do it at all. We found it hard when we established our business to be recognised as a premium clothing brand here in New Zealand because of our cultural identity. We stuck it out and overcame all of the negative stereotypes associated with Maori businesses and now we have all sorts of New Zealanders wearing Maori-influenced clothing.”
In fact, Love reckons Maori design students should go overseas as soon as possible to experience international markets—which will help them appreciate what is unique at home. “I believe we should be exporting our intellectual property and building our capacity to run international businesses from New Zealand. The only way we can understand that business arena is to experience it.”
While the world markets beckon for Maori products, the practicalities associated with their production are the day-to-day issues for New Zealand businesses.
The issues around intellectual property and rights to use Maori cultural concepts (whether art forms, language, beliefs or values) continue to be the barriers to development of opportunities.
The ‘Maori Branding’ report reveals that the major concern for Maori is around cultural values being lost through commercial imperatives, while non-Maori concerns relate to unregulated advice being subject to many tribal perspectives.
Businesses are increasingly aware of the need to consider cultural sensitivity but if it becomes too complicated they are likely to call a halt.
“New Zealanders can’t have things both ways. ‘We can’t push to be part of a global economy and marketplace and then try to protect everything that is specific to New Zealand’”
Mark Whitecliffe from MSO Design has had first-hand experience of clients changing their design concept completely when confronted with differing interpretations of what is culturally correct.
“It’s a dilemma that is unique to the development of a Maori brand,” he says. “In most cases businesses come to us with their design concept and we work with that, but have had to alter the design when our interpretation has been challenged. Sometimes that information can conflict with previous advice. It would be good to have some authority on what is acceptable and what’s not.”
Kingi Gilbert knows Whitecliffe’s situation is not unique but doesn’t necessarily agree that having a cultural authority is the solution. “In the design world if [designers] establish a clear set of guidelines that are culturally astute and ethical then their integrity will rise above differing interpretations. Essentially it is a competitive environment. The market determines the value of a cultural product and that premium is usually placed around authenticity or the exclusivity of the product.”
Quality, authentic work will attract demand, he says. “Maori artists recognise the timing is right for their works to be promoted to international markets as they are likely to get a higher return on their creative investment. The domestic market tends to focus more on lower value items that have broad appeal and is predominantly supplied by non-Maori. In that sense we are building a presence on the value chain.
Love agrees. “In the domestic scene it has been the efforts of the likes of Michael Campbell who promoted to the world how important his culture was to his success that have, I believe, helped change attitudes locally. If you combine our sporting achievements with our cultural achievements in film, fashion, and music, our country is starting to wake up to its possibilities.”
Garry Nicholas, the general manager of Toi Maori Aotearoa, a charitable trust representing ten national Maori artforms, recently worked with Air New Zealand in developing the airline’s motif, now used on promotional material as well as staff uniforms.
“The initial work was around a motif for the wraps and the men’s shirts that told a story of Air New Zealand and its place between Te Ika roa o te Rangi [the Milky Way] and Te Ika roa a Maui [Aotearoa]. The airline traverses that space. That’s an added value to what they already do and it now provides a platform of development that we have only just begun.
“Because we represent a wide range of knowledge in the creative sector we have a huge field of expertise to draw from. Companies seeking advice on brand values expect the advice to lift their profile in an otherwise jammed brand world. Internationally they associate Maori with energy, strength and determination. The Olympic team, All Black team, Air New Zealand and Tourism New Zealand all promote New Zealand branding with Maori the active ingredient. In the international arena we are utilised as a premium brand.”
Nicholas warns that an international marketing strategy requires an in-depth knowledge of the customer, and he would like to see a greater sharing of market intelligence to coordinate the push into those interested global cities.
He believes also that domestically successful Maori businesses are now in a position to see mainstream New Zealand as a target market because of changing perceptions.
“We have these changes because as Maori we now place a stronger economic value on who we are as indigenous peoples, our art, our music, stories and dance, and fill our maraes and homes with these symbols. In that sense I believe that mainstream New Zealand is open to embracing our success.”
While Maori and non-Maori businesses continue to navigate the tricky pathways around the development of cultural brands and products, the Protected Objects and Appropriation Bill, which had its third reading in August last year, will, if passed, create legislation to halt the misuse of indigenous cultural acts and artefacts.
It won’t stop the use of Maori imagery that has already been in the public arena for a long time and it won’t carry any legal weight overseas.
As Nicholas points out, “Trying to put it all neatly back into the box is futile. As Maori we are now just as capable of appropriating material from each other, be they individual or iwi. The most important thing is recognising the difference between appropriation and innovation.”
Maybe the recent haka furore demonstrates the All Black capacity to be innovative; at the least it keeps Maori culture on the global radar.
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See also
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Commercialising culture: Brands beware
Idealog #36, page 64
Comments
Jason Kemp
It is also a good idea to check the IP management policies and practices of your commercial partners as well. Not all IP is well protected or respected; and even now some Maori design content comes off second best.
Nikolasa
Ka mihi nui, brilliant article Amokura!
Shane
Just stumbled across this article and it was a very interesting read, cheers. Quite relevant to us!
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