World renowned outdoor clothing manufacturer Swazi is the latest company to be given Hero status for its focus on promoting the New Zealand Made element of its brand.
The Levin-based company, a global player in high-quality outdoor wear, took out the July Hero Award from the Buy NZ Made Campaign not just for doing a fantastic job promoting their NZ Made status but for also excelling in other key commercial areas. International sales have seen a dramatic rise, and domestic sales have also increased in the past year.
It doesn't stop there either with Swazi pushing hard into the future with new products and new marketplaces.
One of its most innovative recent additions has been a suit that workers wear while maintaining power pylons - while the power runs through them - that is Arc Flash resistant. Fabric testing at a lab in Canada has yielded impressive results and the suit and material have now been certified. The suit was regarded as being so innovative that it was a finalist in the Electrical Industry Awards held in Auckland. There have already been excellent sales in NZ from large electricity companies and this has led to much overseas interest. Swazi have also entered the Scandinavian market with huge success in the past twelve months.
The NZ Made Kiwi trademark is also used on the swing tickets of each Swazi garment, on all advertising and prominently displayed at the international shows it attends. Swazi also use it in all POS material in its overseas retailers’ stores.
Iconic founder Davey Hughes says that proactive and planned use of the NZ Made label has had a huge impact. "Obviously there are some really strong opportunities from a marketing perspective, but I think it really struck home when I showed the team the certificate at morning tea and the whole place erupted into whistles and a standing ovation," he explained. "It means so much to everyone here, to all who have stuck with the programme, believing that if we focus on innovation and deliver world class products there is most definitely a solid future for the brand and more so, we can make it right here."
The team at Swazi are no strangers to awards either, having just scooped the “Best New Clothing” category at the UK Shooting Industry Awards, beating off a raft of brands from North America and Europe.
As a winning monthly Hero, Swazi receives a certificate, promotion on the Buy NZ Made website, promotion in target media, Hero artwork which they can use in their own marketing, a social media advertising voucher worth $100 to be used on the Buy NZ Made social media channels and automatic entry into the annual competition where the 12 monthly winners will be voted on by the public for the Ultimate Hero Award.
If they win that, they will receive a trophy and certificate, artwork displaying their ultimate hero status and an advertorial in a magazine of their choice (from a selection of approved magazines) that includes information about their award, Buy NZ Made and other content of their choice.
