Over the last 12 months, we’ve had a range of fantastic New Zealand companies join the FernMark Licence Programme, from the Food and Beverage industry, to Healthcare, to Technology and more. Two of these companies are seeing impressive growth, so we caught up with John Miller from Foodview and Julie-Anne Hollander at K9 Natural to learn a bit more about their businesses and get their thoughts on the FernMark Licence Programme.
Introducing Foodview and K9 Natural
Foodview are a New Zealand company who export a range of fresh New Zealand produce and other high value products such as Manuka Honey to China and the USA. As a registered importer in those markets, they have a presence overseas and see themselves more as ‘Marketers’ than exporters. They have found that FernMark gives them an edge when pitching in a B2B environment and their products have been widely accepted.
K9 Natural have been all about exporting since their inception in 2006. They produce raw high meat diets for both dogs and cats, specialising in freeze dried pet foods, which are sold in over 20 countries around the world. They have always used the word ‘New Zealand’ on their packaging, but were conscious of pretenders and looking for a better way to demonstrate authenticity. That’s why they chose to include the FernMark on their packaging.
Deepening authentic relationships
This year’s main focus for K9 Natural, is to deepen their relationships in the markets they’re already in.
“We’re only scraping the surface, particularly in the US,” says Julie-Anne.
To help with this, they’ve recently undergone a big refresh of their packaging, where the FernMark proudly sits. For them, the investment in becoming a licensee shows that they’re officially backed by the NZ Government's country of origin accreditation programme adding weight to the authenticity of their products.
Building credibility with technology
Authenticity and credibility are equally important to Foodview. But they also really appreciate the current and potential technology aspects of the FernMark. With the company experiencing significant growth in China recently, Foodview are making the most of WeChat – China’s most prominent Social Media App.
“That’s why we’re particularly excited about the new FernMark logo with the License Number, along with the QR code”, explains John. “It works more broadly in Social Media and we’re excited about the possibility of the QR code directing consumers straight to our licensee product page.”
The company are also looking into other Social platforms, particularly from a B2B point of view.
Many benefits. One FernMark
“FernMark benefits different customers in different ways,” says Sarah Morgan, Marketing Manager for the Fernmark Licence Programme. “For some customers it’s about enhancing credibility, for others it’s about giving them greater brand protection. And everyone we talk to clearly understands the key benefit of linking their products and brands to the strength of New Zealand’s reputation right around the world.”
It’s fair to say that both Foodview and K9 Natural are going from strength to strength right now and it’s good to hear how the FernMark is helping them on that path. If you have any feedback on how the FernMark is working for you, ideas on future improvements or if you’d like to know more about becoming a licensee, get in touch.