Aeronautical Manufacturer NZAero Appoints Impact PR to Support Export Growth

New Zealand’s only commercial aircraft manufacturer, NZAero, has appointed Auckland public relations agency Impact PR to lead its international communications strategy.

The appointment follows a successful launch campaign for the company’s new multi-million utility aircraft designed for humanitarian support in inaccessible regions and to help fight the impact of climate change in nations around the world.

Impact PR co-founder, Mark Devlin, says New Zealand’s aviation manufacturing industry is world-leading and has significant potential to supply a growing global niche.

He says NZAero’s story will be brought to life with a series of earned media public relations campaigns over the coming months that target government, NGO, military and corporate organisations in both the domestic and export markets.

“NZAero is one of the many Kiwi manufacturing success stories that quietly export tens of millions of dollars in high value-added, innovative products around the world however the company hasn’t yet become a household name in its home market.

“One of the new products we will be focused on promoting in upcoming PR campaigns for the brand is the SuperPac XSTOL (Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft – a next-generation, more powerful and fuel-efficient version of the global best-seller 750XL, the world’s first commercial XSTOL aircraft.

“This is an off-the-shelf aircraft that can be rapidly reconfigured for humanitarian and defence roles including medivac, border patrol, aerial photography, Intelligence Search and Rescue, skydive deployment, rainmaking, pollution control, firefighting as well as passenger/freight, agricultural operations and geophysical survey.

“The ability of the aircraft to land in remote locations on only semi-prepared airstrips and rapidly take off with up to nine passengers or 2,000kg cargo has seen it sold into 28 countries, including Africa with the United Nations World Food Programme. 

“The model was designed to cope with New Zealand’s rugged terrain – some of the most variable and challenging in the world for aviators. This Kiwi innovation story is one that will resonate in numerous countries around the world faced with increases in wildfires, droughts or pollution as a result of climate change,” he says.

Stephen Burrows, CEO of NZAero, says recognition of the brand has risen significantly since the first PR campaign. 

“With an increase in global temperatures creating new challenges for nations, we know that there is significant potential for our aircraft on the world stage. 

“An increase in production volumes will support the expansion of this sector within the New Zealand market and will boost employment and export revenue by millions of dollars.

“It has become increasingly important to build our brand equity and positioning to help offshore customers develop a credible picture of what we have to offer. Public relations is supporting this objective by seeding stories in New Zealand and global media titles that are referenced by decision-makers in the aviation industry.  

“To generate the volume of media coverage we need in these titles would not be economically viable in any other way than a traditional PR campaign,” he says.