Waikato Business News November/December 2022

16 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022
We need to get our
immigration act
together!
When most overseas workers think about coming to work
in New Zealand one of the key factors they consider is
their ability to obtain residence and to be able to live
here permanently.
This is understandable given that New
Zealand is probably the furthest
country from their home, and the cost
of relocation will be higher than with other
countries who are also competing for their
skills. It therefore flows that New Zealand’s
residence policy settings play a critical role
in the attraction of many migrant workers.
A resident visa is also required to be able to
buy a house here.
With the re-opening of the Skilled
Migrant Category (SMC) in November,
after a hiatus of 20 months due to Covid,
there are now two residence categories that
migrant workers can rely on to apply for residence.
The other category is for roles on Tier
1 of the Green List. These roles comprise
mainly construction management, engineering,
health and IT roles and applicants
must have the specific credentials such as
particular qualifications, professional registration
or a minimum salary level. While
there are many health professional roles
listed there are a significant number of
in-demand roles which are not (eg; Dentist,
Physiotherapist, Pharmacist etc). It has
been reported that a list of 30 additional
health roles has been promoted for immediate
inclusion on the Tier 1 list. While this
list is not due for review until May 2023 it
is very much hoped that the reality of New
Zealand’s current health crises will prevail,
and these roles are urgently added.
Registered Nurse is also on the Green
List but falls within Tier 2, which does not
enable a straight-to-residence application
to be made, but rather for a residence application
to be made after working as a nurse
for 2 years in New Zealand. The Government
has dug a hole for itself in continuing
to insist that it wants nurses to work
for these 2 years before they can apply for
residence. What the Government is failing
to comprehend is that these much-needed
nurses are in high demand all over the
world and, with New Zealand pay and conditions
below what is offered elsewhere, we
only have the “residence card” to play – and,
currently, we are just not playing this game!
The SMC is a points-based residence category
with points awarded for age, qualifications,
NZ employment, work experience
etc. Applicants initially submit an Expression
of Interest (EOI) and in the recent
selection draw some 6,500 EOIs (representing
14,700 people) achieved the required
160 points, and may now be invited to apply
for residence. One third of these applicants
are currently offshore. This high level
of selections reflects the demand that has
accrued while the SMC has been suspended.
The selection mark will be increased to 180
points in the next draw scheduled for 18
January and this will remain in place until
the SMC is fully reviewed mid-2024.
While Green List residence applications
are prioritised (with some approvals within
just a few days) there is no visibility on processing
times for the new SMC applications.
With 40,000 applications under the (now
closed) 2021 Resident Visa category still to
be processed, and now another 6,500 potential
applications under the SMC, applicants
can expect a long wait for their application
to be decided…
If New Zealand is serious about attracting
the skills we need, then we better get our
act together – sooner rather than later!
Is your marketing
brave or safe?
Taking risks with your marketing
messaging is a no-go zone for many
because the potential impact on our
businesses is scary. But should we be
pushing our comfort zones more?
We’ve become quite
cautious souls
these days. And
there are clearly reasons
outside the control of
marketing departments for
that shift.
I hate the over-prevalence
of derogatory use of
the word ‘woke’. But the risk
of creating the perception of
a political or social position
has made advertisers play
safe, to avoid possible misinterpretation
and criticism.
We have become increasingly
wary about upsetting
anyone, as, fair enough, we
should be. Instead, we find
ourselves taking the riskfree
middle ground to avoid
the danger at the edges,
where we might be misunderstood,
wrongly labelled,
and ‘cancelled’.
Businesses can often
worry so much about being
judged for not being smart
enough, funny enough, current
enough or creative
enough in their marketing
that they attempt to be none
of those things at all.
We often used to think
about possible negative
press coverage and ask ourselves
‘what will the headline
be?’ before sticking our
heads above the marketing
parapets with anything that
might be a little bit different.
Today we’d be thinking
about the Facebook comment
or tweet that might
derail our campaigns and
undermine our brands.
So, my observation on
the marketing world at the
moment is that we’re taking
the easy path. Advertising
campaigns and general
marketing messages all over
are tending to focus on telling
us the facts rather than
challenging our reactions.
Don’t get me wrong,
there’s still plenty of creativity
happening – marketing
departments haven’t totally
given up the ghost. But if
you’re one of those members
of the target audience
that likes to expect the unexpected,
you could find yourself
waiting for a less restrictive
environment.
Combine an uncertain
economy with a crippling
fear of getting it wrong, you
may end up making yourself
hamstrung and irrelevant.
Whatever the current
mindset of the people you’re
aiming your marketing messages
towards, it’s more
important than ever to try
and understand what they
will react best to. Build up
a picture of what they care
about.
Taking a
different
approach might
simply be in the
tone of voice you
employ in your
marketing
Yes, that calls for some
sweeping generalisations
but analysis of previous
behaviours, particularly
online, can give you useful
insights. If you want to try
something new, even common-sense
assumptions
informed by your previous
experience are better than
TELLING YOUR
STORY
BY VICKI JONES
Vicki Jones is director of
Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based
brand management consultancy.
vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz
no consideration at all, and
will steer you away from the
real danger zones with some
level of reassurance.
Think about the scale of
the impact if you choose to
do something that might
be a little away from the
norm. If I mention the Toyota
ad with the dog that
ends up face down in the
mud, you’ll remember it for
the expletive, I’m sure. Yes,
that ad got 120 complaints
for the ‘bad’ language, but
it undoubtedly stuck in the
minds of countless others
because of it.
I’m not saying that
swearing your way through
life will help your marketing
get traction, of course! Nor
am I suggesting that being
cheeky or disrespectful is
going to be a great idea for
every brand.
Taking a different
approach might simply be in
the tone of voice you employ
in your marketing, or the
creative style. Wasn’t it
Henry Ford that said, “if you
always do what you always
did, you'll always get what
you always got”?
Trying something new
and being just that little
bit braver may be the only
way that you can stand out
amongst the clutter.
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
pathwaysnz.com
Level 3
50 Manners Street