Born in New Zealand and being worn over there

Chris Bennett says Kiwi origins are a plus.

Chris Bennett, co-owner of eco-leather baby shoe maker Bobux, says Americans are intrigued by New Zealand. "It's sort of a land of mystery to them."

Bobux exports up to 40 per cent of its production of shoes and childrenswear to the US, and Bennett says he's comfortable with the way the company markets itself.

It uses the tagline "Born in New Zealand" and its Kiwi origins are an advantage, he says.

Bobux believes in treading lightly on the planet. Its leather meets European ecological standards and it uses unbleached tissue paper as a filler in its shoes, rather than a polyester product.

But the company doesn't highlight this to American customers as they don't really get the concept, he says.

"They're still at the level where they just recognise a few of the key words. But I think that is changing."

The US is also a significant export market for Wellington-based gourmet fruit paste and pate company Rutherford and Meyer. Co-owner Jan Meyer agrees US consumers have no notion of issues such as their carbon footprint.

"Clean and green is certainly not something that we push. It's really just something that's there in the background for us as a company.

"I don't believe the average consumer would pick up a product because it's from New Zealand. New Zealand does not conjure up notions of food in the same way that, say, France or Italy does."

"I don't think that the 'New Zealand Inc' thing is being done particularly well. That is something that needs to be expanded by Government agencies such as NZTE and NZ Tourism working together."