The Pitch: Marketing our values the key to wholesome prosperity

By JOHN BISHOP

How do you market economic growth?

After all, who's opposed to it, at least in principle? New Zealanders generally think economic growth is a good thing.

Certainly we need it. As a country we have been growing more slowly than most other developed economies and our standard of living is falling relative to Australia, Canada, Singapore and most of Europe.

But growth can mean change, and change scares people. It means a loss of control, more insecurity and uncertainty. A recent study of New Zealanders' attitudes to growth provides some interesting insights.

New Zealanders have strongly held values regarding quality of life and the environment and these dictate attitudes to economic growth and innovation, says a report from the Government's Growth and Innovation Advisory Board, based on research by UMR.

We have become deeply suspicious of economic growth without a values base, seeing it as leading to outcomes such as congestion, conflict, a greater gap between rich and poor, and a negative work/life balance.

"Kiwis are attracted by the idea of creating a better society and economy for future generations and especially their children," says the board.

"They are motivated by the prospect of better job opportunities and improvements in health and education services.

"They are particularly motivated by the idea of achieving at an international level in sport, the arts or business.

"But most of all, they are motivated by two core values: quality of life and quality of environment."

Support for economic growth is lukewarm and lacks passion, say the researchers, who held focus groups and carried out a survey.

Only 10 per cent of survey respondents rated economic growth as very important to them personally, compared with a rating of 46 per cent for quality of life.

So have we got the equation the right way round? The head of the engineers' professional body Ipenz, Dr Andrew Cleland, thinks not.

"It is unrealistic for New Zealand to spend a significantly different percentage of national income on the environment, infrastructure, health or education than any other country," he says.

"If our national prosperity per capita is low by international standards then we will inevitably have a low spend on the services the survey shows we value."

In other words, our prosperity determines our well-being. We get the things we value because we are prosperous.

What the research suggests is that we want the results of prosperity but fear that the pursuit of prosperity will compromise the things we value.

The board says it has found a way through. It plans to ground economic growth in the values we hold dear.

"Increasingly, consumers of goods, services and experiences, whether they be tourists or people overseas buying our films, fashion, food, software or beautifully designed and engineered appliances and furniture, are looking for things that are unique, genuine, natural and of good quality, produced with innovation and integrity - and that's exactly what New Zealand has to offer," said spokesman Peter Biggs.

* John Bishop, a business writer and social commentator, describes himself as the Prosperity Advocate. His views can be seen at John Bishop.

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions.
Email The Pitch.