The Changing face of Southland

The people of Southland are a very upbeat bunch but the late eighties and early nineties were not a very positive period in our history. An economic downturn, declining population and low land values were reflected in the mood of the region. The perception that you had to leave Southland in order to “get ahead” was prevalent.

In 1994, Southland’s regional campaign Southland, Spirit of a Nation was launched and its purpose was to inject local pride into the region and help celebrate the spirit of the Southland people. Its strong community awareness campaign was intended to rally us together to be proud of our place and the many positive things in the region.

During the course of the last 15 years, Southland has experienced remarkable development; from a region that didn’t think it had much to promote to the place it is today. Many factors are responsible for this not least the determined and tenacious people that we are as Southlanders.

A snapshot of the region’s development over the last ten years

World-Class Facilities

• Splash Palace Opened (1997)
• Stadium Southland Opened - $11.3 million freehold (2000)
• Rugby Park Stadium Upgrade (2002)
• New Southland Base Hospital Officially opened (2004)
• Invercargill Civic Theatre Redevelopment - $15.8 million (2005)
• Real Journeys Fiordland Community Events Centre Opened (2005)
• ILT Cycling Velodrome Opened (2006)

Expanding Range of Visitor Attractions

• Hokonui Arts & Heritage Precinct Established in Gore (2000)
• Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Opened (2001)
• Stewart Island Rakiura National Park Established (2002)
• John Money’s internationally acclaimed art collection
• Gifted to Eastern Southland Gallery, Gore (2003)
• Borland Lodge facility Redevelopment - $1.15 million (2006)
• Riverton Heritage and Tourist Centre Officially opened (2007)

Ongoing Business Developments

• Mercury (CUE) Television Southland regional TV station launched (1996)
• SIT Zero Fees Introduced (2000)
• Fiordland Travel Ltd Celebrated 50 years of operation (June 2004)
• SBS (Southland Building Society) Celebrated 135yrs (2004)
• Southern Sting Netball Franchise - 7 National titles from 10 seasons (1998-2007)
• International Feature Film The World’s Fastest Indian Premiered in Invercargill (2005)
• New investment in dairy farming

Initiatives of Region-wide Benefit

• Broadband Whole of Community High Speed Internet Project Completed (2006)
• Meridian White Hill Wind Farm Official opening in Northern Southland (2006)
• Discover Fiordland International Wilderness Centre Project receives $2 million from Government’s Major Regional Initiative fund (2006)
• Oil and Gas Offshore Exploration Announcements (2007)

Strong Events Programme

• Bluff Oyster & Southland Seafood Festival (Redeveloped & re-launched 1998)
• Kepler Challenge 20th Anniversay 2007
• Hokonui Fashion Design Awards (National and international growth since 2001)
• Shakespeare in the Park (2001)
• Fire & Ice Fiesta (2003)
• ILT Kidzone (2005)
• Burt Munro Challenge (2006)

Changing Perceptions

2003 The Lonely Planet Guide describes Invercargill as “the city with checkered shirts and bad haircuts.”

and in 2006 they said:
“Southland is the New Zealand many of us dream of; expect to wear holes in your boots, go through countless rolls of film and capture vistas that will stay with you for a lifetime.”

and now the whole world is starting to find out :
“Driving south to Invercargill, we divert onto a one-lane gravel road that leads to a cosy nook amid boulders and tranquil bays... as close to Nirvana as one can get. The peacefulness of our picnic belies the fierce westerlies that often howl in this area, evidenced by cypress trees shredded bare are on one side, slanting away from the shore” Edmonton Journal - Canada.com 1 million site visits monthly

“From Rakiura National Park, New Zealand's newest, to old favorites like the Greenstone Track, the varied backcountry landscapes down here make the second or third trip even more interesting than the first.”
The Great Outdoors

“Away from it all, Stewart Island separated by a 20-mile strait from the southern tip of mainland New Zealand is a nature-lovers paradise.”
UK Sunday Telegraph circ 686,779

Local Government Co-operation

Invercargill City, Southland District & Gore District councils took a unified approach and established the joint committee of Venture Southland to co-ordinate the economic development of the region through work in areas of Enterprise, Tourism & Marketing, Community and Events (2001)

Mayors Tracy Hicks,Tim Shadbolt and Frana Cardno are re-elected for 2nd, 5th and 6th terms respectively (2007)

The Southland of 2007 is a very different place to what is was in 1994 or 1984. Our regional message needs to communicate the array of developments, opportunities and attractions that we now have to offer. It’s time for our regional brand to have a new look and new messages to reflect this changing face of Southland...

Southland, your brand, our challenge

The Brand Refresh

Our challenge - bringing people to Southland

When the original Southland Spirit of a Nation campaign was launched the region was described as one that “believes in itself”, Southlanders were described as having a “high response to challenge, a strong sense of self reliance and a sense of adventure”.

And it’s also true, Southland offers a wide range of amazing experiences. However, if we are completely honest, these can be enjoyed elsewhere. What is it that makes Southland different? It’s you, the people of Southland. You are the vital element that helps define the essence of the Southland brand – the kiwi spirit, the spirit of the nation.

As a region we are consistently evolving, we need to reflect our dynamic area and the changing mix of people and business that are selecting Southland as their destination. We need to be flexible enough to deliver new messages while still maintaining the strong brand of Southland.

All great brands are based on values and strengths that endure over time. That’s the great thing about Southland – the same brand values exist – the major difference is that there is an added layer of sophistication and level of success that has evolved over the last decade. We remain in the classification of people described as “honest, hard-working and hospitable folk”. How New Zealand is described as a nation is epitomised in Southland; friendly, scenic, green, mountainous, stunning seascapes and great people.
Southland Spirit of a Nation is what we are, but how do we keep telling people about all the great opportunities down here? This is where our challenge really begins.

It is time to make sure our visual communication and our messages, to the people outside of Southland, strongly and accurately reflect who we are what we offer in the south.

So, we’ve updated the Southland logo

This is the first exciting part of the Southland brand evolution.
Southland New Zealand is the rejuvenated logo for the region. It will provide an effective platform for promoting Southland to many different audiences.

Southland’s brand is expressed through a range of ‘brand properties’:

• The distinctive new symbol and fresh, grounded colours of Southland
• The logotype or the format of the word ‘Southland’
• Supporting lines New Zealand, Spirit of a Nation and www.southlandnz.com

The colours of Southland

• The pale blue, of clean sky and giant vistas
• The dark blue, of abundant oceans and crytal clear night skies
• A natural green for lush pastures and the agricultural strength of the region
  

The symbol

• The koru, symbol of new beginnings and growth: for a region that has seen tremendous development with more to come in the future.

What does the future hold for Southland?

• Constantly increasing value in the brand
• Continued focus on family and community
• Sustainable growth through increased positive migration
• Driving action and taking control
• Strong communication of the region’s qualities

This refreshed direction will be promoting Southland in the competitive national and international market place. You can keep up to date via the Southland web site, which is undergoing a major overhaul.

From early 2008 we will increase the use and integration of the web site in the marketing and promotion of Southland in line with the ever changing online consumer behaviour..