TRA partners with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in major brand review
Auckland-based consumer demand agency TRA has partnered with New Zealand’s second largest tertiary institution, Te
Wānanga o Aotearoa, in a major review of the educator’s brand.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa seeks a deep understanding of its market position, its consumers and opportunities for growth,
says TRA Head of Research Brendon Smith, and sought a partner that was able to blend commercial pragmatism with cultural
empathy.
“They liked the fact that we were commercial in focus, but able to look at the landscape through a Māori lens,” says
Smith, who is of Waikato, Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou affiliation. “We really value the transformative role that Te Wānanga o
Aotearoa plays in many New Zealanders’ lives, so we’re delighted to be helping set its direction.” He is leading a
multi-cultural research team of four.
Hone Paul, Executive Director Marketing at Te Wānanga o Aoteaora, says that collaboration with TRA is the foundation of
a strategy to ensure the wānanga remains relevant in a changing tertiary environment.
“Our partnership with TRA will help us to define our brand, and guide us in engaging with prospective tauira (students).
We’re keen to understand and meet their future ambitions for tertiary study, and pathways in to mahi (work).”
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was founded in 1985 to provide high-quality and varied holistic education opportunities for all
New Zealanders, guided by Māori principles and values. With a vision of ‘Whānau transformation through education’, it
enrols more than 32,000 students a year in New Zealand Qualifications Authority-recognised programmes ranging from
certificates in business administration, healthcare, computing and te reo Māori to bachelor degrees in social work and
teaching, as well as a Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge.
TRA, formerly The Research Agency, helps businesses unlock growth opportunities by blending its nuanced understanding of
human behaviour with in-depth research and data analysis, savvy strategy and compelling design. Its clients include
economic heavyweights such as Fonterra, Vodafone, BP, ASB and Air New Zealand.
TRA was founded in 2007 and has grown to become one of New Zealand’s top consumer behaviour consultancies, winning a
wide range of awards on the way. Its three principals are Andrew Lewis, Amber Coulter and Connon Bray.
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