Roll Up Your Sleeves Aotearoa - NZME powers up vaccine roll-out with company-wide campaign

New Zealand Media and Entertainment has announced it has launched a company-wide multi-platform campaign across all its media brands to promote the Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-out.

“Every New Zealander who rolled up their sleeves and got vaccinated brought Aotearoa another step closer to being free from the worst that Covid-19 can throw us,” said NZME Chief Executive Michael Boggs.

"Getting as many Kiwis vaccinated as possible is a project all of New Zealand Media and Entertainment's radio networks, digital platforms and social networks will get behind – to protect ourselves, our whanau and our way of life,” said Boggs.

The NZME wide campaign launched at the weekend with the New Zealand Herald’s editorial initiative “The 90% Project” which is aiming to get 90 per cent of New Zealand’s eligible population fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Christmas.

The 90% Project is also being supported by Newstalk ZB and NZME’s regional newspapers the Bay of Plenty Times, Rotorua Daily Post, The Northern Advocate, Hawke’s Bay Today and the Whanganui Chronicle.

"A 90 per cent vaccination rate will open New Zealanders' front doors - and our borders - to freedom and put businesses and the economy on an upward trajectory. But critically, it will save lives and once again allow us to prosper and thrive,” said NZME Manging Editor Shayne Currie.

With an audience of 3.2 million New Zealanders across all of its platforms NZME has a vital role to support all New Zealand communities get vaccinated.

“A big part of the campaign was about engaging tangata whenua and Pasifika people with aroha and inclusion and recognising the need for targeted help to get the vaccine. That's our kaupapa - it's unapologetically about protecting tangata whenua and our Pasifika cousins," NZME head of cultural partnerships Lois Turei.

This week the NZ Herald’s 90% project will be joined by other initiatives across NZME’s nationwide radio networks and digital platforms as on-air hosts share their Roll Up Your Sleeves Aotearoa message with their audiences.

Coast Breakfast co-host Toni Street told the Herald on Sunday it was the safety of others, including her three children, that’s driving her desire to see the country vaccinated as soon as possible.

"That is actually my biggest concern and would be my biggest reason to tell people to get vaccinated at the moment. We can't get our children vaccinated. I just think people need to change their thinking a wee bit and think about others and not just the safety of themselves."

It was also family that prompted fellow Coast host Sam Wallace to get vaccinated straight away. "The reason I wanted to get vaccinated is because I think it's the safest move for my family. We have vulnerable people in my family including my Dad who's had cancer treatment and I've got three young kids and I want to provide them the safest environment to grow up with,” said Wallace.

In her column in the Herald on Sunday Newstalk ZB Mornings Host Kerre McIvor said: “For those who are just faffing around, taking a wait and see approach – please. For the sake of your fellow Kiwis, particularly those of us in Auckland, for the sake of all those families doing it so very tough, for the sake of the doctors and nurses in our public health system, for the future of this country, do your bit and get jabbed.”

NZME’s Roll Up Your Sleeves Aotearoa initiative will run for 14 weeks. Keep up to date with New Zealand’s progress at nzherald.co.nz/covid19 #rollupyoursleevesNZ

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