Kiwi Culture, Continued

I read an interesting article in last weekend’s news magazine (like the Parade magazine inserted in your Sunday newspaper) titled “The Flight of the Kiwi: Who do we think we are – and who are we really?” The Flight of the Conchords’ Bret and Jemaine appear on the magazine cover because the article claims their TV show has “nailed the Kiwi identity.” Why? I have no idea. The article contains no support or explanation for this thesis. I was held to higher journalistic standards when I wrote for my college newspaper.

Nevertheless, the article provides some interesting insights into the culture of this tiny nation. It asks whether there is such a thing as an authentic Kiwi persona and, if so, how it can be packaged and sold. I can’t find the full article online, so I’ve included some highlights below.

• What is our symbol? - There is an underground movement to change the NZ flag. “It was time to drop the Southern Cross with its pint-size Union Jack for a silver fern on a black field, or anything that proclaimed loudly: We are not junior Australians. We are not displaced Brits.” My personal observations support this. The Kiwis are not nearly as emotionally attached to their flag as Americans. The NZ flag is my blog profile picture, but you rarely see the flag flying on the streets. Instead, the Kiwis have a great affinity for the geographical outline of their country. The shape of NZ is used on signage, clothing, etc.


• How do we market ourselves? – With the world’s attention focused on NZ during the Lord of the Rings era in the early 2000s, NZ began a “100% Pure” tourism campaign to capitalize on this newfound interest. The campaign has been successful, but many Kiwis are displeased because it shows only “beautiful but empty landscapes, blank canvases for the get-away-from-it-all dreams of European backpackers and Japanese coach-trippers.” They feel the campaign ignores some of NZ’s biggest assets – its people and cities. However, the “100% Pure” campaign will only expand “as clean and green becomes a greater concern in today’s world... Telling the world we are clean and green motivates us to make a bigger effort to become clean and green.” [Note: How green can a country be if none of its buildings are insulated?
  
• How do we compare? – According to the Cultural Detective, a survey used to assess countries’ “social DNA,” the defining characteristics of NZ are - ingenious, fair, restrained, modest, earthy, informal. USA - speed, self-reliance, law and order, equality, speaking up, capitalism. China - face, family, social networks, prosperity, harmony, nationalism. England - privacy, singularity, evolution not revolution, fair play, pragmatism, and social mobility which “reveals a recent shift in the British psyche.” Australia - the fair-go, Jack’s as good as his master, live and let live.


• Crikey, don’t confuse us with the Aussies! - “Where Kiwis are encouraged to be diffident – team players, modest to a fault, a people who don’t skite, don’t impose – Aussies demand an assertive expression of mate-ship and classlessness… NZers will think of Australians as being a bit brash, a bit pushy, a bit loud, and Australians will think of NZers as being a bit too PC.”


• Where do we fit in the world? - “Having a clear national identity, a market positioning, an emotional connection, is vital in an increasingly globalised world. In New York or Dubai, being Kiwi has to stand for something… A strong brand gives people something to live up to. Consider the United States with its Stars and Stripes: the home of the free, the land of science and enterprise.” [Note: Get your facts straight, Kiwis! Land of the free, home of the brave.] “A practical, problem-solving streak is a powerful selling point if we are talking a national brand… It’s a quality in great demand as the world economy becomes increasingly dependent on smart ideas and effective thinking.” Click here for a description of the famous Kiwi ingenuity, the No. 8 fencing wire mentality.


• How do we stay together when we’re apart? – “The things that make Kiwis really successful overseas are the pragmatism, the lack of ego, the ability to be a team player. We’re principled, we’re fair, we’re likable, we’re friendly. The way we are is highly valued where we travel… Of course, this latest example of expat success also touches on one of our biggest self-image problems as a nation – all our top achievers flee abroad… About 1 million NZers [1/5 of the population] have moved away. The more talent we export, the more those who choose to stay can feel like a nation of the second class, the also-rans.” [Note: There is no mention of the timeframe for this outmigration? I doubt 1 million Kiwis left yesterday?] The article stresses the need to keep expats connected to their homeland, to make sure they remain part of International Team Kiwi. It suggests that NZ work toward adding “mobility” to its list of defining characteristics.

There you have it, dear readers! Consider yourself schooled on Kiwi culture. You learn something new everyday!