“Auckland, New Zealand” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by szeke
Ask what New Zealand means to most people in the west and the chances are they’ll come up with some pretty predictable answers. These are likely to include that it’s a long way away, home of the Lord of the Rings movies and punches way above its weight when it come to rugby and cricket. But what they may not realise is that it’s been a very successful testing ground for products and services that they may use every day.
This is because every kind of business from pharmaceutical firms to tech giants have tried out their products and services in NZ first, and here’s why.
Location
The fact that the country is so remote, and some might say isolated, means that any trials held here won’t create ripples that reach the wider world. And, while it might seem more logical to test products in their intended markets, if the tests go badly then there’s the danger of world spreading and commercial damage being done. So, for example, when the US company Flirty wanted to test out its potentially controversial drone delivery service doing it here was the logical, and successful choice.
Language and culture
“《Pokemon GO》將花費超過150萬美” (Public Domain) by steamXO
These are two very obvious reasons why we’re an ideal testing ground. With the majority of the population speaking English, as well as sharing many of the values and cultural reference points of Europe and the USA, it’s fair to assume that if something succeeds here, there’s every chance that this will also be the case in its intended market. That’s certainly what Niantic discovered when it ran a trial of Pokémon Go – before it went on to enjoy such a huge success after its full launch.
Technology
The tech-savvy nature of New Zealanders also makes us the perfect guinea pigs, as does our propensity to be early adopters. That’s why everyone from Microsoft, who used New Zealand to trial and improve their Sway app, to online casino companies use it as a testing ground. In the case of the latter, these are particularly active with operators not just trying out the tech, but also testing out welcome offers – as you can see here for full details. So visiting one of these sites means players can look forward to innovative features and the latest games, long before the rest of the world has the opportunity to do the same.
Demographics
In terms of the demographic profile of NZ, this closely resembles most western countries in terms of the proportion of unskilled, skilled and professional workers. This means that mass-market products, such as the vitamin supplement Barocca that was introduced here by pharma giant Bayer, can be test marketed to also see which particular strata of society they appeal to most.
Attitude
Perhaps the most undefinable, but most important reasons is the willingness of New Zealanders to give new products and experiences a go. That’s why even previously untried services like blockchain tech have been given a run out here.
Looking ahead, this is certainly a trend that is set to continue. And, as globalisation moves on at speed, we can expect to see an ever-increasing number of examples.
