Local Kiwi Agencies Help Businesses Get 'Up and Running'

Two of New Zealand’s leading locally owned marketing companies are teaming up to help small Kiwi businesses in the aftermath of Covid-19. LUMO Digital Outdoor and Pitchblack Partners are offering their digital media network and creative services to local businesses for free, to help them get back on their feet and hit the ground running.

The initiative ‘Up and Running’ will offer small businesses across New Zealand much-needed visibility as business resumes under the ‘new normal’. The team at Pitchblack will help with creative, then the LUMO team will offer placement across its network of 23 screens in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga. LUMO and Pitchblack traditionally work with businesses of all different types and sizes, but they’re putting aside time and resource to help small enterprises in particular, to navigate a post-Covid-19 marketplace. Any small business can get in touch – from hospitality to retail, professional, personal and trade services plus many more. Additionally, Aux Digital and Assembly have come on board to facilitate the website and animation.

The prime objective is to encourage consumers from the local community to support their neighbourhood stores. It is not a charity request but it will offer the chance for people to show how much they value the importance of smaller businesses by helping them to get back on their feet and to prosper once again.

“LUMO and Pitchblack are both independent and 100% Kiwi-owned, so we know as well as anyone what it’s like to operate a small business in New Zealand. We know nothing about vaccines, and knitting face masks would be a disaster, but we know marketing and can put our skills to good use

remotely,” says Tom Paine of Pitchblack Partners.

One of the first businesses on board is Chia Sisters, with co-founder Florence Van Dyke adding: “This is an incredible offer by LUMO and Pitchblack. There has been an upsurge in local support and collaboration during this time and LUMO and Pitchblack are at the forefront of that. We lost 70% of

our business overnight when cafes and restaurants closed. This opportunity will fast-track the pivot of our business to online delivery, and has the potential to help keep our business afloat and team employed. This type of generosity makes us grateful and proud to be a Kiwi company.”

Furthermore, Pitchblack and LUMO are encouraging other media entities, locally and globally, to get behind the initiative. “LUMO and Pitchblack are kicking this off, but we really want other media companies to step up and get involved with the Up and Running. TVNZ, SKY, NZME. We all have an obligation and the resources to help get the country up and running again, and that starts with small businesses; the lifeblood of the nation,” says Kent Harrison and Phil Clemas, co-founders of LUMO.

Submissions are now open, with small to medium sized businesses encouraged to visit the website for more details. Click here to find them on Instagram.