Growing better every day

Client Kaingaroa Tipu

When we were asked to help tell the story of Kaingaroa Timberlands (KT) we knew we’d uncovered something pretty special.

KT is New Zealand’s leading forest management company, managing approximately 215,000 hectares of forest in the Central North Island. Known locally in Rotorua as one of the region’s largest employers and actively supporting local initiatives, their story was largely untold.

With a large network of stakeholders and different brands across the business, we worked through the narrative exploring everything from the nursery, through planting and silviculture, to harvesting and log sales.

Working with brand strategist and iwi facilitator Tim Walker, we led the process to unite Kaingaroa Timberlands, Timberlands and Forest Genetics under a single identity. The new brand is ‘Kaingaroa Tipu’.

Kaingaroa for the vast thriving forest and Tipu meaning to grow, to flourish, to thrive. Supported by the brand promise ‘we grow better, every day.’

We collaborated with Māori carver, artist and graphic designer Māui Taewa to develop a brand with an authentic connection between the story and its visual identity. Our work included brand strategy, visual development, a custom Craft CMS website, video and animation, and a full brand rollout across the business and their sites.

The result is a clear, confident brand that tells the full story of who Kaingaroa Tipu are, what they do, and the value they create – a major step forward for a business that has traditionally stayed behind the scenes.