CATEGORY AWARDS & FINALISTS Excellence in Customer Engagement – Franchisee Winner: Sheree & Grant Webster, Top 10 Holiday Park, Hot Water Beach
Excellence in Community Contribution – Franchise System Winner: The Coffee Club
Sheree & Grant Webster have turned Hot Water Beach’s what once was a plant nursery into one winning team of the top holiday parks in New Zealand. With the only campground in the area having closed down years before, they purchased the site in 2008. Four years later, they joined the Top 10 Group and the business has gone on growing ever since. Hot Water Beach is an internationally-renowned attraction, so when the borders closed in 2020, they had to pivot smartly to serve the domestic market. Borders open again, the Coromandel was then affected by two cyclones and the Auckland floods, as well as DOC closing the Cathedral Cove track. ‘If I ever hear the word “resilience” again ...’ threatened Sheree in her acceptance speech. But through all those trials, Grant and Sheree’s business has survived and thrived, with great reviews online. They credit their success to their staff, saying, ‘It is always a team effort.’ As the judges said, ‘They demonstrated an impressive and clear understanding of customer service, and how they deliver it to meet individual customer preferences.’
Throughout it all, The Coffee Club Shelley Trutsch of Waipuna (left) continued to engage with its local with The Coffee Club’s Andy and national communities, providing Lucas support where it could in a number of different areas. Their annual contribution to the SPCA’s Cupcake Day, which sees specially-decorated items made and sold nationwide, raises tens of thousands of dollars each year for the animal charity. Another high profile event has become a Christmas tradition with schoolkids around the country designing festive take-away coffee cups and napkins in support of the KidsCan charity. And, as well as getting involved with these national campaigns, individual franchisees are encouraged to support local school and sports teams. The judges said, ‘The Coffee Club demonstrates exceptional commitment to their community contribution, as well as clear insight about the wider impacts of their contribution on the community, franchisees and the business.’
Finalists: • Adrian Kay, Dream Doors Christchurch Award sponsored by HR Assured
FRANCHISE SYSTEM AWARDS
Finalists: • Cookie Time • Exceed • Rodney Wayne Award sponsored by Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre
Marketing Campaign of the Year – Franchise System Winner: Exceed A regular entrant in the Franchise Awards, Exceed continues to be a winner under its new owners, Belron, who bought the franchise two years ago. As their award-winning marketing campaign explained, ‘We’re like your window and door mechanics.’
The pandemic and subsequent economic turmoil had a huge impact upon many communities around New Zealand, with charities being especially badly hit as people needed more help while being less able to contribute.
Excellence in Sustainability – Franchise System Winner: Paramount Services
Exceed’s winning marketing campaign featured real franchisees telling real stories
The campaign aimed to enhance brand awareness, generate consistent leads for franchisees, and capitalise on seasonal demand. ‘We sought to create an authentic, caring, and genuine message that showcased who we are and our expertise,’ explains marketing executive Julieta Diaz. ‘To achieve this, we relied on the people who care the most about our customers and audience – our franchisees, service technicians and support office team. ‘We found people comfortable speaking in front of a camera, then got on the road. Our team displayed remarkable camaraderie and dedication, going the extra mile to make this project a success. Some gave up weekends, others were meeting early in the morning or late in the afternoon so they could still serve their customers during the day. Some customers agreed to allow their homes and the products we installed in them to be used in our TV ads.
Commercial cleaning franchise Paramount Services is a regular entrant (and regular winner) in the Franchise Awards, but this is the first time they have won the Sustainability category. It’s a cause that is close to the heart of founder Galvin Bartlett, who was outlining the company’s various environmental initiatives in Franchise New Zealand over 20 years ago. They included introducing recycling systems, reducing waste to landfill, saving power usage and adopting environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The franchise has continued to pioneer more sustainable cleaning methods ever since, and to look for ways of reducing the company’s environmental footprint for itself and its franchisees, as well as its clients. Today, Paramount has introduced organic waste recycling and is championing EV vehicles and charging points throughout its network. As the judges said, ‘The winner demonstrated an understanding of sustainability, and an impressive commitment to all areas of it, from the sourcing of products, through to supporting their team and franchisees.’ Finalist: • Jani-King Award sponsored by Excel Digital
‘The campaign stands as a testament to the power of teamwork and creativity within Exceed. The passion, dedication, and ingenuity displayed by everyone involved created a campaign that not only elevates brand awareness but also tells an authentic story that resonates with our audience. Moreover, the campaign’s emotional resonance with both franchisees and customers created a profound sense of pride and happiness within our system. The campaign was a resounding success.’ The judges agreed, saying that that this was a very focused, well-run campaign, with strong levels of involvement from franchisees, which was able to demonstrate considerable success. Finalists: • Rodney Wayne Award sponsored by Op Central
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• The Coffee Club Paramount won the Sustainability Award Franchise New Zealand
Summer 2024
Year 32 Issue 04
