madefromzealand.com Launches 8.20pm today

madefromzealand.com Launches 8.20pm today

Partnership with Telecom connects Kiwi entrepreneurs around the world

From tonight New Zealand will have its own globally connected online business community.

Made from New Zealand (madefromnewzealand.com) is New Zealand's global online business community, designed to connect and promote businesses and entrepreneurs with the "Kiwi DNA".

The Made from New Zealand concept was launched last year on Waitangi Day by entrepreneur Steve Adams, who organised more than 1,000 Kiwis to build a 100 meter long silver fern sand sculpture on Santa Monica beach, Los Angeles.

Part research project, part television commercial shoot, the fern attracted the interest of New Zealanders in businesses all over the world who were keen to connect with each other as Kiwis to help grow their businesses.

With the concept tested and the Made from New Zealand brand name launched, entrepreneurs Tim Norton (planhq.com), John Clegg (zoomin.co.nz) and Pat Macfie (startup.co.nz) partnered with Adams to build an online community to connect the tens of thousands of Kiwi businesses in New Zealand and around the world.

"New Zealand's web presence is tiny by global standards; we have thousands of isolated websites that search engines just doesn't see,” says Mr Norton.

Made from New Zealand has been designed from the ground up to give Kiwis all over the world more exposure, more profile, more web traffic and more opportunities to grow.

Made from New Zealand has chosen Telecom as their principal partner.

“In terms of who we are partnering with to help businesses grow, we want to work with a partner who takes New Zealand seriously, and no one is investing more in New Zealand business success right now than Telecom. It's a perfect fit" says Steve Adams.

Victoria Crone, Telecom Head of Business Marketing, comments that "we see the Made from New Zealand business community as a critical piece of online infrastructure for New Zealand, one that will create an increasingly connected and well promoted global network of kiwi businesses.

“Telecom is passionate about enabling our businesses community to succeed. When the Made from New Zealand team approached us to partner with them, we didn't hesitate to get involved.”

Made from New Zealand will be launched to all New Zealanders at 2020 (8.20 pm) on October 20th 2008, with a two minute television commercial across all channels telling the story of the fern on Santa Monica beach.

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madefromnewzealand.com is a free, open, global community for entrepreneurs and businesses with the "Kiwi DNA". The site enables members to:

- identify themselves as a business which contains the "Kiwi DNA";

- get found easier in google and other search engines;

- get increased traffic to their websites;

- build a fan base around their businesses;

- get stories written about them and their successes;

- understand what's happening in their industries;

- and connect with like minded businesses.

For more information and print ready images from the fern building project please contact:

ENDS

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