13 September 2019

ChristchurchNZ didn’t want to just follow suit during this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

Yes, ChristchurchNZ talked about Ōtautahi Christchurch and how their city embraces the language, and how their locals are teaching the country to speak Te Reo.

But that wasn’t enough. They wanted to be bold, explore something new, push the boundaries.

So, what did they do?

They published an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook in his local newspaper, asking him to teach Siri Te Reo Māori.

The Mercury News has a daily readership of more than 310,000 across Silicon Valley. It sits in the cafes at Apple Park in Cupertino, GooglePlex in Palo Alto, and is read by the world’s tech elite.

“The revitalisation of Te Reo Māori across New Zealand is inspiring, and every year the recognition of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori gets bigger,” said Tim Loftus, ChristchurchNZ General Manager of Marketing Brand and Communications.

“We wanted to do something different and fun to stimulate the discussion and build off the massive national momentum of Te Reo Māori. Our efforts with Apple are merely an extension of that.

“We want to see Te Reo Māori recognised worldwide as an important part of New Zealand culture, and having Siri speak it would be a big step forward.”

No word yet from Tim Cook, but ChristchurchNZ said – watch this space.

For more information, contact jack.fletcher@christchurchnz.com

ends

© Scoop Media