Blog 5: How We Built a Global Brand from New Zealand
Updated: Jun 30
JOURNEY 3 - SERIES 1 - BLOG 5 - A PART OF 9 BLOGS IN SERIES 1 - Reading time: 7 Mins
One of the most important lessons I learnt building international businesses is that success rarely comes from simply having a good product. Competing globally requires a clear understanding of the market you want to enter, how you intend to differentiate yourself, how competitors are likely to react, and how you will build a brand capable of earning trust across multiple countries and cultures. This case study highlights the international growth of Manuka Honey. The journey also reflects the realities faced by many New Zealand start-up businesses. These lessons provide valuable insights for New Zealand entrepreneurs. The experience demonstrates the challenges and opportunities involved in Building a Global business from New Zealand.
When I became involved in building Manuka Health, I quickly realised we could not think of ourselves as just another honey company. If we had positioned ourselves purely within the traditional honey category, we would have faced constant pressure to compete on price against larger commodity producers. Instead, I deliberately chose to position the company within the broader consumer healthcare and self-medication market — what we referred to as “natural healthcare.”
That single strategic decision changed everything. It expanded our opportunity beyond the relatively small honey market and allowed us to participate in one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer trends: the movement toward natural health, self-care, and preventative wellness.
Competitors Always React
One thing I learnt very early is that competitors rarely stand still when you threaten their position. If you are successful, they will react — sometimes aggressively.
Interestingly, much of the strongest resistance we faced initially did not come from large international corporations. It came from within New Zealand itself. Domestic competitors often feel disruption first because they operate closest to the market you are reshaping. In the early years, many international companies did not even recognise us as a serious threat. That changed once we began competing for shelf space and market share in their own territories.
This taught me an important lesson about entrepreneurship: if you aim to become a global player, you must expect competitive pushback. Some of it will be fair competition. Some of it will not. Competitors may attempt to undermine your credibility, question your strategy, or spread misinformation. The challenge is remaining focused on your long-term direction rather than becoming distracted by short-term noise.
Expanding the Market Matters More Than Fighting for Share
One of the strategic shifts that shaped my thinking was understanding that long-term success does not come solely from taking market share from competitors. In many industries, the bigger opportunity is expanding the total market itself.
When we began, manuka honey was still considered a relatively niche product internationally. However, through scientific validation, category education, and international brand building, the overall manuka honey export market expanded dramatically over time. That growth benefited not only our company but the entire industry.
While defending our position, we also kept pushing to expand the total market. Manuka honey had started as a niche product in the 1990s. By 2020, thanks to international awareness of the MGO measurement system and category development, New Zealand total exports had grown to $USD 325 million. That expansion didn’t just benefit us; it lifted the entire industry.
As the market expanded, our competitive landscape also changed. We were no longer simply competing against other honey producers. Our competitors increasingly included nutritional supplement companies, functional food businesses, and even pharmaceutical firms operating within the broader self-care and wellness sectors.
At first, that seemed intimidating. However, I eventually realised this broader positioning created enormous opportunity because the natural healthcare market was expanding globally at a rapid rate. Even a relatively small share of that market represented substantial growth potential for a New Zealand company.
Riding Long-Term Consumer Trends
Looking back, one of the smartest strategic decisions we made was aligning the business with powerful long-term consumer trends rather than relying solely on short-term product demand.
Globally, consumers were becoming increasingly interested in self-medication, preventative health, natural remedies, and products perceived as safer and more holistic. People wanted greater control over their health without necessarily relying on prescription medicines or medical intervention for every issue.
This trend created the perfect environment for manuka honey. We were no longer simply selling honey as a food product. We were positioning it as part of a natural self-care and wellness routine. That distinction significantly changed how consumers perceived the product and expanded its appeal internationally.
Why Differentiation Became Critical
Defining the market was only the beginning. The bigger challenge was differentiation. How could we create a business model competitors would struggle to replicate?
For us, differentiation centred on science, credibility, and reliability. The decision to market manuka honey based on methylglyoxal (MGO) concentration became one of the most important strategic decisions we ever made.
At the time, much of the industry relied on vague grading systems that lacked scientific clarity for consumers. By introducing MGO testing, we shifted the category toward measurable bioactive content supported by laboratory verification. This gave consumers confidence that our products delivered real antibacterial activity backed by science rather than marketing claims alone.
At the same time, we invested heavily in vertically integrating the supply chain to improve quality control, traceability, and reliability of supply. Together, these capabilities created a business model fundamentally different from many traditional honey producers.
The Power — and Risk — of First-Mover Advantage
The introduction of MGO as a scientific grading system became a major disruptive event within the manuka honey industry. Looking back, I now realise we benefited significantly from first-mover advantage.
By the time competitors began recognising the importance of MGO and sought to use the terminology themselves, we had already established strong international brand recognition associated with science and credibility. Eventually, we even allowed broader use of the term because the increasing industry adoption of MGO actually reinforced our leadership position rather than weakening it.
However, first-mover advantage also attracts hostility. When you redefine an industry, competitors often react strongly because disruption threatens existing business models and market positioning. In our case, there were periods where misinformation and aggressive competitive tactics became part of the landscape.
I learnt that leadership sometimes requires defending the company and the industry publicly. We responded firmly where necessary, protecting both our reputation and the integrity of the scientific positioning we had built.
Why Building a Global Brand Became Essential
From the very beginning, I believed that if we intended to compete internationally, we needed to build a genuine global consumer brand rather than simply export products.
Too many New Zealand businesses think of branding as a secondary activity that can wait until the company becomes larger. My experience was the opposite. Brand building needed to begin immediately because international perception shapes everything — distributor confidence, retailer support, customer trust, investor interest, and long-term pricing power.
I never wanted the company to be perceived merely as a small New Zealand exporter. The objective was to build a globally respected premium health brand associated with scientific credibility, authenticity, and New Zealand’s natural environment.
Understanding What a Brand Really Means
A brand is far more than a logo, product label, or advertising campaign. A brand is the total perception people form about your business.
Every decision influences the brand:
Product quality
Packaging design
Scientific validation
Customer service
Supply reliability
Distributor relationships
Employee behaviour
Corporate reputation
Everything either strengthens or weakens the trust consumers place in the business.
For us, authenticity, science, and New Zealand’s natural heritage became the core foundations of our brand identity. Every aspect of the company was designed to reinforce those values consistently across all international markets.
The Cost — and Value — of Brand Building
One reality entrepreneurs must accept is that building a global brand is expensive. There is no shortcut.
However, I learnt that brand investment should not be viewed as a cost alone. It is a long-term strategic asset that creates pricing power, customer loyalty, international credibility, and competitive insulation.
Importantly, global branding also creates operational efficiencies. Rather than developing completely separate positioning for every country, a strong international brand allows marketing investment to be leveraged across multiple markets simultaneously.
Why Success at Home Still Matters
Ironically, one of the most important foundations for building a global brand was first establishing credibility within New Zealand itself.
International distributors and retailers consistently wanted evidence that the brand was already successful in its home market before committing resources overseas. The domestic market therefore became an important proving ground for refining products, packaging, messaging, and distribution strategies before global expansion.
At the same time, I also understood that New Zealand alone could never provide sufficient scale for the growth ambitions we had. If we wanted to build something substantial, international expansion was not optional — it was essential.
What I Ultimately Learnt About Global Competition and Branding
Looking back, I now see competition and brand building as inseparable parts of establishing a successful global business. Competing internationally is not simply about having a superior product. It requires:
Defining the right market
Aligning with powerful consumer trends
Differentiating your business model
Building trust through credibility and reliability
Anticipating competitor reactions
Investing consistently in a global brand
Most importantly, I learnt that global businesses are built through long-term thinking. The real opportunity is not simply taking market share from competitors. It is helping create and expand entirely new markets where your business becomes recognised as a category leader.
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