"NZ: "WeChat enabled us to market oranges to China"
That was the message from Ross Young of Google NZ to those who attended a presentation this week focusing on how small Tauranga businesses were benefiting from technology.
The Digital Enablement Project, part of Techweek, was officially launched on Thursday evening at the Tauranga Art Gallery.
Tauranga's Venture Centre was carrying out the project, which would digitally upskill youth, business owners and entrepreneurs through workshops and presentations over the next 18 months.
Surrounded by one of the oldest forms of communication hanging on the walls of the gallery, businesses described how using the newest forms of communication had transformed their businesses and grown revenue and customers.
Unique use of technology had allowed New Zealand oranges to enter and succeed in the Chinese fruit market - previously dominated by the sweeter Australian orange.
John Miller, of Foodview, explained how using WeChat - the Facebook Messenger app equivalent in China - they were able to market their oranges to its 850 million users.
"We became a multinational fruit business in four short years." People could ask about the oranges and buy them straight from WeChat. It bypassed suppliers and went straight to the consumers.
Source: nzherald.co.nz
