The challenge

When MBIE needed to understand how recent migrants really connect with government communications, they asked us to dig deeper than traditional research. With thousands of people moving to Aotearoa every year, getting this right wasn't just important — it was essential. To gather these insights, we needed to test a range of existing MBIE campaign materials. We worked with community leaders to run focus groups, and then promoted the survey through social media to dig deeper on the preferred channels and access methods. But first, we had to develop an approach for recruiting participants and conducting the research that would gain people’s trust and produce authentic results.

Our approach

We developed a two-phase research approach.  We first conducted in-depth interviews with Asian, Latin American and Pasifika communities, partnering with Integrity Professionals and Asian Family Services.

We then conducted an online survey, recruiting participants through a targeted digital campaign that reached over 5,200 people and led to 328 completed responses. We used video ads for our online recruitment, opening each with native greetings like “Ni hao”, “Hola” and “Malo e lelei” to show this research was for them, not about them.

Across both phases, we tested participants’ reactions to materials including radio, digital display ads, social images and videos, testing for criteria such as attention, engagement and cultural relevance. We asked them for the channels and methods of communication that they preferred for greater insight into their community practices and habits.

Our findings

What we discovered challenged broader societal assumptions. Communication channels varied dramatically. Facebook dominated across all groups, but each community had distinct secondary channels — WeChat for Asian people, WhatsApp for Latin Americans, and church networks for tagata Pasifika.

Native language content delivered measurably better results. Native language radio ads achieved attention scores of 8.5 out of 10, compared to 6.7 for English versions.

Cultural representation gaps were significantly clear – only 37.5% felt culturally represented in government communications.

Trust and barriers emerged. While 62.5% trusted government messages, only 56.25% felt they helped them understand available services. Fear of visa complications and cultural norms prevented help-seeking across communities.

The impact

This research represents a fundamental shift from broadcasting information to building genuine communication pathways that respect and how different communities naturally share information. We were able to provide MBIE with an evidence-based roadmap for transforming migrant communication strategies. Our insights are already shaping approaches. We've recommended multi-channel campaigns that leverage community partnerships, native language content, and culturally authentic imagery to ensure everyone in Aotearoa can access the information and support they need — in ways that actually work for them.