Helping Southern Lakes Sanctuary stay financially viable with brand awareness

The challenge

With the Jobs For Nature funding set to end in June 2024, Queenstown-based Southern Lakes Sanctuary needed to raise more than $1.5 million per annum to continue its crucial conservation work that it had begun during the Covid pandemic. To achieve the financial goal, Southern Lakes Sanctuary (SLS) needed to attract the attention of prospective financial supporters and diversify its funding model. The impending funding cliff and the reality that SLS would have to dissolve if funding was not achieved – despite three years of groundbreaking conservation work – was highly motivating. This required us to be creative and generate extensive media exposure, quickly.

Our approach

Working collaboratively with the SLS management team, we developed a communications strategy to identify potential target audiences, key messaging and story opportunities, to help elevate SLS’ local and national brand awareness.

Implementation followed swiftly: A mix of exclusive media pitches, media releases, advertising and providing content for ‘Always On’ activity. After months of dedicated work and widespread coverage, it was confirmed that SLS had secured enough funding to continue – a deeply satisfying achievement, which was only possible through collaboration.

In early 2025, Southern Lakes Sanctuary marked the significant milestone of 18 takahē being released into the Rees Valley – a feat made possible thanks to the group’s extensive predator trapping in the area. This project was something the team had aspired to since SLS first began operating. We were delighted to support SLS with the media management of this event, in partnership with the Department of Conservation, Fulton Hogan, landowners, funders and mana whenua at a special ceremony at Rees Valley Station. Outputs included writing and sending a media release, plus capturing video content (interviews) for media use.

Results

Brand awareness via Earned media (between July 2023 –May 2024):

• Southern Lakes Sanctuary received a total of 151 media mentions, across a range of TV, radio, newspaper and online outlets.
• 47% of the media mentions came as a direct result of media releases and pitches. Seven press releases (along with more than a dozen media pitches) were sent to media between July 2023 –May 2024.
• Combined, the media releases and pitches resulted in 72 media mentions, an overall potential reach of 1,377,720 and a total ASR (advertising space rate) of $317,441 with stories shared by RNZ, Stuff, Kia Ora, Newstalk ZB, Otago Daily Times, Mountain Scene, Lakes Weekly Bulletin, Wānaka Sun and Wānaka App – to name a few.

Takahē release story (February 2025):

• 16 media mentions, with a cumulative potential reach of 510,808 and the combined advertising space rate (ASR) was $34,620 NZD.
• Notable mentions include coverage in The Press, Waikato Times, The Post, NZ Herald, Lakes Weekly Bulletin, Southland Times and Otago Daily Times.

“When we started working with you guys your clear question was: what does success look like? I think we stated pretty clearly that being able to keep going beyond Jobs for Nature funding –ideally with funding of at least $1.5m per annum –was it. The basic situation right now is that we have succeeded, and you guys have played a massive part in this. Thank you. Whilst we are not totally there just yet [for the funding goals], the reality is that of our staff are going to continue working – which is great for them, for our organisation and good for nature too. There is clearly no one single thing that any of us have done to get the array of funding in place, but a big part of this success has been messaging and engagement Scope has achieved. The commitment, enthusiasm, thinking outside the box and the general support you have all shown to us for the Southern Lakes Sanctuary cause is truly appreciated”

Matt Hollyer, Southern Lakes Sanctuary

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