Media Releases

Selected articles

9th March 2010
Mobile phone users trapped by off-net price discrimination

12 February 2009
South Auckland Health Education Campaign hits target -
Let's Beat Diabetes Programme

Wednesday Dec 31, 2008
Kiwis more accepting of mental health sufferers -
New Zealand Herald

19 December 2007
New Zealanders More Sociable Through Internet - New Zealand Herald

9th March 2010
Mobile phone users trapped by off-net price discrimination

Student case studies show high same network mobile traffic. Mobile phone users are trapped by off-network price disscrimination.

Dashboard slides prepared by Phoenix Research from results of surveys of students - used in submission by 2degrees Mobile to the Commerce Commission, 8th March 2010.

12 February 2009
South Auckland Health Education Campaign hits target -
Let's Beat Diabetes Programme

Monitoring results released this month for the first stage of the Let’s Beat Diabetes Health Information Campaign show incredibly positive results for all of the diverse target groups.

Maaori, Pacific, South Asian, ‘At Risk’ and people from areas of high deprivation all attained recall results of approximately 80% and this was even across genders for the Diabetes campaign results.

Relevance for the Let’s Beat Diabetes messages was also particularly high for Maaori, South Asian, high deprivation and at risk groups.

The Let’s Beat Diabetes campaign which ran from October to December 2008 included advertising on billboards, bus shelters, local and ethnic papers, radio. It has also been supported by news releases, editorial and presence at community events, project launches, prime time news coverage.

According to Allan Wylie, Director of Social Research for Phoenix Research Ltd says that the campaign has elicited extremely good results and with recall response rates comparable to high profile televised campaigns such as Like Minds, Like Mine.

Results indicate that the campaign has been particularly successful in influencing all target groups to make behavioural changes towards healthy lifestyle choices.

Dr Wylie suggests that the formidable results will come about not only from the campaign itself but will have been strongly influenced by the ongoing action at community level and other related healthy eating and healthy action campaigns.

Unlike any previous campaign, these results show clearly that the community have made the connection between eating healthily and preventing Type 2 Diabetes. Responses show strong intentions to make positive behaviour change and these intentions for change are indicative for all the key target groups.

One of the aims of the campaign is to bring Type 2 Diabetes into everyday conversations so that community know about the condition, can make informed healthy choices to prevent/delay and/or manage Diabetes within their families and community and assist in spreading the message. Campaign results show good levels of discussion are being generated with up to 63% of people discussing the campaign advertising at least once after they had seen or heard it. This outcome is also comparable to high profile televised campaigns.

Overall the results reflect the greater community awareness of Type 2 Diabetes as a community problem and that good levels of intentions to change are matched with a very receptive climate for accepting and undertaken of change behaviours within all target and ‘at risk’ groups.

Wednesday 31 December 2008
Kiwis more accepting of mental health sufferers -
New Zealand Herald

More New Zealanders feel they could be supportive of someone with a mental illness, according to research issued yesterday.

The research, conducted periodically on behalf of the Ministry of Health's Like Minds, Like Mine programme by Phoenix Research, has tracked changes in New Zealanders' attitudes to mental illness since 1997.

Significant improvements had been made over the past decade, but the Mental Health Foundation was particularly pleased that 71 per cent of people in the latest survey reported that they knew how they could be supportive of someone experiencing mental illness, an increase of 10 per cent over the last survey in 2007.

"The Like Minds campaign is focused on reminding New Zealanders that what you do makes the difference," said Judi Clements, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation.

"One third of people in the survey noted positive changes in their behaviour toward people experiencing mental illness over the last five years."

Progress was also being made in busting some of the long-held and damaging myths about mental illness.

Now 4 per cent fewer people in the current Like Minds survey held the belief that once someone gots a mental illness they were always unwell.

"Everyone's experience of mental illness is unique," Ms Clements said.

"Many people on the recovery journey are able to live well - raising families, holding down jobs, and participating fully in society despite the obstacles they face."

The survey also showed improved attitudes toward people with experience of schizophrenia, one of the most stigmatised and stereotyped mental illnesses. The percentage of people who would accept someone with experience of schizophrenia as a babysitter for their child increased significantly from 15 to 21 per cent.

"It's really great to see the message of acceptance, equality and non-discrimination sinking in at every level," Ms Clements said.

"People with experience of schizophrenia often bear the greatest burden of negative stereotypes about mental illness, and we hope that much further progress can be made in this area."

19 December 2007
New Zealanders More Sociable Through Internet - New Zealand Herald

New Zealanders are becoming more sociable with family and friends as a result of the Internet, according to the findings of a new nationwide survey.

Director of AUT's Institute of Culture, Discourse and Communication (ICDC) Professor Allan Bell led the study into New Zealanders' use of the Internet. This week's release of the first World Internet Project New Zealand (WIP NZ) survey highlights how we are changing as a nation as a result of the Internet, he says.

"Most people believe that the Internet is enhancing their contacts rather than diminishing them," says Professor Bell.

Sixty-four percent of survey participants who use the Internet say it has increased their amount of contact with friends while 58% report an increase with family members.

"There is also strong participation in social activities through the Internet such as networking websites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace," Professor Bell says.

In contrast to this, however, 22% say that since they have started using the Internet, they spend less time interacting face to face with family they live with, although the amount of such time with friends has remained the same.

More than 1500 New Zealanders around the country participated in the survey conducted by Phoenix Research in September and October. The questionnaire targeted areas such as people's online buying habits, e-commerce, e-democracy, education, identity, socialising and content creation on the Web. The results will be included as part of an international collaborative project, the World Internet Project, which investigates the social, political and economic impact of the Internet in nearly 30 countries.

Professor Bell says that the survey indicates that digital divides still exist when it comes to new communications technology in New Zealand.

"Internet access, usage, capability and attitudes are all strongly graded by New Zealanders' age, income and area of residence. The younger, wealthier and more urban that people are, the more connected and confident they are," he says.

Results show that the higher a household's combined income, the more important the Internet is rated in daily life. Twice as many Asians (77%) as Maori (39%) rate the importance of the Internet highly.

Professor Bell says the survey shows that the Internet rates more highly as an information source than traditional media, and has even surpassed "people" as a source of information – traditionally our main source.

Over half of all respondents (55%) and 66% of Internet users say the Internet is important or very important to their everyday life, and 61% say it would be a problem if they lost access to the Internet.

The World Internet Project originated in the United States in 2000 and New Zealand joined the project in 2006 to assess the effects of the technology on New Zealand society.

Professor Bell says the value of tracking the trends should not be underestimated.

With the rapid diffusion of the Internet in New Zealand, it is likely that we are all affected by it in some way – whether we actually use it or not," he says. "The survey data will provide information to assist in decision-making and planning for communities, businesses and government policy."

Further research based on the data will be carried out next year to investigate detail behind the statistics, which will enable greater interpretation and explanation of the findings.

The World Internet Project New Zealand is principally funded under the New Zealand Government's Digital Strategy through the National Library of New Zealand. Additional funding is provided by the non-profit organisation InternetNZ, which operates as an advisor on the Internet as a new technology.