By Alexia Ross, MA Media and Strategic Communication ’22
New Zealand is a country that the global community does not often associate with international conflict. While not a regular participant in clashes between the world’s dominant forces, New Zealand faces increasing concerns about the impacts of transnational conflicts on its economy. New Zealand is highly import-dependent, with international trade making up over 60% of the country’s economic activities. With rising global tensions that threaten to impact trade routes, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, New Zealand officials are beginning to raise alarms about potential economic and supply implications.
New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is putting the protection of free trade at the top of the country’s foreign affairs agenda. She plans to meet with leaders from several key economic powers in the coming months. In early 2022, New Zealand cemented a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom that will bolster bilateral trade and reinforce strong relations between the countries that should, in theory, support continued economic collaboration even in times of international crisis.
Ardern is expected to meet with US officials in May to lock down another vital ally in free trade potentially. The US is New Zealand’s third-biggest trade partner, providing goods like cars and medical equipment. In preparation for this meeting, Ardern’s communication’s team should strategically leverage compelling narratives in her statement to the general US audience, thereby gaining public support for a bilateral trade deal between the two democratic nations.
An Opportunity Connection with US Public
Strategic narratives are an essential tool for appealing to potential allies, allowing governments to find common ground and values to nurture the relationship with the public of target nations. Ardern and her team could pursue a strong trade agreement to safeguard New Zealand’s trade-based economy by leveraging a number of narrative genres that both invoke a sense of shared identity between the nations and touch on some more US-centric narratives.
There are three main narrative structures that Ardern must consider in her speech:
- Master and identity narratives that draw on a nation’s history and self-identifying characteristics;
- System narratives that characterize a nation’s relationship with the rest of the world;
- And issue narratives that address current events in the nations
The following chart showcases trade narratives that the US and New Zealand share, making them prime examples of values that Ardern should draw on when speaking to the US public.
Shared US & New Zealand Trade Narratives
| Identity/Master Narrative | System Narrative | Issue Narrative |
| Leaders in production industry Participant in Global Markets | Global economic hierarchy Maintaining trans-national trade patterns Free Trade Capitalism Alliance of Democratic Nations Rising China | Growing concerns over China and its tensions with global powers Russia/Ukraine conflict impacting international trade, connotations for future Global supply chain challenges |
A Path Forward
New Zealand is approaching this meeting with a backdrop of positive history with the US. A readout of a 2021 call between Biden and Ardern noted, “They discussed our interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and President Biden underscored the enduring U.S. commitment to the region.”
When speaking to the US public in favor of a new trade deal, Prime Minister Ardern will want to draw out commonalities in free-market values. Ardern and her team should utilize a narrative of the importance of a “free, democratic, secure and prosperous world” in light of any range of global complications, and highlight how this partnership plays into the US’s existing frames of economic collaboration with a diverse grouping of nations
New Zealand can leverage current events as a tool for persuasion – arguing that firm partnerships can ensure that global trade is grounded and can remain stable in tumultuous circumstances. Tensions in the Indo-Pacific trade system due to conflict between China and other global superpowers, like the US, are of regional and global concern to Kiwis and Americans alike. By noting the risks for both the US and New Zealand’s economic freedoms if China was to disrupt trade in the region, Ardern could stoke strong emotional support for a trade agreement.
Utilizing a few more US-centric frames may also be helpful in developing public support for the partnership. For example, the US knows that it is a global superpower and acknowledges its role in global affairs. There is an expectation that US leaders will protect the reputation of the country as economic and humanitarian leaders. By touching on these identity narratives in her statement, Ardern would draw on the public’s desire to see its government showcase American values on the global stage.
Through the strategic use of narratives, Prime Minister Ardern could stoke pressure from a broad US audience, initiating an extra nudge that could push the Biden Administration to formalize a new trade agreement between the nations. For these reasons and more, Ardern’s messaging to the US public must be deliberate, highlighting why this deal is essential to both countries’ economic agendas.
For more on the topic by the author, please click here.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author. They do not express the views of the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication or the George Washington University.
I appreciate that you included information on why strategic narratives are important according to Miskimmon, et al. and laying out the three main structures. Being able to tell the difference in the narrative types being used is important for not only communicating the message but also identifying who the best messenger would be for each message. Overall, I enjoyed reading your analysis on an issue that I am not as familiar with as you point out in your opening statement.
In addition to taping into the U.S. public, do you think that tapping into AmCham New Zealand might be helpful in spreading New Zealand’s message to U.S. audiences? The messenger for the narrative is just as important at the narrative itself and using outside validators, like U.S. based businesses, might be helpful in encouraging the Biden Administration to act as well.
Great article here Alexia, and I loved the simplicity of your US & New Zealand trade narratives chart, and how it sticks out the issue narratives concerning China and its tension with global powers! I agree with your position that Prime Minister Arden can, through the strategic use of narratives position New Zealand rightly in influencing the US administration to formalize a new trade agreement with New Zealand. Despite the ongoing anxieties going on in the Indo-Pacific trade system due to the conflict between China and the US, which are of concern to New Zealanders (Kiwis) and Americans alike, I would argue that the US will honor its words to Arden since President Biden has already announced his commitment to “…..maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region” and the “U.S. commitment to the region.”
The Shared identity and system narratives between the US, and New Zealand as you have identified, are very strong and well-established, and if the strategic narrative is followed as you have proposed, it will further a new trade relationship dating back to 1838 when the first US consul opened New Zealand.
I appreciate the shared trade narratives chart as a visual for what Prime Minister Ardern should underscore in different narrative structures. Your arguments for emphasizing shared free-market values, US-centric frames, and global relations in light of current events are foundational in ultimately highlighting why this deal is essential to both countries’ economic agendas. I agree both with the strategic narratives you’ve chosen to emphasize and the approach of leveraging US public support to guide the prime minister’s success.
Thanks for sharing this perspective, Alexia – this is great context for an economy which I did not readily affiliate with trade implications. The messages you outline are familiar, but I was not familiar with the narrative structure concepts behind them. These are helpful tools to think critically about the messaging I’m exposed to in day-to-day life.
Hi Alexia, your analysis of New Zealand and your contextualization of its place a smaller player in the overall international order, but its larger place in the context of the Indo-Pacific. You highlight the economic imperatives for New Zealand by detailing the potential of the free trade deal, and the security imperatives of having sustained U.S. support in the region. Your discussion of New Zealand connecting to the U.S. via shared values is something we see all the time (especially in the wake of the war in Ukraine). I found your mention of New Zealand using the U.S.’ own narratives to further its goals to be quite interesting. It’s a subtle way of getting the United States to act or to test its credibility. I am curious to know what New Zealand will offer in return. How might New Zealand drive the point home that the U.S. needs to step in their partnership?
Alexia – this is really great insight into US and New Zealand narrative diplomacy, and I especially like your chart that vividly explained the situation. Additionally – I appreciate the first sentence of your blog and how it levelsets with the reader’s perception of New Zealand international relations. I do not know much about this topic, and you did a great job educating the reader on the different narratives that the Prime Minister must keep in mind when trying to broker a deal with the US. Your blog goes to show that this strategy is important even for countries with healthy trade and foreign relations, and they benefit from deliberate communications. Having a thought out communications plan is not just for countries in turmoil with others.
The introduction of the blog was really strong in showcasing how New Zealand, despite not typically being considered an international player, is a valuable component particularly of the world economy. I think the suggestion for New Zealand to leverage current events when negotiating with the US is really strong. Now more than ever New Zealand can capitalize on the international instability to reassure the US in their commitments. I agree that it could be advantageous for New Zealand to employ more US-centric frames. I wonder if within such messaging, there could also be a way to highlight the two countries’ relationship and the steadiness that has existed. Appealing to economics and acknowledging the potential fiscal gains that the US could have will do well for New Zealand in advancing their aims.
This post does a great job of identifying why strategic communications is important even among allied nations and suggesting effective ways for nations to take advantage of shared narratives and identities. I also appreciated that you leveled with readers from the outset, tempered their expectations, then described why this was still an important conversation. Your chart set up readers for an easy analysis, which I appreciated. Like Alexis, I think the messenger is just as effective as the message, and would be curious to see how US-business-targeted messaging could impact the industry.