About us

Niu Pacific Limited was first established as Deluxe Communications Limited in 1987. It changed its name to Niu Pacific in 1998 to reflect a reorientation of the company towards more culturally inclusive communications and research.

It was recognised that New Zealand society was becoming more diverse and that communications and research activities should reflect this. We lean determinedly towards the “new pacific” developing before our eyes.

Communications work over the life of the company to date has been various and for a wide range of public and private sector clients. It has ranged from managing internal and external communications for major restructurings (New Zealand Railways) through working with clients on issues such as the country’s telecommunications system (Clear Communications) and Treaty of Waitangi claims (Wellington Tenths Trust) to running hazard education programmes (Earthquake Commission), helping overseas organizations establish themselves in New Zealand (EDS), introducing planning processes for communications (Inland Revenue) and small advisory papers (Francois’ restaurant) or one-off brochures (Automobile Association).

Research work has also been various and for a range of clients as well such as establishing benchmark surveys and ongoing monitoring of market perceptions (Porirua City Council), checking the actual incidence of earthquake proofing of homes (Earthquake Commission), understanding of food safety and related issues (NZ Food Safety Authority), the impact of educational campaigns (Ministry of Transport), market interest in services (PropertyInsight), programme feedback (British Council), and user satisfaction with services (Scots College of Wellington).

Niu Pacific operates with three fulltime staff and a range of associates and sub-contractors we can call on when needs require. It has an affiliate office in Auckland (Lindenberg and Partners).

Why the name Niu Pacific?

Niu is the tropical Polynesian word for coconut which is the “tree of life”. The coconut palm can provide many of the essentials of survival i.e. food, fluid, fuel and shelter. Māori almost certainly bought the coconut to New Zealand but found it could not grow in our temperate climate. The word remained and for Māori came to mean, in the main, divination. When Polynesians heard English-speakers say “new” they heard their word “niu”. Many Samoans for example will write Niu Zealand instead of New Zealand. The name Niu Pacific was chosen to emphasise our desire to reflect the changing nature of the society in which we live i.e. the new pacific.

Barrie Cook

Barrie is the founder of Niu Pacific and its predecessor and has been the lead consultant on most jobs ever since. Prior to that he was a partner in Link Consultants Ltd, the communications director of a major political party, the inaugural communications director of a major trade association, and a member of a parliamentary research unit.

He has a bachelors degree in psychology and sociology, a masters degree in sociology, and a graduate certificate in Antarctic studies. He has completed a management course at the Australian Administrative Staff College and took part in a customer service learning programme involving visits to various leading companies in the USA.

His personal interests include current affairs, tramping and climbing (he is a past editor of the New Zealand Alpine Journal), republicanism (he is a co-author of New Zealand Republic), Antarctica (writing several articles on New Zealand and Antarctica), skiing, sea kayaking, fishing, growing vegetables, and travel.

He is a member of The Public Relations Institute (PRINZ), the Market Research Society, the NZ Society for Earthquake Engineering, the Antarctic Society, the New Zealand Alpine Club, the Forest and Bird Society, and the Windwhistle Winter Sports Club.

Sarah Barton

Sarah has worked with Niu Pacific since its inception managing all aspects of production (initial design, photography, illustrations generally, layout, editing and proofing, final art, press passes, etc), advertising (client liaison, organising artwork, placing of print and broadcast advertisements), looking after media and other distributions, undertaking research work and interviewing in particular, and generally managing various other aspects.

She initially trained in secretarial work and office management but moved beyond this to communication services management. Prior to joining Niu Pacific she worked for Charles Haines Advertising, Mitsubishi New Zealand and Dalgety Airfrieght.

Her personal interests include travel, walking, horse riding, reading, gardening and spending weekends and holidays at her wild coast cottage in South Wairarapa. She also has a strong interest in ecological conservation and restoration and is treasurer and secretary of the Whangaimoana Dunes Take Care Project.

She is a life member of the Wairarapa Ski Club and a long-time member of the Windwhistle Winter Sports Club.

George Cook

George is the son of founder Barrie and shares his interest in both communications and research. George is a recent graduate of Canterbury University and Victoria University where he completed a commerce degree in Management and an arts degree in Anthropology and Sociology.

His work history includes a year as a tutor at Harrow School in London during his “gap” year, part-time reception work at Les Mills Extreme, work as a builders labourer for McKee Fehl in Wellington, and ski instructing at Steamboat Springs in Colorado.

George believes communication is key to the success of any message, agenda, programme or initiative, regardless of the social, economic, political or business environment context.

George enjoys all aspects of life. He has a strong interest in rugby and has played for the Canterbury B NPC team. He currently plays senior rugby for the Marist St Pats club in Wellington although has been sidelined for most of the current season through injury. He is a keen skier (and a qualified ski instructor) and a life pass holder for Mount Ruapehu. All outdoor sport, socialising, current affairs (political, economic & social) are of great importance to him.

George is an associate member of the Market Research Society of New Zealand.

Past and present clients

These have included:

Advertising Standards Council
Airways Corporation
Andrews Environmental
Automobile Association of New Zealand
BNZ
British Council
Buddle Finlay
Cancer Society of New Zealand
Capital Coast Health
Clear Communications
Coal Corporation
Coalition of Non-Aligned Associations & Unions
Databank
Department of Māori Affairs
Earthquake Commission
EDS
Finance & Resources Ltd
Francois’ (restaurant)
Inland Revenue (head office)
Land Equity Group
Land Transport Association
Minerals Industry Association
Ministry of Transport
New Zealand Rail Limited
New Zealand Railways Corporation
New Zealand Fire Service
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
New Zealand Rugby Football Union
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association
Porirua City Council
Port Nicholson Block Claim
Property Insight
Radio New Zealand
Rail Heritage Trust
Reuters
Scots College
Steer Davies & Gleave
Sybase
Synet
Taranaki Tribes
Taupo District Council
Tauranga District Council
Transit New Zealand
Wellington Regional Council
Wellington City Council
Wellington Tenths Trust
XPO Group