Profile
From the remote South Island coastal community of Golden Bay, a natural health company born out of a deep connection with New Zealand Mother Nature, is thriving internationally. The growth of the family-owned BioBalance business – much like its products – is organic, with a brand story that even features an accidental celebrity endorsement on Chinese social media. BioBalance’s FernMark affiliation has helped propel natural Kiwi made health products onto the world stage.
The BioBalance story
BioBalance was founded nine years ago by the Butler family in Golden Bay. With 30 years in natural health under their belts, the Butlers know their stuff. Having a deep respect for Mother Nature is in the DNA of BioBalance. They believe that solutions for natural health products are often just under our noses, we just have to find it.
Since establishing BioBalance, the Butlers have applied modern science to age-old natural health formulae, creating a successful Kiwi-owned health and wellness brand.
Nearly ten years on, their range is now exported to the UK, Japan, USA, China and Australia and features more than 50 natural health products, from organic superfoods and supplements to collagen, liquid tonics, herbal detox solutions and science-based liposomal supplements.
New Zealand equals authentic
A key market for BioBalance is China. BioBalance has noticed that the more discerning Chinese consumer tends to look to trusted, reputable international brands, and they demand increasingly more information on the products they’re buying.
Chinese consumers these days are questioning what’s actually inside a packet. Because over the last 20 to 30 years, they’ve learnt that what was served up to them wasn’t necessarily what was portrayed on the packaging.
So, in a move to reinforce their strong reputation to the digitally-connected Chinese consumer, BioBalance registered their New Zealand-made range for the FernMark License Programme.
Taking Golden Bay to Beijing
“We’re only a small, young company, so we wanted something that reassures customers we’re a genuine New Zealand brand selling authentic products,” says general manager Ruth Boyes. “The FernMark association means that when our product lands in someone’s tiny kitchen on the 27th floor of a Beijing apartment, they recognise immediately that it’s from New Zealand, and that it’s genuine.”
Thanks to the New Zealand branding reference and its well-known affiliation with ‘nature’, 'safety' and ‘pure’, BioBalance also enjoyed a further surge in Chinese interest thanks to an unplanned celebrity endorsement.
In 2015, Hong Kong celebrity Shawn Yue gifted his fellow Chinese/Taiwanese celebrity friend, Eddie Peng, a BioBalance herbal chest-care product. Peng had been unwell and upon receiving his BioBalance gift he posted a ‘sick face’ emoji along with a ‘Thnx bro’ to his 26 million followers.
The post was widely shared and triggered a massive spike in sales. It turned out that the BioBalance chest-care formula, which was originally designed for a New Zealand winter, also appeals to sufferers of smog and pollution in Asia too!
BioBalance is one of more than 60 New Zealand businesses that have the FernMark as a symbol for an authentic New Zealand product. The FernMark License programme is the Government’s official ‘country of origin’ accreditation programme, designed to protect and promote New Zealand products to the world.
Case Study: Taking Golden Bay to Beijing
To find out how your business can benefit from the FernMark Licence Programme visit http://www.fernmark.nzstory.govt.nz/apply-online
Or contact Sarah Morgan today.
sarah.morgan@nzstory.govt.nz 09 354 9204 (ext 79204)
Dec 16, 2017