Te reo takes centre stage at DDB Aotearoa

AUCKLAND, Today: DDB Aotearoa is continuing its Takitoru Uplift programme for a second year, driven by overwhelming staff enthusiasm to learn te reo Māori and tikanga Māori throughout 2024.

The programme began through a partnership with Whare Creative, which launched the Takitoru agency in March. Together, they committed to equipping staff with the tools to engage with te ao Māori.

Over 50% of DDB Group staff—around 110 people—participated in te reo Māori and tikanga sessions led by Rangi Ahipene (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Senior Cultural Advisor at Takitoru.

Ahipene’s lessons included basic language skills, the cultural value of reo huna (hidden language), and tikanga practices that staff could incorporate into agency life. These included starting and ending meetings with karakia, composing a DDB waiata, and encouraging familiarity with pepeha.

“The impact the Takitoru Uplift programme has had on the Group is profound, much more than I had hoped for,” said Ahipene. “We had people from all across the agency attend, representing a variety of cultures and roles, all putting in the mahi to familiarise themselves with te reo and te ao Māori.”

“Our ambition is that 50% of the kaimahi (staff) can speak basic te reo Māori within two years; with increased use of te reo Māori in our day to day comms, hui and advertising campaigns within three years.” – Priya Patel

A Tikanga practices booklet and bilingual communication materials were also introduced to help staff use te reo every day. Ahipene described the programme as “āwhiowhio”—learning that builds on what was learned before.

DDB Aotearoa CEO Priya Patel expressed pride in the programme’s success and looked forward to its continuation. “DDB is committed to the programme and will be continuing and extending it in 2025, now adding level 2 Rangi’s Reo,” said Patel.

“Our ambition is that 50% of the kaimahi (staff) can speak basic te reo Māori within two years; with increased use of te reo Māori in our day to day comms, hui and advertising campaigns within three years.”

Patel also encouraged other organisations to engage Takitoru for similar programmes. “Our team has found it simple, engaging and highly effective. We couldn’t recommend it enough.”

Since its launch, Takitoru has collaborated with brands like New World, Tourism NZ, and Precinct Properties on services including te ao Māori strategy, creative services, cultural consultancy, and translation.

The partnership between DDB and Takitoru provides clients with a full communications suite, blending te ao Māori frameworks with the creative expertise of a joint team of 240.

• ddb.co.nz
• wharecreative.com