#MakeItHomeNZ
Annual Report 2019-2020
COUNCIL MEMBER ORGANISATIONS Accident Compensation Corporation Boys’ Brigade NZ Christian Camping Department of Conservation Education Outdoors NZ Girl Guiding NZ Girls’ Brigade NZ Heliski Operators MetService New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment NZ Alpine Club NZ Deerstalkers’ Association NZ Defence Force NZ Land Search and Rescue Inc. NZ Mountain Guides Association NZ Mountain Radio Service NZ Outdoor Instructors Association NZ Police NZ Snowsports Council/SAANZ NZ Sporting Goods Association Recreation Aotearoa Scouts NZ The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Tourism Industry Aotearoa William Pike Challenge Award
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Contents Welcome We learned a lot more Research projects We turned knowledge into action Insight-led projects We developed interventions
4-5 7-13 8-13 14-15 16-19 20-21
Showcasing projects
22-31
We spread the word
40-45
Financial Summary
46-47
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council Level 1 Harbour City Centre, 29 Brandon Street | Wellington 6011 info@mountainsafety.org.nz | mountainsafety.org.nz All images copyright Mountain Safety Council 2018 Cover photo: Adam Smith - Mt Kaukau, Wellington Inside cover photo: Jo Stilwell - Lake Unknown, Mt Aspiring National Park
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A year to remember
Welcome to our report From the personal connections we build through our work with partners and funders, to the many detailed discussions behind our insights, to the creative conversations that generate engaging content — people have always been at the heart of improving safety in the outdoors. As we reflected on the unprecedented 2019-20 business year covered in this report, we were especially reminded of this fact. Normally, we would take this opportunity to highlight the ways MSC has informed the outdoor recreating public and positively changed their behaviour, the areas in which our organisation has grown and flourished with your help and the exciting new work we have mapped as we strive to keep people recreating in the outdoors, safer. However, as you will find this information and more in the following pages, right now, we simply want to say: thank you. During an unprecedented time for the outdoor recreation sector, New Zealand and the globe, alongside a year packed with innovative interventions that still needed to be developed, you were right there with us, helping us produce them in the way only MSC can: with our partners, built on insight and delivered to the public in engaging ways. Thanks to your incredible generosity of knowledge and time, our team delivered highly engaging and impactful interventions not found anywhere else. This report captures just a portion of all that has been made possible this year by those who believe in the value of improving safety in the outdoors. I hope you take pride in counting yourself among them. Whether you’re reading about turning our insights into action in the Tararuas and Tongariro Alpine Crossing, undertaking research, connecting the public to engaging digital content, or standing-up a new website in response to COVID-19; know that we could not have done any of it without your support. We are grateful to our staff, our board, and all of you; from our Council organisations, partners and funders, who have embraced and shared our mission. Together, we will continue to achieve so much more. But now, we are pleased to share a look back and all that we accomplished together.
PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
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NIC BROWN
MIKE DAISLEY
NZ MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL BOARD CHAIR
NZ MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE
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We learned a lot more
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Through our continued investment in our insights platform we are increasing our knowledge in all things outdoor safety related. By combining and analysing multiple data sets we are able to identify trends, and act on them. As we seek to push the boundaries of our understanding, and that of our partners, we are investing in more bespoke research. As we refine our participant-centric insights we are finding new ways to monitor how our target audiences participate, what motivates them, what influences their decisions and behaviours, and what’s causing them to get into trouble. In addition to our ongoing and regular data analysis, combing ACC injury claims, Search and Rescue operations and fatalities, we completed a range of insights-led projects, as featured in the following pages.
PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
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Trip planning research We conducted two distinct research projects that focussed on developing a detailed understanding of ‘how participants plan their outdoor experiences’. For the first research project, in partnership with Research NZ and Department of Conservation, we surveyed lead bookers who had stayed at a DOC bookable facility between 1 November 2019 and 31 January 2020. In total 1,707 people responded to the survey, resulting in a maximum margin of error of +/-2.4% at the 95% confidence level. For the second research project, in partnership with Somar Design Studios, we conducted an online survey (391 responses) and multiple in-person focus groups. This research focussed on developing a better understanding of digital user experiences (UX) and user interface (UI), primarily relating to our current Plan My Trip tool.
WHAT TYPE OF PLANNER ARE YOU?
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PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
WHAT TYPE OF PLANNING STYLE DO YOU USE?
OUTCOMES
IMPACT
The findings provide comprehensive insights into how people plan their outdoor experiences, namely walking/tramping.
Both research projects are immediately paying off as they are already being used to:
We now have good clarity on a range of important planning and preparation topics including, the different types of trip planning styles, key planning steps people take, the different methods of trip planning and the timeframes associated with different types of planning.
» Significantly shape the redevelopment of our Plan My Trip tool » Influence our 2020/21 prevention campaigns and resource development » Influence series two of the hugely successful tramping video series » Influence the content of our websites and digital tools.
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO YOU PLAN YOUR TRIPS?
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Injury claim research Over the past four years we have conducted a significant amount of analysis relating to injury claims (ACC data). The insights we have developed through this analysis have significantly helped to shape our prevention work. We will continue to analyse this data and monitor the changes as we move forward. However, recently we have exhausted all possibilities to learn anything new, because the data does not capture everything we want to know. For example, the data does not tell us exact injury locations, or what caused/ contributed to the injury occurring. Knowing that there was a lot more we wanted to know about injuries, we conducted a large-scale research project involving those people who had suffered a tramping injury in the last 5 years. In partnership with Research NZ and ACC, we sent surveys to 5,000 approved injury claimants. This was a complex research process as Research NZ had to gain access to, and manage, the personal contact details of these claimants, this required ACC Ethics Committee approval. Each person had suffered a moderate to severe injury while tramping, over the last five years. We wanted to know (amongst other things): » The exact track they were on when their injury occurred » From their perspective, what caused their injury » Whether they were tramping solo or as part of a group. The research project was made more complex because we had to send most surveys via the post, due to a lack of electronic contact information. Therefore, the process has spanned many months, a lot longer than a typical online survey. Additionally, the survey begun just prior to COVID-19, so the various Alert Level changes have impacted the progress. Very recently the survey period ended. Overall the response rate was a pleasing 29%, with a margin of error +/- 2.7% at the 95% confidence level. For a survey that primarily required postal distribution this is a good result. Overall, we received just under 1,250 completed responses. Throughout October and November, the detailed submissions will be collated and analysed, with results available ahead of Christmas 2020. We look forward to sharing the results with our Council Members and partners as soon as they are available. We are also excited to incorporate this new insight into our on-going prevention work.
PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
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Text Ferret dashboard
Using Text Ferret market listening We launched a highly sophisticated ‘market listening’ tool - known as Text Ferret that uses AI (artificial intelligence) to identify, classify and analyse large amounts of publicly available digital conversations. Text Ferret is allowing us to develop a greater understanding of our target audiences. Specifically, what they are talking about (topics and themes), what is of interest to them, their sentiment towards topics, and how these conversations are changing over time.
OUTCOME Having very recently been launched we are still learning the most effective methods to incorporate Text Ferret into our work. But the early results are very interesting and already helping shape some of our projects. We can already clearly see the distinct conversations taking place online amongst our target audiences, how they are changing over time and how they are being influenced by events around us, such as COVID-19. The tool will help to influence the content we develop for these participants. When we can see a particular topic of conversation taking off it allows us to either create material to support and influence that conversation, or to leverage off that interest.
IMPACT The true value of an AI tool of this nature will become more evident as we use it consistently over the next year, and as we build up more data to be able to monitor the changes in conversations and predict trends ahead of time, based on historical knowledge. We expect Text Ferret will not only be of value to our prevention work, but also to the work of our Council Member and partners, and we will be sharing the knowledge with them.
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PHOTO: Jo Stilwell
Avalanche Incident Exploration
Expert reports for Coronial investigations We began the year with three reports already in progress. Over the course of the year Coroners asked us to write an additional eight reports for cases they were investigating. As of the end of the financial year we had completed six total reports, with a further five in progress to be completed.
IMPACT
Visualising avalanche data with Otago University We partnered with the University of Otago’s Mountain Research Centre (MRC) to visualise avalanche incident data.
OUTCOME The team at the MRC completed the visualisation of the first round of avalanche incident data (1999 – 2018) by building an interactive web-based GIS map. This visualised the 12 avalanche forecasting regions in New Zealand, and allows users to add layers showing the aspects, elevations, inclination, and proportions of all reported human-involved avalanches.
MSC reports provide Coroners with clear and detailed understanding of the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of life. They allow the Coroner to focus on the key causation factors and provide recommendations for future prevention based on MSC’s detailed understanding of effective prevention. This is the first-time avalanche incidents have been mapped this The reports also provide a foundation for our continued way in New Zealand. partnership with the Coronial Services Unit, who are a key data partner for MSC. MSC uses these reports to enhance our detailed understanding of causation factors. IMPACT Recently, Coroners have requested MSC to release the findings to the media. They see this as part of our ability to positively influence others and use the tragic loss of life as a mechanism to keep others safe. MSC has not asked Coroners to do this, their requests for us to help have developed through our growing partnership and continued trust.
The visualisation provides users (in particular alpine snow sector operators) land users and managers, with detailed insights into avalanche terrain based on actual recorded historical incidents. This provides a real-life human factor overlaid against possible avalanche terrain. This knowledge will help shape decision-making in the avalanche prevention space.
Each of the Coroners findings issued throughout 2019 – 2020 include recommendations made by MSC, in fact, all the recommendations MSC made have been published by Coroners. This is an excellent sign that our reports are of high quality, accurate and meaningful.
Once findings are released, it will give users and operators of avalanche terrain insights into what the places, times and people avalanche incidents are happening in/to.
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We turned our knowledge into action
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A strong evidence-focussed approach requires action, and this year we have used those insights to develop and deliver multiple highly successful initiatives. Each campaign or project we embark on is supported by a robust planning process, a clear and unwavering commitment to a participant-centric mindset, and a solid foundation of evidence to guide our targeted prevention work. While it can be hard to say no to exciting opportunities, and our work is always full of possibilities, we are committed to delivering our Business Plan and focusing on the things we know will make a difference.
PHOTO: Harry Beaumont, July 2019 NZAA Public Observation
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Power BI tool dashboard
Launched our insights dashboards Our ongoing access to data and the continued analysis of this means we have acquired a significant collection of detailed findings. Transitioning from static documents to a future-proofed digital solution, such as Microsoft Power BI, ensures we move away from amassing endless files and retains this essential organisational knowledge in platform that can live on beyond staffing changes.
OUTCOME Working with our insights partner, Litmus Datatech, we have built a comprehensive suite of interactive dashboards which contain almost all our data and findings.
IMPACT The benefits of this tool have been felt immediately. MSC staff can now easily access a huge array of data, in one central place, with no risk of referencing an old version or deleting an important file. We can quickly access data to answer media questions or share on the spot in meetings with Council Members and partners. We can easily use the dashboards as part of workshops or project planning to influence our work quickly and accurately, this supports our evidence based and participant centric philosophies. We have invested in a solution that will save money in the long term by automating some of the on going analysis and presentation of findings.
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PHOTO: Tom Harris
Outdoor Safety Code review
Outdoor Safety Code review In collaboration with DOC, NZSAR, LandSAR, NZ Police, Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Auckland Council we collectively reviewed the existing Outdoor Safety Code. MSC provided detailed insights to support the evidence-based review process, and we facilitated the insights working group who were tasked with developing the evidencebased topics on which the new Code was to be built.
OUTCOME The revised Code renamed the ‘Land Safety Code’ is fresh, evidence-based, actionorientated, and most importantly fit for purpose as a broad-scale public message. It provides a consistent message that multiple organisations can use with confidence, knowing the robust review process.
IMPACT There is a strong feeling the new Code will achieve better participant engagement and understanding, however, this is yet to be proven and will require all organisations to promote effectively. MSC will incorporate some measurement of this into future research projects to determine if the new Code does achieve the desired outcomes.
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ISSUE-SPECIFIC ADVISORY GROUP
Tararua ISAG Discussion Document
Tararua Ranges In the 2018-19 financial year MSC began facilitating an Advisory Group whose role was to develop a range of proposed prevention solutions to reduce safety incidents in the Tararua Ranges. Through 2019-20 the groups work continued as they refined their solutions, and their draft proposal was shared with a wider reference group, and DOC, for feedback. As of 30 June 2020, MSC had reviewed the feedback and submitted a summary report to DOC. Although outside of this Annual Report timeframe, recently DOC and MSC met to discuss the proposals and agree on actions for each of them. We look forward to reporting more on those in our next annual report.
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Tongariro Crossing Incidents
ISSUE-SPECIFIC ADVISORY GROUP
Tongariro Alpine Crossing In the 2018-19 financial year, MSC began facilitating an Advisory Group whose role was to develop a range of proposed prevention solutions to reduce safety incidents on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (TAC). These proposed solutions were sent to a wider reference group, iwi and DOC, for feedback. MSC, DOC and iwi (Ng훮ti T큰wharetoa and local hap큰 Ng훮ti Hikairo ki Tongaririo) met to review and discuss the proposals together. The parties mutually agreed there is an intention to progress some of the suggested ideas towards implementation.
OUTCOME During the multi-partner meeting, each proposed solution was discussed in detail and an action plan developed to identify which party would lead the collaborative work. It was agreed that all eleven proposed solutions have merit; however, due to a range of factors, not all were suitable for implementation immediately and a phased approach would be required to progress them. Several of the proposed solutions have already been implemented by DOC. While not exactly as the report outlines, these interventions are similar to what was proposed, and aim to achieve the same outcomes. All parties agree that these interventions need time to progress and have their impact monitored before any decisions on further refinements are made. Three of the proposed solutions were agreed to in principle but will not progress at this time. This is
due to the impending Treaty settlement process and would require changes to be made to the Tongariro National Park Management Plan and management policies. MSC will take responsibility for leading the work on the remaining proposed solutions. In 2019-20 this has included working with the owners of third-party websites that are relevant to the TAC, to ensure they hold consistent safety advice. The effect of COVID-19 has meant that visitation to the track has been dramatically reduced. This has also delayed progress on new interventions. The intention is to continue this work in the 2020-21 financial year, including setting up a communications group to review existing marketing of the track and to identify steps to influence future marketing.
IMPACT The multiple solutions which have already been implemented by MSC, DOC and other partners has already made a significant impact on the number of incidents on the TAC. Since a peak of 56 incidents in the 2016-17 year, this has reduced to 38 in 2017-18 and only 23 in 2018-19. MSC is awaiting updated SAR data for the 2019-20 year, however early indications from Police are that this number continues to be lower. COVID-19 has certainly had an impact on overall participation numbers since late February with a total reduction in participation in 2019-20 of around 24% from the 2018-19 year, however the total numbers in December and January were also slightly lower than in the two previous years.
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We developed interventions
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Successful prevention initiatives are the outcome of many factors and none of it is by chance. At MSC we see the most success when we are truly evidence based, participant centric, and utilise a range of channels to reach the target audience. Being evidence based ensures we know what the problem is, who it involves, and what the key messages are. Being participant centric means we deliver what the participant needs to be safe, not what we think, or what we want. A clear objective, a strong message, and quality creative assets back this up and bring home the results. This year we have achieved success that some never thought possible.
PHOTO: Tom Harris
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Avalanche Duck Season Advisory Safety Campaign
The Video Campaign is a finalist in the 2020 TVNZ Marketing Awards
Duck Safety Video on Youtube
We developed a targeted video campaign aimed at provoking an emotional response to a firearms handling issue. The campaign targeted duck hunters and was timed for release prior to opening weekend, the main event on the duck hunting calendar when thousands of hunters head to their maimai. Typically, opening weekend is fixed as the first weekend in May, however this year COVID-19 lockdown prevented that. As if delivering a busy campaign was not hard enough, we also had the very short turn-around time between leaving lockdown and opening weekend. While the video was ready to go, it was still a significant challenge to launch it and engage the target audience in a short space of time against the backdrop of lockdown.
IMPACT For the first time in 16 years (since reliable records started) there were zero people shot (either by themselves or by someone else) throughout duck shooting season. Only three firearms related injuries were recorded over the season, this is the lowest total recorded in a single season since reliable records started 16 years ago. Those three incidents involved a firearm being discharged (orange line below) but no one was shot (blue line below). All Duck Season Firearms Incidents
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Duck Season Shooting Incidents
110,000 COMPLETED VIDEO VIEWS
47% The campaign was a significant success on many levels, and the best example of this is our recognition as a finalist in the 2020 TVNZ-NZ Marketing Awards.
VIDEO COMPLETION RATE
12 MEDIA FEATURES
In a short space of time, while targeting a very specific audience, the campaign achieved: » Over 110,000 completed video views at a cost per completed view of less than 10 cents – that’s a lot of views when you consider that those completions included a 60 second version AND a director’s cut at over two minutes duration! » A 47% video completion rate – almost half of the people who started watching the videos, finished watching them. That shows the story was compelling enough to hold the viewer’s attention for a significant period of time. » The campaign contributed a third of all website sessions during the active campaign period – demonstrating that in addition to being an engaging watch, the message was persuasive enough to inspire people to delve deeper to find out more information. » At a time when the media was almost exclusively focussed on COVID-19 and the move to Alert Level 2, we achieved 12 national & regional media features across NewsHub, multiple NZ Herald and NZME channels and independent newspapers. Almost all the digital news articles embedded the video into the article. This was a significant achievement given the story was purely proactive prevention and there were no incidents to drive media attention. » These results do not include the reach, engagement or watches generated by our partners sharing the campaign on their channels. As an example of this, NZ Police reached more than 23,000 people through a single post on Facebook. These results are exceptional when considered in the context of budget (only $11,000 paid promotion), timing and the challenges faced.
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Get Outdoors Week
16-24 Nov 2019
Get Outdoors Week website
We encouraged Kiwis to explore their own backyard, safely. The second Get Outdoors Week ran from 16-24 November 2019. For this week we concentrated on supporting others to organise and run events, promoting them to their communities. We developed a new stand-alone Get Outdoors Week website which was a key step in the evolution of this event. On social media we encouraged participants to get involved and share their outdoor adventures through daily spot prizes and influencer stories. As part of the week we: » Delivered 10 media releases or blogs posts » Distributed 808 posters to DOC education events and visitor centres » Distributed 1,700 pamphlets to event organisers » Supported the establishment of 46 events across the country » Sent 4,000 Scouts a Get Outdoors Week badge
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PHOTOS: Outdoor Kid and Get Outdoors Week participant photos
6,403 GOWEEK.ORG.NZ UNIQUE USERS
272,720 SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS
6,600 SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS
1 Sep 2019 - 5 Nov 2019
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Avalanche Advisory
The avalanche.net.nz website is a finalist in the 2020 Best Awards for User Experience Design
Avalanche.net.nz
The New Zealand Avalanche Advisory continues to be the primary tool used in the prevention of avalanche incidents and represents one of MSC’s greatest ongoing success stories. Through winter/spring 2019 we issued a total of 1,337 specific avalanche advisories covering 12 distinct geographic regions. We focussed our campaign efforts on promoting the public observation tool. Over the course of the winter/spring (June throughout October) the site received 170 public observations, an increase from about 60 the year prior. This growth is an excellent sign the alpine community is beginning to use, and trust, the tool, and the value in sharing observations. In addition to promoting public observations we also: » Utilised Google SEO to increase website traffic » Released a three-part blog series focussed on “forecasts, training and equipment’ » Completed the installation of 62 new avalanche advisory danger signs » Achieved more than 15 proactive national or regional media features referencing the NZ Avalanche Advisory
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All this promotion is working as we can see an increasing number of people using the avalanche advisory website, across winter/spring 2019 (June through to November) the site achieved the highest results in its history. As the busy winter/spring season ended and summer arrived, we completed a significant upgrade to several of the website’s functions. This included improving the user interface for adding InfoEx and public observation data, improving the user experience on mobile devices, adding greater functionality to the map and how it displays public observation data and terminology updates to reflect the latest in international standards. As a final bookend to the financial year, the full team of MSC avalanche forecasters met in Methven during June 2020 for their annual pre-season training. It was great to be able to do this ahead of the 2020 winter because the impacts of COVID-19 on the alpine/ski/snow sector was particularly bad and the full team were able to discuss possible impacts on avalanche forecasting and collaborative plan for a range of scenarios.
1,337 AVALANCHE ADVISORIES
9%
170 PUBLIC OBSERVATIONS
12
6%
FORECASTING REGIONS
Website Page Views
Website Sessions
PUBLIC OBSERVATIONS DURING 2019 WINTER SEASON
Observations per Region
76
Observations per month TOP - BOTTOM: NZAA Observation Bob Miller, NZAA Forecaster Training, NZAA Observations on Map, NZAA Observation Jack Grinsted
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Avalanche Campermate Collaboration Advisory
Delivering on-track information with Campermate Following the successful launch of seven track-specific notification features in 2019, we have worked with Campermate to add another six tracks, which will go live this summer.
OUTCOME Each specific track notification contains contextual information about the track, known hazards and a list of essentials to take. Using geolocation data, the App also provides real time notifications to the user while they are on their journey. This can warn trampers of hazards on the track and also provides prompts at key decision-making points along the way. This technology allows MSC to proactively notify users in the field, a further improvement in our proactive prevention strategy.
IMPACT In 2019-2020 a total of 143,638 users clicked on at least one of the track information pins. We tested the value of this feature and over 90% of users surveyed said they found this feature and the information useful. Those that said they didn’t find it useful noted that they already had all the information and had packed accordingly, or that the weather was fine and they had no issues.
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Screenshots of MSC Features on Campermate App
143,638 PROFILE VIEWS 2019-20
292,717 TOTAL TRACK NOTIFICATIONS SENT
Kauaeranga Kauri Trail NEW
90% USERS SURVEYED FOUND THE INFORMATION USEFUL
Tongariro Alpine Crossing 74,830
Mt Taranaki Summit Route 19,270
Pouakai Crossing NEW
Robert Ridge 21,483
Avalanche Peak Route NEW Mueller Hut Route 44,391 Rees-Dart Track NEW Robert’s Point Track NEW Routeburn Track NEW Ben Lomond Track 34,205 Gertrude Saddle Route 19,787
Kepler Track 78,751
Total track notifications sent June 2019-June 2020
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Sharing our Tramping Videos
Tongariro Alpine Crossing video on the Tourism NZ website
We have been sharing our tramping video series Having launched the 12 videos the year prior, our focus was on ensuring they were available in all the places potential users/viewers might be looking for track information. Our approach is to place safety content where participants are naturally looking for other relevant information. Very few people actively look for safety resources, so it requires a conscious effort to ensure the videos are naturally placed. This leads to higher engagement and greater awareness. Over the year we achieved 25 new digital channels that embedded or linked to at least one of the videos. This includes the likes of Tourism NZ, New Zealand Trails, Wikipedia, Te Araroa Trail, Tongariro Crossing Shuttles, Hiking Project, Climbnz.org.nz, Regional Tourism Organisations and numerous high traffic travel-related blog sites. An example of a key partner/channel placing the videos into their site was MetService. Each video features on the relevant forecast page. These metrics apply from February to July 2020 and are not included in YouTube figures as they use a dedicated video player. In addition to digital placement, we also recognise the value of a physical prompt at key locations. We delivered over 100 posters to localised accommodation providers, transport providers, info-centres and DOC Visitor Centres based on each video location. Each poster had a QR code for the specific video(s). The posters had generated 860 views from QR Codes between late November 2019 – 30 June 2020.
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PHOTOS:Tramping Video Series Filming Season One
269,553 TOTAL VIEWS ON YOUTUBE
34%
OF VIEWS WERE FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES
72,000 VIEWS FROM DOC WEBSITE
Mueller Hut video placed on Aoraki/Mt Cook page on the MetService website
14,326 VIEWS ON METSERVICE WEBSITE
23% WATCHED THE FULL VIDEO ON METSERVICE
IMPACT The impact research we completed last year has already confirmed the significant positive change these videos are having on people’s safety related behaviours. We know the videos continue to make a difference because we can see a decrease in safety incidents on the tracks that feature in the video series. To measure this, we used the summer period (November through to April) of the five years (2013 – 2018) prior to the videos being released. This gave us an annual average of Search and Rescue incidents for all tracks, a total of 67. Then using the single year immediately after the videos were released (November 2018 through to April 2019), we could see a decrease in the annual average to a total of 35. While only one specific track saw a statistically significant decrease (this was the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, with a p-value of 0.05) overall all videos either stayed consistent or decreased. These results are incredibly positive, and we will continue to measure with this approach to monitor on going trends.
Video Views on Youtube 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020
3131
We had tonnes of fun
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Achieving great outcomes requires more than talented people and hard work. A highly functioning team needs a great workplace culture. MSC is committed to fostering a culture that enables staff to achieve the best results, while recognising the need for a healthy life and work balance, and that coming to work each day should be something to look forward to. When we put our work aside and step out of the office, together, for one day each month we do so knowing that this time out, usually recreating in the hills or water around Wellington, is an investment in our team. It ensures we have strong relationships with each other in a context outside the office, it allows us to effectively communicate because we know each other well, and it builds a layer of resilience that enables success even in times of high stress, high workload or when the unknown hits. We’ve reaped the rewards of this investment in our team culture over and over again, and this year was no different thanks to COVID-19.
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Responding to COVID-19 34
Understanding that our audience could not get out and recreate like normal, we wanted to keep them engaged with us, and to use the time during lockdown to inspire trip planning and remaining engaged with our awesome outdoor places.
994 FACEBOOK LIKES GAINED
1.5M FACEBOOK IMPRESSIONS
147,869 FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENTS
77,000 READS OF OUR COVID-19 ARTICLE MARCH 2020 - JUNE 2020
ENGAGING OUR COMMUNITY ONLINE Almost daily we ran a series of competitions across our three Facebook channels, asking people to guess the location of the image, or name the national park/location of the map shown. Over lockdown we gave away 90+ prizes, consisting of Backcountry Cuisine meals, NZAC Guidebooks and TopoMaps. This activity generated a huge increase in our social media engagement.
Alert Level Article on Medium.com
PROVIDING CLARITY ON RECREATION ACTIVITIES Early on as it was clear COVID-19 was going to have a major impact on our lives, Kiwis were searching for clarity on what outdoor recreation they could do during Alert Level 4. We connected with the Ministry of Health and developed an article/blog that provided clear answers. The article was timed perfectly, as this reliable information did not exist anywhere at that point, and as such the response was huge. The story received 77,000 views and was read (start to finish) by 28,000 people. The original post on Facebook was shared more than 570 times.
PHOTO: FrametheAdventureNZ
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33,501 WEBSITE USERS
40,429
The covid19outdoors.nz website is a finalist in the 2020 Best Awards for User Experience Design
WEBSITE SESSIONS
53,000 DIFFERENT SEARCH COMBINATIONS 27 APRIL 2020 - 30 JUNE 2020
Covid19outdoors.nz website
COVID19outdoors.nz Recognising a huge demand for clear information relating to how the Alert Levels applied to specific outdoor recreation activities, we developed covid19outdoors.nz. Users can easily select their location and preferred activity to receive clear activity-specific guidance on whether that activity is allowed, and if there are any special conditions. Water Safety NZ was a key partner, ensuring the guidance for water specific activities was correct, and connecting numerous water-based organisations with the process. Overall, 34 organisations endorsed the site and many more shared it with their members and customers.
TOP 10 ACTIVITY SEARCHES
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11,068 MSC FACEBOOK VIEWS
2,156 YOUTUBE VIEWS
2,244 INSTAGRAM VIEWS MAY 2020 - JUNE 2020
‘Ready, Set, Go’ video
‘Ready, Set, Go’ videos As we neared the end of lockdown, we anticipated a huge surge in people heading outdoors. Worryingly, the release from lockdown came as winter was setting in. We were concerned that many people would race out without giving the change in seasons and onset of winter enough thought. Recognising a need to influence people at this crucial time we developed a series of four videos, titled ‘Ready, Set, Go’. Each video focussed on a key topic relevant to the time of year and changes in conditions that users would encounter.
COVID-19outdoors.nz website supporters
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4,731 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED COURSES
394 COURSES DELIVERED
58 LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE
Firearmsafety.org.nz website
Firearms safety training We continued to deliver firearms safety training in partnership with NZ Police. This was the second year of the revised licensing model. Each year we also deliver training to our 41 professional instructors to ensure they continue their high-quality delivery.
OUTCOME We managed 6,676 applicant bookings, scheduled 445 courses across 58 locations nationwide and had to deal with the cancellation of 51 courses due to COVID-19. Overall, 394 courses were successfully delivered to a total of 4,731 participants. Of that, 4,544, or 96%, completed successfully.
Firearms course
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PHOTO: Hunter’s Journal NZ
18,000 BIVOUAC BROCHURES
12,000 MACPAC BROCHURES
120,000 HUNTING AND FISHING BROCHURES
Kathmandu sharing our Covid-19 website
Outdoor safety retail partnerships This year was a building phase for our retail partnerships. We invested a great deal of time into connecting with each retailer and establishing the projects that we could collaborate on. We were making great progress until COVID-19 arrived, with each retailer significantly affected by lockdown we had to delay this work for approximately three months. Each of our retail partners were very supportive of MSC’s response to COVID-19, especially the build of the covid19outdoors. nz website. Together they accounted for a great deal of the social media traffic referrals. While technically outside of this report’s timeframes, it is important to note that over the last few months all the paused work has started again and there has been a significant amount of progress in a short timeframe. Physical Collateral: We collaborated with Macpac, Bivouac and Hunting & Fishing to develop a two-sided brochure that was inserted into online orders and catalogues.
Kiosks ready to go to stores
In-store Kiosks: we had been trialling eight iPad style kiosks in Macpac and Bivouac stores. We consulted with them to review what worked, and what did not, and built a new kiosk interface which better matched the customer and retailer needs, while promoting key safety information that was useful for all customers. This project will continue into 2020-21 and the new kiosks will be in eight stores during spring 2020. This combines with our retailer staff training. Staff training: All five of the retailers will be involved in staff training. We are building a range of material specifically suited to their training platforms so we can deliver training to their frontline staff through their existing systems. This training will utilise videos and online modules to deliver topics ranging from ‘About MSC’ through to ‘our resources and tools’ and specific outdoor skill based guidance on critical safety topics such as planning and preparation, river safety and field-based decision-making.
WHAT LIES AHEAD? Reflecting on the previous year does not provide a clear sense of what is coming. To provide some insight, here are a few things that we expect to see delivered publicly, or will be worked on, over summer 2020/21. » Bespoke video content » Blog/articles for sharing on their channels (websites, social media) » Increased in-store presence through the rollout of staff training initiatives and branding/safety messaging on select items » Promotion of the re-built Plan My Trip tool
Online sales brochures
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We spread the word Media provide an important channel to reach a large and diverse audience. This is especially important for building brand awareness and trust. Establishing proactive relationships with journalists is allowing MSC to create positive safety stories that do not involve a tragedy, and typically feature more prevention messages. They are also critical for conveying the broader work we do and changing the public perception that we only do things related to ‘mountains’.
128 TOTAL MEDIA ARTICLES THAT REFERENCE MSC
33 PROACTIVE FEATURES GENERATED BY MSC
82 REACTIVE PIECES
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Note: MSC does not include articles published on Voxy, Scoop, MSN, Yahoo, or any overseas website when counting these metrics. We use Meltwater to automatically monitor media pickup and then check each one to confirm. Only digital articles are captured. Radio and TV pieces are not included in the above metrics unless a written story was generated. Procactive Features: Generated by MSC pitching a story to media Reactive Features: Due to an incident or a story whereby a journalist reached out to MSC.
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Advertising to support our prevention campaigns Our approach to paid advertising has changed significantly. Historically, advertising was the primary tactic we used to reach our target audiences; this is no longer the case. Advertising is now one part of four key campaign tactics: our own channels, our partners’ channels, the media, and advertising. In addition to our campaign focus we also utilise an ‘always on’ approach to growing our brand. Primarily we do this through highly efficient Google AdWords, optimising our SEO, and our YouTube channel. Growing our media presence is also a critical tactic here too. To achieve great results when we do invest in digital advertising, we have partnered with GSL Promotus. This gives us access to a full service marketing agency who have a dedicated ‘MSC team’ of digital specialists who are invested in our success, care about our work, and love to make a difference to the lives of New Zealanders. This ensures we can access these specialist skills but do not pay for them when they are not needed. We can also access much cheaper digital advertising rates with GSL Promotus, so our campaigns are more effective. Over the year we have delivered paid advertising as part of the following campaigns or brand awareness: Avalanche season through winter and spring Duck hunting season Roar hunting season (planned but not delivered due to COVID-19) Plan My Trip tool MSC brand SEO MSC brand Google AdWords MSC YouTube Channel MSC Facebook accounts Outdoor Intentions Get Outdoors Week 2019 When we wanted to reach distinct audiences, we advertised or collaborated with specific channels. This is often required to reach hunters who have their preferred channels. NZDA Editoral PointsSouth AA Taveller NZAC Hunter’s Journal Magazine TopoMap Chill Studio Trademe NZME MetService New Zealand Geozone/RoadTrippers
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PHOTO: FrametheAdventureNZ
23,875 IMPRESSIONS
4,285 CLICKS
17.95% CLICK THROUGH RATE
$0.28 AVERAGE COST PER CLICK
3.3min AVERAGE SESSION DURATION
0.49% BOUNCE RATE
6.74 PAGES PER SESSION ‘ALWAYS ON’ MSC BRAND AWARENESS GOOGLE ADWORDS JULY 2019 - JUNE 2020
70%
of all avalanche fatalities occurred while climbing or mountaineering 1999-2018 SOURCE: NZ MOUNTAIN SAFETY COUNCIL
1 BACKCOUNTRY SKIING
1 BACKCOUNTRY SNOWBOARDING
1 OTHER/UNKNOWN
It could be your best mate 80% of misidentified target shootings were members of the same party. Don’t end someone’s life. Always identify your target.
2 TRAMPING
3 HELISKIING
19 CLIMBING + MOUNTAINEERING
9
1
2 3 4 5
10
8
6
SPIKER?
PHOTO: ZHI YUEN YAP
Prepare for your hunt
mountainsafety.org.nz
GET THE TRAINING
CARRY THE EQUIPMENT
!
CHECK THE FORECAST
avalanche.net.nz
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Our reach metrics
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FACEBOOK (MSC + ALPINE + HUNTING)
3,305,204 TOTAL IMPRESSIONS 134,300 VIDEO VIEWS 36,786 TOTAL LIKES
MOUNTAINSAFETY.ORG.NZ
71%
68% 5.6%
We significantly decreased our advertising spend on Facebook compared with previous years.
110,877 SESSIONS
30%
79,957 UNIQUE USERS
28% YOUTUBE
The decrease in website metrics is related to changes with Plan My Trip, specifically how the compact version loads on third party sites.
436,891 TOTAL VIEWS
23%
2,674,460 IMPRESSIONS
69%
22,469 TOTAL HOURS WATCHED
10%
3.05min AVERAGE WATCH TIME
56s
AVALANCHE.NET.NZ INSTAGRAM (MSC)
250,857TOTAL PAGE VIEWS
7.6%
845,811
139,439 SESSIONS
9.7%
48,491 UNIQUE USERS
9.8%
28,025 11,314
TOTAL REACH
81.4% 85%
TOTAL PHOTO ENGAGEMENTS
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
4.32%
INSTAGRAM (NZAA)
141,737 FIREARMSAFETY.ORG.NZ
200,741
TOTAL PAGE VIEWS
48,243 SESSIONS 22,412 UNIQUE USERS
TOTAL REACH
1,767
TOTAL PHOTO ENGAGEMENTS
1,589
TOTAL FOLLOWERS
62.5%
19.6%
3.6%
36% 42%
43,167 IMPRESSIONS PHOTO: Marli Wingens
1.2%
72%
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Summarised Financial Statements 46
Note MSC has applied Public Benefit Entity Simple Format Reporting - Accrual (Not for Profit). These summarised financial statements have been extracted from the Performance Report (PR) which was authorised for issue by the Executive Committee on 2 October 2020. The PR has been audited and an unqualified opinion was issued. These summarised financial statements have not been audited. The summarised financial statements cannot be expected to provide as complete an understanding as provided by the PR. A copy of the PR can be obtained by contacting MSC.
Thank you A huge thank you to our funders for their continued support.
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION - AT 30 JUNE 2020
2020
2019
116,094
156,902
116,094
156,902
Assets Property, plant and equipment Non-current Assets Inventory, debtors & prepayments Term deposits Bank accounts Current Assets Total Assets Current Liabilities Retained Earnings
90,082
137,037
860,000
300,000
102,490
458,973
1,052,572
896,010
$1,168,666
$1,052,912
430,237
288,543
738,429
764,369
$1,168,666
$1,052,912
New Zealand Lottery Grants Board
1,115,910
1,300,000
New Zealand Police
263,600
270,125
New Zealand Search and Rescue Council
172,000
206,320
85,000
85,000
-
9,000
61,037
125,730
Total Liabilities and Retained Earnings
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE - YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 Revenue Providing goods or services
Sport New Zealand Department of Conservation Other Other revenue Interest and sundry Total Revenue
18,967
36,756
1,716,514
2,032,931
Expenditure Employee related costs
745,238
765,682
Providing goods or services
997,216
1,118,894
Total Expenditure
1,742,454
1,884,576
Surplus
$(25,940)
$148,355
CASH FLOW STATEMENT - YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2020 Net Cash Flows from Operating Activities
259,212
(5,204)
Net Cash Flows from Investing Activities
(615,695)
394,785
Opening cash balance Closing Cash Balance
458,973
69,392
$102,490
$458,973
This is represented by: Bank accounts Closing Cash Balance
102,490
458,973
$102,490
$458,973
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#MakeItHomeNZ
mountainsafety.org.nz
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