Exploring Ōtautahi: Our Partnership with Lincoln University
Some of our learning from the past year…
Kia ora Ako Ōtautahi whānau!
As Ako Ōtautahi we can act as an explorer in Ōtautahi Christchurch, seeking out a more authentic and fulfilling life through learning. As part of this, we’re thrilled to share a highlight of our journey from this year: a fantastic partnership with Lincoln University!
Our Challenge: Making Learning Visible
We know that a role Ako Ōtautahi plays plays is to act as a connector—linking people, organisations, and learning opportunities across the city. But how do we make that idea truly resonate with everyday Cantabrians? How do we show everyone that Ōtautahi Christchurch itself is a vibrant, thriving Learning City?
That was the big challenge we posed to a passionate group of students at Lincoln University’s Marketing MKTG681 course.
In July, Sam and Erica, members of the Ako Ōtautahi team had the privilege of visiting the Lincoln campus. We met with approximately 190 students—a diverse group including international learners, local students, and marketing professionals studying remotely.
Led by Paula Arbouw, the students were tasked with a unique project: helping us craft a compelling brand narrative that explains exactly what we are about—not in corporate jargon, but in a way that’s relatable and down-to-earth. We wanted them to imagine Ako Ōtautahi as a person you could connect with, guiding the community on an exciting learning journey.
We shared our background, our mission, our current collaborators (like the WDEN), and Stories of Impact to give them a real sense of our network.
The results were truly inspiring!
The sheer volume of students involved meant we received a massive influx of fresh, creative thinking. The students took our need to be a connector and ran with it, developing fantastic ideas for how we could:
Shorten and strengthen our brand name (like focusing on "Ako Ōtautahi").
Create a brand persona that invites curiosity and escapes boredom.
Develop tangible offerings for the public, such as "learning scavenger hunts" or interactive challenges to drive engagement.
Make our online presence clearer, friendlier, and focused on the "what’s in it for me" factor for the community.
The Power of Collaboration
This partnership was a huge win for everyone involved. For the students, it provided a valuable real-world marketing challenge that gave them insight into the local social enterprise ecosystem. For us, we gained a wealth of actionable marketing narratives and creative strategies developed by the next generation of communicators.
We are so grateful to Paula and all the students at Lincoln University for their dedication and brilliant insights. It’s through these powerful collaborations—connecting academic learning with real community needs—that we truly build a Learning City that thrives.
What's next? We'll be taking these innovative concepts and working to integrate them into our communication strategy, ensuring the Ako Ōtautahi journey is clearer and more engaging for everyone in Canterbury!