NZ Coop Icons Campaign

Celebrating New Zealand’s cooperative and mutual icons.

Cooperative history in NZ

Meet the people and organisations shaping a better future through New Zealand’s cooperative and mutual movement.

The Icons campaign is an original initiative of the Business Council of Co-operative and Mutuals (BCCM).

The BCCM and Cooperative Business NZ have partnered to highlight the contribution of cooperatives and mutuals across Australasia during the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC 2025) and we are incredibly grateful for their support.

The campaign is a year-long celebration of the inspiring stories, achievements and impact of New Zealand cooperatives and mutuals, and the people in them.

Through social media and our website, we’ll spotlight icons that exemplify the cooperative spirit, proving that together, we build a better world.

We’ll showcase how these member-driven organisations drive social and economic impact locally and globally, offering real solutions to today’s challenges.

 

What is the NZ Coop Icons campaign?

The NZ Coop Icons campaign is a year-long celebration of the inspiring stories, achievements and impact of New Zealand co-ops and mutuals.

It is a social media-driven campaign on LinkedIn, as well as the nz.coop and stories.coop websites.

Our focus will be on enhancing social media engagement while leveraging your networks, channels, members and stakeholders. We encourage you to take an active role in driving the distribution of content. This is a collective effort.

 

What type of stories are we telling?

We are collecting stories about the past, present and future of our co-operatives and mutuals and we encourage the telling of your origin stories too. Visual elements are crucial in driving the storytelling to convey the depth and impact of our narratives.

Please read and follow the steps to get involved and submit your icon story.

We’d appreciate receiving your stories soon, as we’re aiming to gather as many as possible. Feel free to submit multiple entries.

NZ Coop Icons campaign

How to get involved

1. Follow the campaign

Celebrate the incredible impact of cooperatives and mutuals! Follow, like, share and comment on our Icons posts on LinkedIn.

2. Submit your story

Showcase your organisation or leadership and the value their bring to your members. Download our communications kit and share your story today to be featured in our NZ Coop Icons campaign and inspire others with your impact.

3. Browse our Icons gallery

Explore the stories of New Zealand’s cooperative and mutual icons and see how co-ops and mutuals like you are making a difference.

Discover the stories of New Zealand’s cooperative and mutual icons.

Our NZ Coop Icons social media campaign and gallery features stories, photos and videos of our co-op and mutual icons with highlights of their achievements and impact and insights.​

We’ll feature new icons regularly, celebrating:

Two men walking down a road

Trailblazers

Cooperatives and mutuals breaking new ground in industries like health, housing, finance and renewable energy.

A taste of local culture

Innovation

Co-op and mutual projects and initiatives addressing challenges like climate change, housing affordability and food security.

Mark McLean, CEO SBS Bank and winner of 2024 Leader of the Year Award

Inspiration

Leaders and members who champion cooperative and mutual support in their communities.

dairy has been part of the fabric of New Zealand for decades

Origin stories

How and why New Zealand co-ops and mutuals began, and their ongoing service to members.

Cooperatives and mutuals build a better world.