Connecting opportunities, building the future together! Looking back on 2024 with YIJU by your side
As 2024 draws to a close, we look back on a year in which YIJU not only grew but also delivered outstanding achievements for clients and partners through exceptional service and innovative practices.
As 2024 draws to a close, we look back on a year in which YIJU not only grew but also delivered outstanding achievements for clients and partners through exceptional service and innovative practices.
A particular highlight was welcoming a prominent new member to our team this year: Patrick English, former Consul-General in Guangzhou and former Executive Director of the New Zealand China Council, officially joined YIJU as Chief Executive Officer in 2024, bringing substantial expertise and an international perspective.
A leading figure joins to open new possibilities
Patrick English has worked in international trade since 1989, particularly in roles involving China, serving as Trade Commissioner and Consul-General in Shanghai, Beijing and southern China. He also represented New Zealand Trade and Enterprise on the negotiating team for the New Zealand–China Free Trade Agreement and led the agreement’s market implementation programme.
Patrick English brings decades of experience in international trade, business consultancy and diplomacy, including 14 years living in China. His professional insights and extensive networks have brought fresh energy to YIJU and strengthened our role as a bridge between the New Zealand and Chinese markets. His deep understanding of Chinese-speaking Asian markets and New Zealand’s distinctive business environment gives our team and clients confidence. Under Patrick’s leadership, YIJU has explored more innovative and efficient solutions, creating significant value for clients.
Highlights of 2024
This year, we achieved outstanding results across several areas:
Launch of the NZCBIA construction industry report
The New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association (NZCBIA) commissioned prominent New Zealand economist Shamubeel Eaqub to write the NZCBIA Annual Construction Industry Report, an annual update on New Zealand’s building, construction and property sectors. MultiMarketing/YIJU New Zealand managed and coordinated the report, including its design, marketing, media promotion and publicity plan.
This groundbreaking industry report was launched in Auckland and at New Zealand’s Parliament, setting a benchmark for industry credibility and influence. It was cited in Parliament and highly praised by industry leaders, demonstrating our excellence in strategic project management.
The strategy behind the report was to establish an annual publication rather than a one-off release, expanding its scope to reflect key issues and highlight current challenges. NZCBIA’s board and members gave the report strong support through sponsorship and participation in events. The NZCBIA Annual Construction Industry Report exemplifies the MultiMarketing/YIJU New Zealand team’s strategic involvement, planning and execution.
NZIBES events
From Auckland to Christchurch, we successfully held a series of events attended by more than ten thousand construction industry professionals. The North Island expo in Auckland featured more than 110 exhibitors and attracted over 10,000 visitors. The South Island expo in Christchurch featured 40 exhibitors and drew more than 2000 visitors. At the gala dinner on 9 August, nearly 1000 prominent New Zealand political and business figures and construction industry leaders gathered to witness the announcement and presentation of the 2024 NZCBIA Excellence Award and special awards.
These events provided platforms for industry communication and cooperation while showcasing the construction sector’s enormous potential and future direction. Through them, we strengthened connections within and beyond the industry and encouraged more collaboration across sectors.
Jackery’s global strategy
Patrick travelled to China to meet Jackery’s global team and advise on its brand strategy in New Zealand. Founded in California, United States, in 2012, Jackery aims to bring green energy to everyone. In 2016, Jackery launched its first portable outdoor power station, developing its first portable solar panel two years later. By introducing solar generators to the outdoors, Jackery has met the power needs of nature lovers. Our partnership with Jackery demonstrates both our strong ability to bring international resources together and our distinctive strength in combining global thinking with local practice.
New Zealand property and construction delegation visits China
In September 2024, MultiMarketing helped the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association (NZCBIA) plan and manage its first international trade visit. The delegation mainly visited Shenzhen and Changsha in China and met New Zealand’s ambassador in Beijing. For some participants, the trip offered an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of China’s building products, construction sector and modular building industry. MultiMarketing’s new Chief Executive Officer, Patrick English, represented the company on the visit.
Meetings and seminars gave delegates excellent opportunities to network, learn and, most importantly, build relationships with one another. Several relationships and business leads are now being followed up. Participants generally regarded the trip as a success on several levels, and delegates are looking forward to the China trade visit in 2025.
Strengthening long-term partnerships
We strengthened our relationships with long-standing partners including Barfoot & Thompson, James Hardie and Brilliance Steel, helping them expand their influence in Chinese-speaking markets through tailored marketing programmes. Our targeted marketing and comprehensive service earned consistent recognition from partners, particularly in property and construction.
Welcoming new clients
We successfully signed several new clients this year, tailoring strategies for their entry into New Zealand’s property and construction markets and rapidly raising brand awareness through creative content and events.
Content creation and distribution
From WeChat official account articles and professional video content to magazine columns, high-quality original content remains central to our work, helping clients communicate their brands precisely and connect with audiences across platforms. In 2024, YIJU’s WeChat official account published more than 350 articles and 150 original videos, growing its following by 133% over the year. Videos and articles collectively attracted tens of millions of views and reads. The most-read article reached nearly 200,000 reads, while the most popular WeChat Channels video recorded 4,880,000 views. By gaining a deep understanding of market needs, we created several pieces of content with strong click-through and conversion rates.
Co-organising numerous events
Throughout the year, we actively participated in and co-organised more than ten significant events. These included events for organisations and businesses such as EMA CBC, PlaceMakers, NZIBES and Barfoot & Thompson, alongside trade promotion council visits, a parliamentary launch and a mid-year reception that attracted considerable attention from political and business circles. Covering a range of themes, these events drew broad participation from industry leaders and further strengthened our industry standing and influence. They enabled us to build bridges for industry communication and cooperation while demonstrating our excellence in event planning, coordination, delivery and publicity, continuing to advance industry innovation and progress.
Connecting opportunities, building the future together
Throughout the year, our mission remained constant: to create growth and value for clients. Whether through WeChat official account content, videos, magazine columns or industry events, we remained committed to being the most reliable bridge between our clients and their target markets.
Collaboration and innovation are our core strengths. Our deep understanding of New Zealand and Chinese business cultures enables meaningful cross-cultural communication in our projects, delivering tangible market impact for clients.
Our achievements in 2024 are just the beginning. We will keep working hard, pushing our capabilities further and creating more opportunities for our clients to succeed.
We thank every client, partner and supporter of YIJU. You make our story more remarkable! Together, let’s welcome a new year filled with growth, success and connection!