New Zealand Blood Service Appoints DDB Group for Donor Recruitment Push

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) has appointed DDB Group agencies Mango Communications and TRACK Tribal to lead two major national initiatives aimed at increasing blood and plasma donations across Aotearoa.

The appointments follow a competitive pitch process and reflect NZBS’s renewed focus on innovation, digital transformation and storytelling to connect with more New Zealanders and inspire long-term donor relationships.

Mango will lead a multi-channel campaign to promote plasma and blood donations and support the launch of new donor centres in the next 12 months. These campaigns will integrate PR, social media, influencer engagement, and experiential activations.

TRACK Tribal has been tasked to review and optimise the NZBS’s donor experience. The agency will deliver a comprehensive donor experience strategy and comms designed to grow the donor base and increase donation frequency, with a focus on smart data use and digital transformation.

New Zealand Blood Service says the agency's appointments were driven by strong strategic thinking and a clear understanding of NZBS’s mission.

Feedback provided to the agencies was that they were really impressed by the strategic insights and creative strength from both Mango and TRACK Tribal. In particular, their ideas were thoughtful, creative, and grounded in real expertise across multiple disciplines. New Zealand Blood says it's excited to see how their work helps more New Zealanders engage with blood and plasma donation.

“It’s a privilege to support such an important cause,” said Sean Brown, managing director of Mango.

“Encouraging more Kiwi to become regular plasma and blood donors is meaningful work and we’re thrilled to bring the full weight of PR, social, and experiential offering to this project.”

James Blair, group managing director, DDB Group adds, "This is a fantastic opportunity to apply our strengths in CX and data. We’re looking forward to helping NZ Blood leverage its rich data ecosystem to better engage with donors and deliver a seamless, compelling experience across every touchpoint.”