We're giving companies whose products achieve the Consumer Recommends status the opportunity to apply for a licence to use the Consumer NZ brandmark on products and in their promotions.

What is the brandmark?
The Consumer Recommends status is awarded to the very best products tested by Consumer NZ. Products must meet specific criteria based on the results of rigorous comparative tests and analysis.

The brandmark will only be licensed for use with the recommended product and will include the model number. It won't be allowed to promote a product category or brand generally.

Companies will pay to use the brandmark and the licence will be valid for six months. Companies can apply for a renewal at the expiry of their licence term.

Revenue from the brandmark licence will enable Consumer NZ to fund more research and testing.

Why are we doing it?
Our research on hundreds of products from washing machines to toasters is known for its thoroughness and independence. Consumers trust us and our members follow our recommendations. The brandmark will provide all consumers with "at a glance" information on products that have been awarded the Consumer Recommends status.

Use of the brandmark will increase Consumer NZ's presence on the street and will show more people the range of products we research as well as the value of our testing. We hope that when consumers see the brandmark - in shops, in advertisements or through media coverage - they'll be encouraged to join Consumer NZ and enjoy our full-member benefits.

Companies know that a recommendation from Consumer NZ can lead to commercial success. Many companies already refer to our research - although the references are sometimes incorrect or out-of-date. They're also often done without our permission. A licensing arrangement will allow us to more effectively control this.

Our independence
Our independence is what sets us apart from other organisations. We assure you that our independence won't be compromised by the endorsement programme.

We won't be changing the way we do things. We'll still select the products for testing based on market research, and we'll continue to buy products from stores. We will also approve all uses of the brandmark. If we see any reason that our independence may be compromised, we can decide not to allow a licence.

Subscriptions
Members and report buyers quite rightly prize and guard the information we research on their behalf. The integrity of these subscriptions will be maintained.

We won't be releasing any extra information to the public through this scheme. Full research information - including details of testing, evaluations, profiles and product comparisons - will still be available only to our members or report buyers.

Recommendations won't be based on price. So only members and report buyers will have access to products that are "worth considering" based on their price.

More information

Endorsement programme - read more about the programme with our FAQs
 

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