Smith&Smith®

Smith&Smith® is New Zealand’s leading vehicle glass specialist, offering expert services in glass recalibration, replacement, and repair. While the customer experience is at the heart of the brand, a strong internal culture and well-supported frontline teams are just as critical to delivering on that promise.

As a Marketing Coordinator, my role has primarily focused on the internal side of marketing — supporting the people behind the business through event planning, internal communications, and cross-team marketing initiatives.

Role : Marketing coordinator

Projects for Smith&Smith®

150 Year Internal Celebration

Best of New Zealand Event

History Deep dive

150 year Gala dinner

Close up of the History timeline I designed for the 150th Celebration of Smith&Smith®

150 Year Internal Celebration

One of my core responsibilities was planning and executing an internal event for a company-wide 150 year birthday celebration of the Smith&Smith® brand. This event played a key role in keeping staff across the country connected to the brand, aligned with company goals, and motivated in their work.

Coordinating logistics and schedules across multiple sites
Creating branded collateral and run sheets
Liaising with stakeholders to ensure messaging alignment
Managing vendor relationships (venues, catering, printing, etc.)

PROJECT TIMEFRAME: February - May 2025

Tech used: CANVA, Microsoft Office

These experiences sharpened my ability to manage complex logistics, adapt quickly, and communicate clearly under pressure.

The Best of New Zealand Competition held at the Cloud, Auckland Viaduct

Project: Best Of New Zealand competition

Best of New Zealand is a bi-annual competition held by Smith&Smith® to find the top vehicle glass technician in New Zealand. My role within the project was primarily to support the project lead in the organisation and co-ordination of the event planning. I lead the communication to attendees and invitations sent out on behalf of the Managing director.

During the event, I was a point of call for our team and vendors at the venue.

EDM
Invitation tracking and reporting through Excel
Collateral design
Liasing with vendors before and during the event

PROJECT TIMEFRAME: January - June 2025

Tech used: Canva, Microsoft Excel, Campaign Monitor,

History Deep dive

Back to the top

I was fortunate to dive into the rich history if the iconic Smith&Smith® brand as a component of the collateral design for the 150 year Gala dinner where our managing director shared the timeline of the rich history of the brand.

This component of the project consisted of online research, interviews with colleagues and reaching out to local archives.

Photo of the first Smith&Smith location in the Dunedin Octagon, 1876

Project: Smith & Smith
150 Year Anniversary Campaign

This inventory management project gives the businesses clear data points to use for business planning and to prepare for future business sales.

Overview

Smith & Smith, New Zealand’s leading windscreen replacement, recalibration, and repair company, celebrated 150 years in business — a milestone marking a journey from humble beginnings in painting and decorating to becoming an industry innovator. The campaign celebrated resilience, pioneering spirit, and the hard work of generations of team members.

Objectives

Foster brand pride and team bonding across the nationwide network
Deliver a memorable gala dinner for key account customers (70%+ external guest target)
Create useful, cost-effective anniversary gifts for all team members
Showcase company milestones in a way that resonated with both historic and modern audiences

Concept

Guided by the theme “Pioneering Spirit – Making a Memorable Difference with Care”, the campaign blended historical storytelling with modern brand achievements. The visual centrepiece was a history timeline featuring significant milestones, such as:

The development of “Steelite” paint in the 1920s
Support of John Hustace’s paint tin lid innovation
First in the local industry to recycle windscreens
First end-to-end online booking system in the NZ windscreen industry

This combination of legacy and innovation positioned the brand as both proud of its past and committed to the future.

Execution

History Timeline: 2x3m printed display showcased at the “Best of New Zealand” competition, later repurposed for ongoing internal use.
Tooling Timeline: An interactive table display featuring real historical tools for tactile engagement.
Event Management: Led planning and execution for the internal celebrations and gala dinner.
Brand Story Installations: Transformed pull-up banners into reusable canvases of competition winners for ongoing display at future events and in head office.
Collaborations: Worked closely with a photographer and videographer to capture the campaign and events.

Challenges & Solutions

Archival Limitations: Sourced historic photos despite a fragmented archive system by engaging with long-standing team members and creative research.
Budget Constraints: Partnered with a printer able to meet quality needs within budget.
Sustainable Assets: Adapted event materials into reusable formats to extend value beyond the 150-year celebration.

Results

100% of anniversary gifts delivered to all network members
Achieved targeted external guest attendance at the gala dinner
Positive client feedback, including key customer recognition that the “pioneering spirit and love of innovation” resonated deeply
Event assets repurposed for ongoing brand storytelling, maximising ROI

My Contribution & Learnings

As project lead, I oversaw concept development, event planning, creative execution, and cross-functional coordination. Working closely with the General Manager sharpened my project management skills, taught me the protocols of Belron NZ, and reinforced my preference for digital project tracking systems like Notion.

Proudest Moment: Creating campaign elements that honoured the company’s 150-year journey while delivering long-term value for future events and brand storytelling.