Above: Police dog (credit: Jane Dunn Photography) and NZ Police brand and marketing manager Jess Bovey.
Dog pics and funny memes might not be the standard formula for law enforcement comms. NZ Police’s Jess Bovey says it’s all about engaging the public in a fun way so they’ll pay attention when the message is serious.
When you think of New Zealand Police, what comes to mind?
Roadside officers with speed radars? Random breath tests? A four-legged friend in a banana suit?
If the last one sounds familiar, it’s thanks to brand and marketing manager Jess Bovey. She’s out to prove the police don’t always have to be serious.
“What we don’t want is boring corporate comms,” says Bovey. “The puppy is cute, but they’re still operational assets for police. They’ve got a job to do, so we know that a post like that is likely to get higher engagement.”
Some might call it unconventional, but Bovey’s approach is intentional.
“We work in an industry that isn’t exactly glamorous, and there’s only so much you can say about law enforcement. Most Kiwis don’t interact with police frequently, so social media becomes a key touchpoint where they form opinions about what police do – or don’t do. That’s why it’s crucial for us, as an organisation, to own that space.”
Whether it’s pups on duty or a pie chart asking: ‘Should you wear a seatbelt?’ (all segments of the pie say yes) this kind of content “humanises the brand”, she says.
Tone comes first
When Bovey joined NZ Police eight and a half years ago, the combined following across its major platforms was under 900,000. Now, they’ve ticked over 2.8 million.
“I think that’s proof the system works,” she says. “Now we’re in a good place, having adopted this tone online to connect with communities we couldn’t reach before.
“It certainly hasn’t been an easy journey,” she adds. “There’s been a lot of testing, refining and ‘told you so’ moments before we built that trust, both internally and with the public.”
While puppies and funny memes help grow followers, Bovey says real success comes down to striking the right balance.
“There are certain topics we’re just not going to joke about. We know where the line is, and our audience has come to expect that from us. When the tone isn’t matey and there’s no banter, they know it’s serious. It might be something like: ‘Listen up, New Zealand – we’ve just lost 12 people on our roads.’ I feel like the public has started to recognise our tone.
“Tone comes first,” she adds. “A key thing for marketers in general, especially in social, is the ability to read the room and know when to jump on a funny trend and when not to.”
What makes the cut
This approach is reflected in how Bovey and the team structure content.
“We operate with key content pillars: operational, prevention and community engagement,” she says.
“Operational content is what most people follow Police for. It could be crisis comms, or posts like: ‘There’s been an accident on the motorway, please avoid the area.’
“Then you’ve got prevention, another core part of policing – ‘don’t drink and drive’ or ‘don’t steal cars’.
“And there’s the community engagement layer – that’s your cop picking up fluffy ducklings off the motorway, your #Fridayfloof or a wholesome story,” says Bovey. She mentions a recent post about a four-year-old boy who became a hero after dialling 111 when his mum suffered a seizure.
The pillars all serve a purpose and complement each other nicely, she adds.
“I always say to people: ‘If it doesn’t fit into one of those three buckets, we wouldn’t post it.’”
Small but mighty
Beyond social media, Bovey and her crew manage recruitment marketing, brand use, campaigns and NZ Police’s TV presence, such as Motorway Patrol.
“I have so many hats on. My head should be tilting to the side at this point,” she laughs.
“We’re a really small team. When we’re at full capacity, there are eight of us.”
When they won the Marketing and Communications Team of the Year at The Worthies in March, Bovey couldn’t have been prouder.
“I love that they put ‘small but mighty’ on our award, because those are the words I’ve always used to describe them, whether they liked it or not.”
NZ Police’s Worthies entry leaned into campaigns produced solely in-house, including one featuring commissioner of police Richard Chambers, encouraging New Zealand officers in Australia to return home.
“Australia police jurisdictions have been targeting their recruitment campaigns towards our police officers,” says Bovey. “And we weren’t willing to accept their aggressive marketing without putting out a counter offer.
“We knew [Chambers] was flying out internationally and we were like, ‘We want to film you at the airport, so it literally looks like you’re leaving to go bring these officers back home.’”
The campaign is “quintessentially Kiwi,” showing Chambers “packing his bag with Jelly Tip chocolate, Pineapple Lumps and talking about how shit the coffee is in Australia,” she laughs.
Within a week of filming, the video was live.
“He absolutely loved it and the commentary was great on our channels.”
It’s all about balance
When asked about leading an award-winning team, Bovey says the secret is balance.
“Police is 24/7. I’m not a shop that closes at five saying, ‘Hey, our customer service team will be back at 9am.’ This is why it’s so important to remind my staff, especially when the days get tough, to shut the laptop, go for a walk, touch some grass and come back fresh.”
Taking time away from work helps her maintain perspective and purpose.
“Genuinely, I do just want to make a difference. I often remind myself that I’m not a cop, but I do have the power to change somebody’s perception of police in a simple interaction.”
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 87, June-August 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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