Tuesday / June 17. 2025
menu-logo menu-logo
brand-logo
Subscribe
Subscribe
Tuesday / June 17. 2025
  • Read
    • Daily News
      • Financial
      • Insights
      • U.S.
      • International
    • Digital Issue
    • Executive Announcements
    • Cover Stories
    • Feature Articles
      • Exclusive Interviews
    • International Focus
    • Company Spotlights
    • Forward Thinking
    • Legal Briefs
    • Insights from the Outside
    • For You | For Your Field
    • Working Smart
  • Listen & Watch
    • Direct Approach Podcast
    • SHIFT podcast
    • The DSN Podcast
  • Attend
    • DSU Fall 2025
  • Achieve
    • Global 100 List
    • Bravo Awards
    • Best Places to Work
    • Legends
  • Research
    • Stock Watch
    • The DSN Guide
    • Supplier Directory
    • Stock Ticker
    • Resources
  • Engage
    • Supporter Program
    • VIP Text Alerts
  • About
    • About DSN
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Connect
  • Search
Subscribe

New Image: Kiwi Ingenuity on a Global Stage

BY Jenny Vetter | September 22, 2023 | read / Company Spotlights

Founded | 1984

Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand

Top Executives:
Graeme Clegg, Founder & Chairman
Rod Taylor, CEO

Product Category | Health and Wellness

New Zealand’s untouched wilderness, preservation efforts and focus on sustainability have generated a demand for its products around the world. Beyond its clean and green reputation, this island nation is known for its innovation and pioneering spirit, as Kiwis have creatively tackled the challenges of New Zealand’s isolated location in the world for over 183 years. New Image founder Graeme Clegg has captured both facets of the New Zealand story—purity and creativity—in the company he’s built over 40 years, sharing the power of New Image’s products and opportunity throughout the world.

A New Zealand Story

If you ask Graeme Clegg, New Zealanders are the first to see the sun each day.

“There’s no such thing as the top of the world and the bottom of the world,” he shared. “We’re conditioned from the day we are born. For example, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but of course it doesn’t. The world rotates. Sometimes, we’re conditioned to accept things which are not realistic but we believe.”

The New Image founder learned early on that the status quo way of looking at the world just wasn’t for him. His story is a classic New Zealand tale: Kiwi farm boy turned world-record-holding sheep shearer, who eventually purchased his own farm. But long days of arduous work weren’t getting Graeme to the financial success he’d been aspiring to. He found himself working for a bank, spending all his energy on paying the mortgage on the farm. As he worked, he also watched his younger brother and both of his parents fight and tragically lose battles to cancer.

“That was a wakeup call,” Graeme remembered. “The realization was that genetically I was likely to also be a victim of the Grim Reaper. I took the knowledge that I’d learned from my sheep farming. I often wondered whether we were guided by nature as to what we should eat. The mission of New Image is to make the world aware again that we’ve got this special life force, this special substance that Mother Nature gave us.”

That special substance is colostrum—the thick, nutrient-rich fluid produced by mammals, including humans, in the first few days after giving birth. Often referred to as “liquid gold” for its concentration of protective nutrients, antibodies, growth factors and immune-boosting qualities, colostrum is essential for newborn mammals’ survival. Colostrum is only produced for those first three days before the mother produces a consistent supply of milk for her baby. Graeme had witnessed the power of colostrum in rearing sheep and cows, as he’d seen that infant animals would die without this essential substance protecting them from the multitude of viruses and bacteria causing serious infections.

COVID exposed the deficiencies in many governments’ reactive health care systems. The focus needs to evolve to proactive health care as everyone should be incentivized to manage their own health. Antibodies from colostrum have been scientifically proven to reinforce the immune defense systems for better protection.

A Clear Path for Success

Motivated by his family health history and the realization that simply working harder on the farm wasn’t going to achieve the financial results he wanted, Graeme harnessed that famous Kiwi ingenuity and began charting his own course.

Graeme launched New Image in 1984 with bovine-based colostrum products designed to support the immune system. Today, New Image offers a complete collection of colostrum products, including both powders and capsules, as well as a nutrition line, weight management products and natural beauty products. All products are scientifically validated ensuring consumers get maximum benefits.

“A friend of mine told me I was working the wrong plan,” he explained. “I was taught in school that if you worked hard, you’d become rich. But my friend told me that was bad advice, that I was using physical muscle and not mental muscle. It woke me up to the power of wealth creation and the power of productivity and the power of your mind. I had heard about direct marketing. And I thought, well, now this is a very interesting way of having an experience and then sharing it with other people. I also noted that the distribution system harnessed the power of leverage or geometric growth. Multiplying effort. Building a network and rewarding customers to get customers made a lot of sense.”

An Expanding Global Presence

Network marketing industry professional Rod Taylor joined the company in 2020 as CEO, following leadership roles at Herbalife, Nutrimetics and Amway in Australia and New Zealand. He believes that New Image’s rich history significantly sets the company apart in an industry often dominated by American dream stories.

“One thing that strikes me about New Image is that it’s as much a direct selling story as it is a great Kiwi or New Zealand export story,” he shared. “There’s a lot of appeal, especially in the key Asian markets, like Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan where there’s a lot of demand and appreciation for quality New Zealand-made food products. We don’t have too many direct selling stories coming out of New Zealand, so it becomes quite unique from that standpoint. Initially launching in New Zealand and then Australia, Graeme then expanded into the Asia Pacific region. The company is currently focusing on global expansion to share our business opportunity and our wonderful product solutions to many more people—which is really part of Graeme’s and New Image’s mission, to change the lives of people around the ‘world.’”

New Image currently operates in 18 countries across three continents, with a field team of over 215,000 New Image Members. In 2022, the company acquired beauty and skincare company Nutrimetics from Tupperware Brands, expanding New Image’s presence in Australia, New Zealand and France, with additional plans for Germany and the United Kingdom. Currently, the team is working on plans for opening New Image in South Korea, a country they know will have a strong demand for their New Zealand products. Plans are also underway for launching New Image and Nutrimetics into Greece. In conjunction with new country openings, New Image is also exploring the possibilities of colostrum in sports nutrition, which would launch an entirely new category for New Image.

“Sports nutrition is a major growth category globally,” Rod shared. “And Australia is the fourth largest sports nutrition market in the world, behind United States, Brazil and Germany. New Zealand is around number 10, which is phenomenal when you think of the relatively small size of the population.”

Kiwi-Powered Innovation

Early on, Graeme realized the inspiring and humbling power of stories, as he shared his own personal experience using colostrum-based products and listened to thousands of New Image Members share theirs. He’s worked with scientists around the world to study the power of colostrum and discover ways to preserve its nutrients and bio-actives so it can be collected, processed and shared. But according to Graeme, New Image is only beginning to explore the possibilities of this powerful, natural alternative to traditional medicine. It’s truly his life’s work—and a perfect example of the innovation New Zealanders are known for.

“We’ve looked at the best that nature has to offer, and we’ve reviewed the most effective marketing system in the world today,” he said. “We’re making a difference and leaving a legacy—this is our ‘WHY.’ I’m a firm believer that the human body is genetically engineered to live to 120 years. At 83 years of age, I’m only two thirds of the way through my life. So, I’m still setting 20- and 30-year goals. I believe if you’ve got a purpose, then you’ll have a long life. But if you haven’t got a purpose, then you’re limiting your lifespan.”

As the company continues to evolve and expand, it’s clear that Graeme’s legacy of promoting health, vitality and a better quality of life will endure. With his vision and determination, Graeme exemplifies the Kiwi spirit of innovation, expanding New Image from a colostrum-inspired dream in a remote corner of the world to a global leader in health and wellness. But Graeme is quick to remind the rest of the world that New Zealand is anything but remote.

“At New Image we have a map of the world, and it’s got New Zealand at the top! That’s another example of conditioning of the mind. The world is round so it depends on where it is approached as to where the top and bottom are!”


From the September 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

Posted in Company Spotlights and tagged Graeme Clegg, New Image, New Zealand, Rod Taylor.
Related Articles
THREE International: Proactive Wellness on the Global Stage March 01, 2025

THREE International: Proactive Wellness on the Global Stage

Read more
Hugh & Grace: How Personal Trials Became a Professional Triumph March 01, 2025

Hugh & Grace: How Personal Trials Became a Professional Triumph

Read more
The Super Patch Company: Driven by Data, Destined to Grow. February 20, 2025

The Super Patch Company: Driven by Data, Destined to Grow.

Read more
brand-logo
The News You Need.
The Name You Trust.
Subscribe

Breaking global news, emerging trends and powerful stories conveniently curated to help direct selling executives stay informed, engaged and a step ahead.

  • Read
  • Listen & Watch
  • Attend
  • Achieve
  • Research
  • About
  • Connect
5717 Legacy Drive
Suite 250
Plano, Texas 75024
info@directsellingnews.com
Copyright 2025 Direct Selling News | All Rights Reserved
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT