About us
We help our clients make their written messages clear. Our clients are government agencies, companies large and small, and NGOs and not-for-profit organisations.
Write has been using the power of words for good since 1989.
Your writing culture can help you succeed — or hold you back
Over the years, we’ve gathered solid evidence of the link between an organisation’s writing style and its success. And we’ve developed approaches that help our clients change their writing culture for the better.
Our chief executive, Lynda Harris, wrote the book on how you can change your writing culture, and why the change makes good business sense.
Rewrite: How to overcome daily sabotage of your brand and profit
We make millions of words work harder every year
Our people are trusted advisors, writers, editors, plain-language trainers and coaches — and experts on the techniques and real-world benefits of plain language.
In an average year, our 30-plus team edit or create millions of words, and run 500 workshops that help nearly 6,000 people get better results from their writing.
We help New Zealanders get clearer information
We’re the founding sponsor and host of New Zealand’s Plain Language Awards. The Awards promote and celebrate plain language in public, legal, financial, and health information.
The WriteMark® is a quality mark awarded to documents and websites that meet a high standard of plain language. We launched the WriteMark in 2005, and WriteMark Plus — which includes user testing — in 2018.
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Who we work with
Our clients are savvy people from every sector.
We help the public sector work efficiently and build trust
Our government clients use clear business writing to work efficiently, build trust, and increase transparency. We work with whole organisations, teams, and individuals, helping them get their day-to-day work done and reach their strategic goals.
We help companies connect with their markets
Our commercial and professional clients know that clear communication delivers business results. We help law firms, banks, insurance companies, large retailers, and financial advisors work efficiently, and connect with clients and customers.
We’re used to helping clients clear up — never dumb down — complex legal and financial information.
We help NGOs and not-for-profits empower their stakeholders
NGOs and not-for-profit organisations use plain language to empower the clients, groups, and communities they work with.
We help our clients bridge communication gaps, and make messages clear to stakeholders.Read our case studies to find out about some of the clients we’ve worked with. See the challenges they faced, the results they achieved, and what we learned together on the way.
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Meet the team
Write Limited
We work with a design partner to create visuals that get your point across
We partner with Gusto on projects with a design component.
Gusto is a full-service design agency. They specialise in crafting clear, compelling visual stories that move audiences to understand, engage, remember, and act.
They make complex information clear using visual design, creating memorable and engaging infographics, animations, or other storytelling pieces.
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Our mission and values
Our mission is to help organisations and individuals get more value from their daily investment in business communication.
When we fulfil our mission, we help build a fairer, more respectful society. A society where people can communicate their ideas clearly, and find the information they need.
We use the power of words for good
Our tagline is ‘Using the power of words for good’.
We know that words have power. Whether you’re trying to persuade, inform, or ask something — of one person or a whole nation — words are your most powerful tool. So we believe in using words for good. We look for clients who believe that too.
We’re proud to be a Certified B Corp
B Corp businesses balance purpose and profit, and we’re excited that we’ve achieved B Corp Certification.
We’ve joined a group of like-minded organisations that believe in using business — including their words — for good.
Find out more about Certified B Corporations on the B Corp Australia and New Zealand website
Meet other B Corps in New Zealand and Australia
Read our Ring the Bell blog on the B Corp website
Our values add value for clients
When you work with us, you’ll see that our values make a difference.
- Insight. We listen, and give discerning and thoughtful advice.
- Expertise. We use our skills and experience for good, and deliver results.
- Care. We actively care about our clients, and each other.
- Integrity. We are uncompromisingly honest, sincere, and trustworthy.
- Energy. We are fully engaged and present; we focus on solutions and impact.
We support clear communication at home and abroad
We’re enthusiastic members of these professional associations.
Plain language in New Zealand — and internationally
Training and development in New Zealand
Good business practice in New Zealand
We give back through volunteer work and by donating
Our staff volunteer in the community as individuals, and as representatives of Write.
We regularly donate to three charities:
- Kiva, an international non-profit organisation that makes crowdfunded loans to underserved people in need.
- The Wellington City Mission, a charitable trust that has helped those most in need in the Wellington region for over 100 years.
- LifeFlight, a charity that provides 24/7 emergency air services.
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The WriteMark® — the quality mark for clear communication
A document in plain language is easy for the intended reader to read, understand, and act on. The WriteMark is a quality mark for documents and websites that meet a high standard of plain language.
The WriteMark sets the bar for plain language
Before we award a WriteMark, we measure the content against 28 plain language criteria.
It’s a high bar. People tell us that when their content achieves a WriteMark, it feels like getting an Oscar for plain language.
We launched the WriteMark in 2005, and WriteMark Plus — which includes user testing — in 2018.
Find out more about the WriteMark and WriteMark Plus
Independent proof that your writing makes the grade
Holders of the WriteMark and WriteMark Plus include financial services firms, healthcare organisations, law firms, and government agencies.
See whose written communication has won a WriteMark or WriteMark PlusWriteMark Limited is Write’s sister company. Write administers the WriteMark and WriteMark Plus, and arranges assessments by qualified consultants.
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Our achievements
We’ve grown from small beginnings in 1989 to become the largest plain language consultancy in the world. We’re at the forefront of the plain language movement in New Zealand, and a long-standing member of the international plain language community.
Dr Neil James and Christine Mowat present the Mowat Award to Lynda Harris (centre).
Winning an international plain language award
Our Chief Executive, Lynda Harris, won the prestigious Mowat Award for her ‘…significant contribution to advancing plain language at the local, regional, national, or international levels’.
Supporting plain language for New Zealanders
We’re the founding sponsor and host of New Zealand’s Plain Language Awards. The Awards promote and celebrate clear communication in the public, and private sector, including legal, financial, health, and other information. The Awards also inspired the US ClearMark Awards.
Read about the New Zealand Plain Language Awards
Read about the US ClearMark AwardsSetting the bar for plain language
We administer the WriteMark® Plain Language Standard — an international symbol of clarity awarded to documents written to a high standard of plain language.
Helping businesses and government improve their bottom line
Over the years, we’ve produced compelling evidence of the link between an organisation’s writing style and its ultimate success. And we’ve developed techniques to help our clients change their writing culture for the better. Lynda Harris has distilled these gems in a book that shows how change is not only possible, but necessary for better business.
Rewrite: How to overcome daily sabotage of your brand and profit
Giving back
Many of our talented team actively support their own favourite charities and causes. As a company we give back a portion of our profits every year too. We particularly support the Life Flight Trust and the Wellington City Mission.
Our memberships
We support clear communication in New Zealand and overseas. We’re enthusiastic members of these professional associations.
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Write by the numbers
Six facts about the business and our people
Four numbers on the work we do in an average year
Three achievements we’re particularly proud of
