Working across insurance, investment, e-commerce, transport, real estate and SaaS gives us a privileged view of how growth actually happens in New Zealand. Not the headline version — the real, day-to-day version.

Here’s what we’re seeing:

1. Focus wins:

Most teams are stretched across too many priorities & old work patterns. The biggest lifts this year came from narrowing scope and doing fewer things better.

2. Performance problems start upstream.

When a funnel struggles, it’s usually because tagging, UX, messaging or strategy isn’t aligned — not because budgets are too low.

3. Customers are impatient.

Every* [*almost] unnecessary click, question or friction point costs growth. Simplifying journeys has outperformed every media optimisation we’ve tested.

4. Systems outperform tactics.

Brands that invest in & build a connected growth system (measurement, tech, creative, UX, media, data) outperform brands chasing quick wins.

5. AI adds value quietly.

Not as a buzzword, and not as a replacement — but as a tool that speeds up insight, improves creative and sharpens strategy.

We keep this list updated because learning is at the core of how we work — and because the landscape is changing faster than most teams realise.