Lessons you can learn from. Stories you’ll recognise. Businesses owners and organisational leads just like you. We’re sharing the ideas, decisions and marketing choices made by brands and business owners we work with.
A strategic marketing and business practice - with a difference
The work we do isn’t surface-level. It is innovation-driven and impactful: improving what’s already there, shifting the dial, and finding that little gem that will make your proposition stronger, better, and easier to sell.
We look beyond the advertising message or media channel and into the operational realities that drive purchase behaviour and business outcomes.
Our task is to make sure all the time and energy put into attracting audiences to your offering is worthwhile. We help you make trade-offs. We recommend ways to help you navigate and implement possible solutions. We identify the tiny gains that can make an enormous difference.
Our clients come to us with a problem to be solved – maybe they have a brand that isn’t sparking, a product that isn’t selling, a website that isn’t working, or a narrative that isn’t connecting. We start by asking why – and then we work with you to deliver the right approach and solution for your business and your goals.
We’re a toolkit for marketing planning, budgeting and decision-making. We help you solve the unseen. We’re a team of strategists and communication experts who will look at your marketing and sales efforts to deliver real value to your market, and real value back to your organisation.
Our Team
Louella Donaldson
Project & Communications Manager
Matt McPhee
Senior Digital Strategist & Workshop Lead
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the process?
You make an enquiry either via email or by calling our team. Our office hours vary but are typically Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm. We aim to respond to any enquiry promptly. Once we make contact, we will briefly discuss your current concerns.
We do our best to understand your current needs and then suggest a Strategist that may best meet those.
ASSESSMENT
An initial assessment is a 55-minute session focussing on establishing an understanding of your business, and current concerns with a view to establishing a shared set of outcomes for your business, your marketing and/or your engagement with MLAB.
PLAN
Following the initial assessment, we will send you a brief plan. This typically includes indicating the number of sessions we think we may need with you (if working with us in a coaching capacity).
If the work is project-based or includes engaging our team as your marketing team (fractional), we will outline the proposed cost, outcomes and timings.
What to expect when working with MLAB?
Building a relationship with MLAB where you feel respected, valued and understood is important. We take our time to build trust and to establish a strong understanding of your business, your goals and how you prefer to work towards these.
We understand the challenges faced by NZ's SME sector - whether time, financials or other - and we do our best to support you to overcome these obstacles along the way.
We never promise unrealistic results like 1000% ROI on an activity. We are realists and pragmatists who understand a core tenet of business success is patience and practice. What we do promise is to fundamentally change the way you think about or think about your business and the proposition (brand and offering) you have in the market.
There are no silly questions or wrong ways of doing things with us. There are just tweaks and improvements and opportunities - if you choose the take them.
How often will I need MLAB’s support?
The length of tenure with MLAB varies depending on the type of work you engage us for:
- For coaching, we recommend a minimum of four x weekly sessions upfront.
- Projects typically take 4-6 weeks to complete
- Fractional (or monthly) contracts have a minimum three-month term.
Many of our clients have been with us for years, on and off. Choosing different services and engagements depending on their business needs, scale and market conditions. We believe it is our job to remain a business constant throughout your journey.
Do you have free learning guides or a course I can take?
Sadly, no. What we do isn't a template or a trend - it's a deep dive look into the fundamentals of your marketing and your business. The sad truth is many of the free learning guides, templates and courses on offer are generic - tailored more often than not to e-commerce businesses and digital sales.
As a result people often read guides or take courses that aren't relevant to their actual proposition. Truth be told social media isn't for every business. Websites are useful but don't need to be sales engines for every sector. Some businesses are built on different tactics and strategies.
We tailor outputs to your business, your region, market, industry and resources (current and future). We have many learning guides we provide to our clients and we run small group workshops - but our approach is always tailored, always hands-on. You're busy enough running a business without having to do all the work unpacking and applying marketing frameworks.
We believe in increasing fluency across the marketing spectrum so you can say yes or no to free learning guides or courses in the future, with confidence.
Am I eligible for funding?
MLAB is an accredited provider of services through Regional Business Partners. We offer both one-to-one management capability training and group workshops.
Several other possible funders exist in the market for social enterprises, not-for-profits, innovations and start-ups and those looking for funding (outside of capital raising or venture capital). We can discuss this during an assessment/ first conversation.
How do I know if I need the kinds of services you offer?
We're firm believers in only doing work if it's needed. If you're unsure whether we are the right partner to support your marketing or to help improve your proposition in the market, contact us to discuss.
If we're not a fit, we'll let you know and, more than that, we'll recommend others who we think could help you instead.
Our Professionals
In our team, we have a diverse group of professionals including copywriters, digital strategists, communication managers and business strategists. Every individual is a specialist in their respective domain. Additionally, we have a vetted group of external specialists, including graphic designers, developers, Google experts and more, who we trust to treat our clients and contacts with the same respect and who share the same values as MLAB.
Confidentiality
Due to the nature of the work we do - which goes beyond just advertising messages and channel selection for promotional purposes - we treat all information provided as confidential. Upon engaging MLAB you will receive a contract to sign which details our approach to confidentiality.
We will never promote your business or brand or announce a product or service offering without your permission. The work we do is for your brand and your business and we believe it should only be discussed at your discretion.
MLAB Service Fees
Where’s the free marketing consultation we hear you asking? If you’re talking about a quick chat to see if we could work together, sure. There’s no charge for that.
But to discuss your business and unpack what’s going on – to consult – that’s something we charge for. We’re not free because neither are you. We know there is value in our insight and our experience. We know we can add value to your business, increase the strength of your brand and optimise your sales outcomes. Talk to us to find out more.
Please note, that all prices are exclusive of GST.
One-on-One Session
For an initial assessment and/or individual coaching sessions, $190 – $249 (55 minutes) depending on the strategist.
For ongoing individual coaching sessions, multi-session discounts may apply.
Payment on the day of consultation is required for one-on-one coaching services. Cancellations on the day of your appointment will incur a full charge. Cancellations of greater than 48 hours will incur no charge. Any follow-up or report writing outside of your booked session time may be charged at $150 per hour.
Project Costs
Project costs vary depending on the scale of your business, the scope of the issue presented and the timeframes for solution finding. Typical projects include:
- Opportunities Assessment & Findings: from $4,500
- Digital Audit & Key Recommendations: from $1,800
- Innovation Workshop: From $1,800
- Marketing framework programme or sprint sessions: POA
Project scoping may be subject to an initial assessment cost to the value of $190-$249 (55 minutes).
Fractional Team
The pricing for a fractional member of our team, to work as your in-house marketeer or strategist, is dependent on availability, skills required and desired outputs. All fractional contracts are for a minimum of three months.
- Strategists from $1,800 a day (minimum two days a month)
- Communications specialists from $2,500 per month
An award-winning marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience to her name. The depth and breadth of her commercial knowledge are matched only by her innate astuteness and boundless creativity.
A natural strategist and connection finder, Michegro looks for opportunities to optimise, re-invent or re-engineer business solutions for deeper business resilience and profitability.
Every year Michegro commits MLAB to pro bono projects that speak to her heartland of lifting women and children through sport, education, industry and the environment. In 2024, Michegro was appointed to the board of Precious Collaborative, an NZ start-up looking to change how we consume fashion.
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