Collectively - Purpose-led business and marketing

What worked and what really didn’t in marketing in 2025?
In this episode, we spill the tea on the wins and fails we witnessed across the year. From client work to our own marketing, domestic challenges to international hurdles - this was a year of shake-ups and survival stories. 
Inside we explore:
What it took for small businesses to overcome a year of fighting fires 
The brands that came out better off and those who didn’t (in our humble opinions)
Marketing campaigns that impressed us and the channels that delivered the most
We also discuss a pretty major values-based decision we had to make around how we deliver this podcast - a platform conundrum many purpose-led businesses would have encountered this year too.
If you’re looking for a shortcut to some of this year’s biggest learnings in marketing, this episode won’t disappoint.
For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

So many entrepreneurs have been taught that messaging is about persuasion, urgency, or cleverly pushing people toward a yes. No wonder it feels uncomfortable.
This episode offers a different lens: we talk about persuasion as clarity, as resonance, and as a way of saying ‘I see you and I understand where you are right now’.
We explore how to communicate without slipping into fear-based tactics, how to speak to the emotional truths behind your audience’s goals, and why connection always comes before conversion.

We also talk about the six principles of ethical influence and how to use them to strengthen your message, not manipulate behaviour.
If you’re ready to craft messaging that actually feels aligned — messaging that reflects who you are, what you believe, and the people you're here to support — you’ll love this conversation.
For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

Despite all the innovation and technology available to us, at the core of every successful business is its people.
In this episode, we speak with Dr Angela Jackson, founder of Future Forward Strategies and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she teaches entrepreneurship in the education marketplace. 
Angela is an authority on on the future of work, consulting at the intersection of technology and human capacity.
Inside, we ask:
What does the future of work look like and who will thrive in it?
Why are small businesses and start-ups best positioned?
How does taking care of your people at work ripple out to communities?
How can AI help us manage our workplaces more productively but also with more empathy?
How can mission-driven entrepreneurs access ethical investors and capital?
Dr Angela’s best-selling book The Win-Win Workplace is available online and in select stores. You can purchase it here: https://www.readwinwinworkplace.com/.
Request Dr Angela’s investor list by connecting with Dr Angela on LinkedIn or via her website: https://www.drangelajackson.com/. 
For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

At the heart of everything — business, leadership, creativity, success — is connection.
Connection to ourselves.
Connection to each other.
Connection to the land, our purpose, and the work we’re here to do.
In this episode, we sit down with life coach, speaker and author Tracy Manu to explore what connection really means through a Te Ao Māori lens, and how it can transform the way we live, lead, and relate to one another.
From reconnecting with ourselves and our values, to restoring our relationship with nature, purpose, and community, Tracy reminds us that disconnection is often the root of struggle, and connection is the way home.
This kōrero (conversation) is an invitation to:
Slow down and return to what grounds you
Lead from authenticity and reciprocity
Redefine success through alignment, not achievement
Remember that everything — and everyone — is connected
Learn more about Tracy or purchase a copy of her book, Hononga, at www.tracymanu.com
For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

In this episode, we talk with Kiwi singer and songwriter Gin Wigmore about creativity, connection and community - in the arts AND in business.
One of New Zealand’s most acclaimed international artists, Gin is known for her distinctive, raw and soulful voice. Her lyrics - vulnerable, fierce, and boldly defiant - often speak to a life lived outside the lines.
Gin’s unapologetic resolve to embrace every feeling and experience, and turn it into art for the rest of us, should inspire businesses wanting to create more meaningful connections with their customers and communities too.
There’s a lot the business world can learn from the arts, which is what we explore and more inside:
Creating your own rule book and operating from intuition;
Starting locally to spark change in your communities;
Why we need more critical and creative thinkers (and Mums) in business.
What many don’t know is that Gin is also an accomplished business owner. 
While her approach to business may mirror a beautifully chaotic process of creating art, there’s no denying that her grit and attention to detail, and her effortless way of sparking joy in every moment, is just some of the magic behind her success.
And, as she embarks on her latest business venture, we hear what it’s like in her world, to create from the heart and be driven by purpose to serve.
BTW, you heard it here first - Gin’s new restaurant and winebar will open in Kingsland, Auckland in early 2026.
We can’t wait!!
If you’re looking to create a brand that feels unapologetically you and take it to market in a way that feels aligned with your values, check out our Mentorship Programme at www.themarketingcollective.co.nz/mentorship 
For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.