Understand the context. Build confidence. Put learning into practice.

Culture shapes how people see the world, whom they trust and how they respond to communications. Understanding that context helps organisations build stronger relationships and make better decisions.

Mārama helps agencies and client organisations strengthen their cultural capability and apply that understanding to strategy, communications and engagement.

Grounded in te ao Māori, I bring a Māori perspective alongside extensive experience in media and digital marketing. Support is tailored to your organisation, your people and the work you need to do.

Cultural Capability Accelerator

Build capability within your organisation.

A focused programme for agencies, leadership teams and organisations wanting to strengthen their understanding of te ao Māori and its relevance to their work in Aotearoa. We establish your starting point, identify priorities and develop a practical plan for progress. Sessions connect learning with the decisions and situations your team encounters.

The programme can include:

• Cultural capability assessments and staff surveys.

• Board and leadership sessions.

• Staff education and practical workshops.

• Capability roadmap development.

• Agreed actions, responsibilities and progress reviews.

For agencies, this can strengthen internal capability and confidence in advising clients. For client organisations, it can support leadership, organisational practice and engagement with the communities you serve.

Briefs & Campaigns

Bring cultural understanding into a live brief.

Focused advisory support for a pitch, campaign, engagement challenge or strategic question. I work alongside your team to explore the cultural and social context of your audience, examine assumptions and identify what this means for your approach.

A sprint can explore:

• Cultural and social context.

• Audience worldviews, experiences and behaviour.

• Barriers, motivations and sources of trust.

• Implications for strategy and communications.

• Channel, community and partnership considerations.

• Measurement and learning recommendations.

For agencies, a sprint adds cultural perspective to planning and client recommendations. For client organisations, it helps shape clearer briefs, assess proposed approaches and develop more relevant engagement. Each sprint produces practical recommendations your team and delivery partners can use.

Fractional Cultural Strategy Partner

Make cultural perspective part of your ongoing work.

An ongoing advisory relationship that gives your organisation access to cultural strategy support without creating a full-time role. I work alongside your team at agreed points in the planning process, helping build capability through the work itself.

Support can include:

• Brief and pitch development.

• Strategy and presentation review.

• Participation in planning sessions.

• Coaching for leaders and senior teams.

• Review of cultural considerations and potential risks.

• Referrals to appropriate specialists.

• Quarterly capability planning and progress reviews.

For agencies, this provides continuing support across internal development and client work. For client organisations, it brings cultural perspective into planning, partner relationships and organisational decisions.

The scope and rhythm are agreed around your priorities, with clear responsibilities and regular opportunities to review progress.

Learning through experience and relationships

Learning can extend beyond a workshop.

Where relevant, programmes can include training events and masterclasses, facilitated cultural experiences, and introductions to community organisations or potential partners.

These activities are connected to clear learning goals and developed with appropriate hosts and specialists. Community relationships take time, reciprocity and shared purpose; I help you consider how to approach them thoughtfully.

How I work

Every engagement begins with your goals, your current capability and the decisions you need to make.

I bring cultural perspective and practical marketing experience, working alongside your existing teams and partners. Where a brief calls for specific community knowledge, tikanga guidance or specialist expertise, I help identify the right people to involve.

Recommendations are supported by agreed next steps, ownership and opportunities to check progress, so learning translates into action.

Whether you want to build your team’s capability, strengthen a live strategy or establish ongoing support, we can shape an engagement around your priorities.