Description

Sponsored by SODA Inc

Most business owners are putting real time, money, and energy into marketing and many aren't seeing consistent results. Leads feel unpredictable. Sales are up and down. You're active across multiple channels but nothing seems to stick. And somewhere in the back of your mind, you're wondering whether you're spending on the wrong things entirely.

This masterclass, facilitated by Saskia Thornton, gives Waikato business owners a clear and practical way to identify the real issue behind underperforming marketing, before you spend another dollar trying to fix the wrong thing.

Who's it for?

This session is for Waikato business owners and managers who:

• Are putting money into their brand and marketing but not seeing consistent results

• Aren't sure whether poor performance is a messaging, channel, pricing, or product issue

• Are considering ads, an agency, or outsourcing, but unsure if they're actually ready

• Want a clearer picture before making their next move

If you've ever thought "we're doing all the right things but it's just not working," this session will help you understand exactly why - and what to do about it.

What will you gain?

By the end of the session, you will:

• Understand why so many marketing efforts fail to gain traction, and why it's rarely just a channel problem

• Learn Saskia's simple method for identifying whether your growth issue sits in your market, offer, positioning, or delivery

• Apply a practical framework to map your business's symptoms to the underlying issue, so you can clearly prioritise what to focus on, and what to stop

• Have a clear way to assess when it actually makes sense to invest in agencies, ads, or outsourced support

Why attend?

Marketing that doesn't work isn't just frustrating, it's expensive. Every dollar spent chasing the wrong solution is a dollar that didn't move your business forward. This session won't tell you to post more. It will help you understand what's actually going on, so you can make smarter decisions and get more from every hour and dollar you put into growth.

Date:  Wednesday 19 August 2026

Time:  10am - 12pm

Location:  The Long Room, Wintec House, Hamilton

Cost:  $49 per person

About the Speaker

Saskia Thornton is a growth strategist with 17 years of hands-on experience building and scaling product-based brands internationally. She's one of the founders behind Mad Millie (NZ's iconic DIY cheesemaking brand), helped create and launch Grainfather into 30+ countries generating $35M+ in revenue, and co-founded electric bike brand FTN Motion. Her work sits at the intersection of brand positioning, business model design, and go-to-market strategy - and she brings a diagnostic rigour to growth questions that most marketing conversations never get close to.