Wisen Blog

Thinking about
marketing decisions

Practical perspective on marketing pricing, agency relationships, and how NZ and AU businesses can spend smarter.

Agency pricing 23 May 2026
Why NZ businesses overpay for marketing — and how to know if you are

Most small businesses in New Zealand have no reference point for what marketing actually costs. Agencies rarely publish rates. Benchmarks default to US figures. The result is that business owners either underspend on channels that would work, or overpay for services that are priced for larger markets. Here's what to look for — and how to ask better questions before you sign anything.

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Google Ads 18 May 2026
What a realistic Google Ads budget looks like for a NZ trades business

A plumber in Auckland and a legal firm in Wellington both need Google Ads to work, but they're operating in completely different CPC environments. We break down what the numbers actually look like.

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Social media 12 May 2026
The percentage-of-spend model: why it's common and why it's worth questioning

Many agencies charge 10–20% of your ad spend as their management fee. At low budgets this sounds reasonable. At scale it stops making sense. Here's how to think about it.

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Websites 5 May 2026
The real cost of a cheap website build in 2026

A $1,500 freelancer quote is not the same as a $1,500 investment. What looks like a saving upfront often becomes a cost in the second year when support disappears and the site needs rebuilding.

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