Why Your Marketing Isn't Working — Kevin D'Ambros-Smith & Kit Lawrence
One-to-Some Workshop — RBPN Approved — Up to 75% Co-Funded

Why Your Marketing
Isn't Working(And How to Fix It)

A focused 2-hour workshop for business owners who are spending on marketing but not seeing the return. Walk away with a clear diagnosis of what's wrong — and a practical plan to fix it.

2-Hour Workshop👥 Up to 25 participants📍 In-person or online📅 Monthly / on demand💰 From $50/person* with RBPN funding
Your Presenters
KD
Kevin D'Ambros-Smith
Business Growth Coach · Founder, Simple-Growth System™
KL
Kit Lawrence
Brand & Marketing Strategist · Founder, Serious Marketing Strategy

🏆 RBPN Approved One-to-Some Programme — eligible businesses receive up to 75% co-funding

Reserve Your Place →
The Problem We Solve

Sound Familiar?

You're investing real money in marketing — social media, Google ads, email, a new website — but the leads aren't coming in. Sales aren't growing. The phone isn't ringing the way it should.

The frustrating truth is that most marketing underperformance isn't a budget problem or even an execution problem. It's a strategy problem. The messaging is off. The targeting is wrong. The business doesn't have a clear, compelling reason for customers to choose it over the competition.

"The biggest waste in marketing isn't money. It's time spent doing the wrong things with confidence."

This workshop cuts through the noise. In two hours, Kevin and Kit give you a structured framework to diagnose exactly what's going wrong in your marketing — and leave you with a clear, prioritised action plan to turn it around.

Common Signs Your Marketing Needs a Reset

  • 📉
    Spending without resultsAds are running but generating little or no return on investment.
  • 🔇
    Wrong audience, wrong messageEnquiries are low-quality, or you're attracting people who aren't the right fit.
  • 🧩
    No clear positioningIt's hard to explain simply what makes your business different — and customers can't either.
  • 🔄
    Inconsistent or scattered activityMarketing feels like throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.
  • 📊
    No way to measure what's workingYou don't have a clear picture of which channels or activities are actually driving revenue.
Learning Outcomes

What You'll Walk Away With

This isn't a passive lecture. You'll apply the frameworks directly to your own business during the session — so the action plan you leave with is specific to you, not generic advice.

01
Diagnose Your Marketing's Weak Points

Learn to identify the specific factors causing your marketing to underperform — whether that's weak positioning, misaligned messaging, the wrong channels, or a targeting problem.

02
A Framework to Improve ROI

Understand and apply a structured framework for evaluating marketing effectiveness that integrates commercial growth strategy with brand and messaging clarity.

03
Assess Your Strategy, Positioning & Messaging

Conduct an honest assessment of where your current marketing strategy, brand positioning, and customer messaging are strong — and where the gaps are costing you.

04
A Practical Action Plan to Take Away

Leave with a clear, prioritised action plan to improve your marketing performance — specific to your business, actionable from the moment you walk out the door.

Meet Your Presenters

Two Complementary Experts. One Powerful Workshop.

Kevin and Kit bring together commercial growth strategy and brand marketing expertise — a combination that addresses both why your marketing isn't working and what to do about it at the strategic and messaging level.

KD
Kevin D'Ambros-Smith
Business Growth Coach · Founder, Simple-Growth System™

Kevin is a Business Growth Expert and Coach with a background at three of the world's leading advertising agencies — DDB, Ogilvy, and Saatchi & Saatchi — where he worked with global brands including McDonald's, IBM, Heineken, and Unilever.

He has co-founded nine companies and scaled each from start-up to multi-million-dollar enterprise. Over the past eight years, Kevin has channelled this corporate and commercial experience into coaching hundreds of New Zealand business owners through his Simple-Growth System™.

Kevin has delivered workshops for The Icehouse, BNZ, TradeMe, and ATEED, and is a presenter on The Icehouse Owner Manager Programme. He is an approved RBPN service provider.

KL
Kit Lawrence
Brand & Marketing Strategist · Founder, Serious Marketing Strategy

Kit Lawrence is an award-recognised creative and brand strategist, and founder of Serious Marketing Strategy. He specialises in brand development, digital strategy, content, and campaign direction — helping businesses sharpen their identity, connect with the right audiences, and build a stronger market presence.

His work spans local government, arts and culture organisations, regional development initiatives, and commercial brands across New Zealand. Kit brings deep expertise in brand positioning and story-led marketing — the craft of turning what a business does into a message customers actually respond to.

Together, Kevin and Kit deliver structured, practical training that connects commercial growth strategy with marketing and brand execution.

Workshop Investment

Two Ways to Attend

Whether you access RBPN co-funding or choose to self-fund, this workshop delivers a high return on a small investment of time and money.

Best Value
With RBPN Co-Funding
$200 per personFrom $50

per person · after 75% government co-funding for eligible businesses

Up to 75% of the course fee co-funded
Maximum 2 people per business
Subject to RBPN eligibility assessment
Register below — we'll guide you through the process
No GST registration required for one-to-some training

*Exact co-funded amount is whichever is lower: 75% of the fee or $75/hour. Final amount confirmed after your Growth Advisor assessment.


Register for Co-Funded Place
Self-Funded
$200

per person · no eligibility requirements

Open to any business, any size
No RBPN eligibility assessment needed
Same workshop, same presenters, same outcomes
Book directly — faster confirmation

Self-funded places are available to all businesses including those not eligible for RBPN co-funding, such as larger businesses or incorporated societies.


Register for Self-Funded Place
RBPN Co-Funding

Do You Qualify for 75% Funding?

This workshop is approved as a one-to-some programme under the Regional Business Partner Network's Management Capability Development Fund. Here's what you need to qualify.

Eligibility Criteria
  • Fewer than 50 full-time employees
  • Currently trading and commercially viable
  • Hold a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)
  • Registered on the RBPN platform
  • Complete a discovery session with a Growth Advisor
  • Business owner or person in a key management or senior leadership role
  • Not required to be GST registered
Please note: Charitable Trusts and Incorporated Societies are not eligible for RBPN co-funding. We cannot guarantee a successful co-funding outcome — eligibility is assessed by your regional Growth Advisor. Self-funded places are always available.
About One-to-Some Training

What is one-to-some?

One-to-some workshops are group training sessions where business owners learn the fundamentals of a specific topic alongside up to 25 others. They're short, sharp, and focused — delivering high-impact capability at a fraction of the cost of one-to-one coaching. This workshop is a perfect example: two hours, a small group, practical frameworks, and an action plan you take away the same day.

  • Up to 75% co-funded (or $75/hour, whichever is lower)
  • Maximum 2 people from your business may attend
  • No GST registration needed
  • Designed as a stepping stone before one-to-one coaching
No NZBN yet? Get yours here. More about RBPN at the MBIE website.
Getting Your Spot

How to Attend

Whether you're applying for co-funding or self-funding, here's what happens after you register your interest below.

Register Below

Fill in the form and let us know whether you'd like to apply for RBPN co-funding or attend as a self-funded participant.

We're in Touch

Kevin's team contacts you within one business day. For co-funded places, your enquiry is forwarded to your regional Growth Advisor for a short eligibility assessment.

Confirm Your Place

Once approved and registered on the RBPN platform (for co-funded places), or after direct payment (for self-funded), your place in the next available workshop is confirmed.

Attend & Fix Your Marketing

Join Kevin and Kit for the two-hour workshop. Leave with a diagnosis of your marketing problems and an action plan to start improving your ROI immediately.

Stop Wasting Money on Marketing That Doesn't Work

Two hours with Kevin and Kit could transform how your business attracts customers. Register your interest today and we'll sort the rest.

Secure Your Place

Register Your Interest

Tell us a little about yourself and your business and whether you'd like to attend as a co-funded or self-funded participant. We'll be in touch within one business day.

Fast response

We'll be back to you within one business day to confirm next steps and available dates.

💰

Up to 75% co-funded

Eligible businesses pay as little as $50 per person. We'll guide you through the RBPN process.

📍

In-person or online

The workshop is available in-person (primary) or via online delivery — let us know your preference.

🤝

Self-funding always welcome

Not eligible for RBPN co-funding? Self-funded places at $200 per person are always available.

Register for the Workshop

✅ Thanks! Your registration has been sent. Kevin's team will be in touch within one business day to confirm your place and next steps.

RBPN co-funding is subject to eligibility assessment. We cannot guarantee a successful co-funding outcome.

Kevin D'Ambros-Smith

© 2025 Kevin D'Ambros-Smith · kevindambros-smith.com · simple-growth.com

Workshop delivered by Kevin D'Ambros-Smith (Motherbase Ltd) & Kit Lawrence (Serious Marketing Strategy). RBPN co-funding is subject to eligibility and assessment by your regional Growth Advisor.