Kathleen Gunther, fractional marketing strategist and founder of Gunther Consulting, has been helping agencies and marketing partners scale brand presence for sustainable growth for over 20 years.
Gunther sat down with B&T’s own Sparrow to unpack the major influences on her career and just why this industry is so bad at marketing itself.
1) For over 20 years, you have been building brands for big Holdco’s & indies; why are we, as an industry, crap at marketing ourselves?
Gunther: Time, budget constraints, and too many cooks. When everyone in an agency has a marketing opinion, it creates a lot of conflicting ideas—especially in an integrated agency. Single-vertical agencies often excel in their niche but may lack a holistic view. Marketing is a blend of all its elements: brand, performance, and customer experience. Agencies need a dedicated marketing generalist—either in-house (if budgets allow) or on a project basis—to help grow their most important client: themselves.
2) Can you explain simply what project-based fractional marketing solutions means?
Gunther: It’s like having a senior marketer work on a project basis as your own marketing lead. They assess needs, create a plan, and get things done—working with your team or connecting you to top creators to execute the plan. It’s like having the expertise of a Marketing Director without the full-time costs. It’s also just a trending term for ‘freelance’, which helps with SEO.
3) How would your clients explain the benefits to them?
Gunther: They’d say it’s like having a friend with benefits who’s also your star plus-one at family weddings. This person has the best moves, works the room, and makes you look good—without any strings attached. They bring dedicated expertise to help us stand out, leading to award recognition, quality inbound leads, and revenue growth.
4) What is the work you are most proud of at the moment?
Gunther: Right now, it’s putting myself out there, taking a risk, and learning along the way. It’s been terrifying, but the support from the industry around my ‘marketing the marketers’ niche has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve realised I can achieve amazing results for agencies while setting my own rules—I never was good at playing by others anyway! Never say never, though. Who knows where this might take me?
5) Who have been your mentors that have influenced your career?
Gunther: I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible people in Sydney, Auckland, and Melbourne. My mates Nick and Bernice Muncaster supported me when I entered the industry almost 15 years ago. Bern, a powerhouse in marketing, and Nicko, the consummate ad-man, are constant sources of energy, honesty, and support.
In NZ, Sophie Vahry and Claire Stewart are both gun strategists. Both are sharp minds that are always on point, but kind, funny and a bloody good time. In Melbourne, Fiona Forbes, CEO of The Diggers Club and former Head of PR at ICON, leads with empathy and clarity, making her an inspirational leader.
6) As an industry, what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
Gunther: The obsession with digital metrics and attribution. No single tracking or reporting tool captures everything in a unified language. Real marketing impact is a combination of many elements and can’t be measured by digital metrics alone.
7) What agency do you think in the local market does a great job at marketing themselves?
Gunther: I hate to say it, but Thinkerbell. Not everyone can have an Adam Ferrier at the helm, but it’s the dynamic partnership of Adam and media whiz Margie Reid that makes Thinkerbell stand out. My former agency, Social Soup, along with Pollinate, also excels by adding value back to the community through industry research.
8) With the current economic headwinds, what are your thoughts on marketing in tough times?
Gunther: For agencies and brands facing shrinking budgets, I get it—it’s tough, and many people are without work. But marketing isn’t going anywhere; it’s just evolving fast. With new industries and systems emerging, we must adapt. Your brand story is crucial—keep telling it, as it’s what connects you to your next client or employer.
9) What’s one thing that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?
Gunther: My dog! Yet…
10) Important last question: do your parents know what you do?
Gunther: Sort of! Dad, at 87, has seen more change than I can imagine. He sees performance marketing and AI as a bit of the “dark arts,” but he understands that in what I do, people buy from people. And he believes in me, which is all that really matters.
