Don’t Forget the Human Element
While SaaS (Software as a Service) marketing is often driven by data, automation, and digital funnels, we can’t lose sight of the fundamentals: empathy, clarity, and connection. At the end of the day, we’re still speaking to people. And people respond to stories, benefits, and authenticity.
In New Zealand this is especially true. Our business culture values straight talk, genuine relationships, and a sense of shared purpose. So while you might be selling cloud-based analytics or AI-powered platforms, the message still needs to land with real people who want to know: How will this make my life easier? How will this help my business grow?
At Contagion we often conduct interviews with our clients’ customers, asking questions such as:
- Why do you partner with them?
- What is the one thing that makes them different?
- What three words would you use to describe them?
What we are really trying to do here is get a 360 view of how your brand can be optimally presented, tailored to what your customer and the market are expecting from your brand, and ultimately set up your business to be in the best position to sell more.
Why B2B SaaS Marketing in New Zealand Needs a Smarter, More Engaging Approach
I have a confession: I’ve always leaned into my geekiness. I love my gadgets like anyone else, but my real passion lies in what technology services can do - for people, for businesses, and for the way we live and work. Right now, we’re in the middle of an AI revolution, and we’re all learning fast. What a cool time to be in tech.
My marketing journey started across SingTel, Telstra, and Spark, where I was drawn to the intangible products that quietly power our lives. For the past 15 years, I’ve run Contagion, an independent advertising agency, where I get to merge my love of business with a passion for technology services. There’s something deeply rewarding about connecting SMEs and enterprise clients with tools that genuinely improve how they operate.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working on campaigns for Umbrellar, ZAG, and Connecterra. If you haven’t heard of Connecterra, it’s super cool; an AI-powered farm management platform designed specifically for the dairy industry – pairing modern technology to monitor and track livestock, and using the data to enable micro level of farm management and accurate models to enable farm planning never thought possible. It’s seriously impressive. The other two came to us for rebrands and campaigns that led to very successful buyouts for all involved. It was exciting, rewarding, and a testament to the strength of New Zealand’s SaaS ecosystem.
The SaaS Model Changed Everything
Over the past decade, the way software is built, sold, and marketed has changed dramatically. The rise of SaaS has reshaped the tech landscape globally, and New Zealand is no exception. From startups in Ponsonby to enterprise platforms in Wellington, SaaS is now the dominant model. But while the products have evolved, the marketing often hasn’t kept pace, especially in the B2B space. Unlike traditional product marketing, SaaS isn’t about a one-time sale. It’s about building long-term relationships. Customers subscribe, not buy. That means retention, not just acquisition, is the real game.
In New Zealand, where business communities are tight-knit, and reputation travels fast, this shift is even more critical. SaaS marketers must think in cycles: attract → engage → retain → expand. That’s a far cry from the old-school attract → convert model. And it requires a different mindset, different tools, and a different kind of storytelling.
Targeting Smarter, Not Louder
One of the strengths of SaaS companies is their ability to focus. Whether serving niche verticals or solving specific operational pain points, they know their audience well. In B2B SaaS, especially here in Aotearoa, your audience is niche. You’re not marketing to everyone, you’re speaking to CFOs, IT managers, Heads of Operations. These are savvy, time-poor decision-makers who want clarity, not fluff.
That’s why Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is gaining traction. Instead of casting a wide net, ABM lets you tailor campaigns to specific high-value accounts. Combine that with LinkedIn ads, SEO, and content syndication on platforms like NZTech or Idealog, and you’ve got a strategy that’s precise, scalable, and cost-effective.
Content That Educates and Converts
SaaS products are intangible. You can’t hold them, demo them in a showroom, or send out glossy brochures. So, your content must do the heavy lifting. Think whitepapers, webinars, explainer videos, and ROI calculators. These aren’t just marketing assets, they’re trust builders. And in a market like NZ, where transparency and authenticity are valued, trust is everything.
Localising content is key too. A case study featuring a Kiwi business carries more weight than one from Silicon Valley. It shows you understand the market, the challenges, and the culture.
Classic Marketing Still Matters
That’s where classic marketing principles come in. We need to lead with the benefit, not the feature. We need to show empathy for the end user’s challenges. And we need to make it clear that behind every SaaS product is a team of great people who speak plainly, care deeply, and genuinely want their customers to succeed.
A real differentiator to remember is that the best SaaS marketing doesn’t just explain what the product does, it builds trust by showing who’s behind it. Whether it’s through founder videos, customer success stories, or thoughtful onboarding emails, the goal is the same: make the technology feel human.
And that’s something New Zealand SaaS companies can do incredibly well. The warmth, humility, and integrity of our tech teams should be a competitive advantage, and marketing should shine a light on that.
Retention is the Real ROI
In SaaS, the sale is just the beginning. The real value comes from renewals, upsells, and advocacy. That’s why Customer Success teams are so vital, and why marketing needs to work hand-in-hand with them. From onboarding emails to feature adoption campaigns, marketing plays a role throughout the customer lifecycle. And when things go wrong (as they sometimes do), how you communicate matters. A well-crafted status update or apology email can turn a crisis into a moment of brand strength.
Many New Zealand SaaS companies already excel at this, offering world-class support and building loyal customer communities. Marketing can amplify that success by telling those stories and reinforcing the value delivered.
Challenges We Can Solve Together
Let’s be honest, B2B SaaS marketing isn’t easy. Here are a few hurdles we face in NZ:
- Crowded categories: Differentiating your product in a sea of similar tools.
- Long decision cycles: Especially in enterprise, where procurement and compliance slow things down.
- Freemium fatigue: Getting users to convert from free to paid is tough.
- Content velocity: Keeping up with the demand for fresh, relevant content.
But these challenges are also opportunities. They push us to be more strategic, more creative, and more customer focused. And they’re exactly the kind of problems I love solving.
Final Thoughts
New Zealand’s SaaS sector is thriving. The products are strong, the teams are smart, and the global ambition is real. A large leap forward can come from marketing that’s just as innovative and customer centric as the software itself.
By embracing data, doubling down on content, and aligning closely with product and customer success, we can build campaigns that don’t just attract attention, they drive real business outcomes. Whether you're a marketer at a SaaS startup in Christchurch or leading growth for an enterprise platform in Auckland, the principles are the same: educate, engage, and evolve.
And let’s not forget, this is a seriously exciting space to be in. We’re building the future, right here in Aotearoa.
Let’s Connect
If you’re building something great and want to make sure the market sees it that way, I’d love to connect. Whether it’s refining your brand, crafting a campaign, or simply sharing ideas over coffee, I’m always keen to support Kiwi SaaS companies doing smart, meaningful work.