Brand & growth strategy consultancy
I'm Gareth O'Connor. I help boards, CEOs and marketing leaders find the real reason performance has stalled, then build a clear, commercially sound strategy to fix it.
20+ years advising brands including ANZ, Spark, Foodstuffs, Ballantynes and Spa World.
Most organisations don't fail for lack of trying. They work hard, spend money, launch things, and still don't see the growth they expect. The issue is almost always direction and focus: too many priorities, no clear view of the real problem, and decisions made before the root cause is understood.
Something Different is built to fix exactly that.
What I do
Performance problems are rarely surface-level. I diagnose what's actually holding you back, looking across your customers, category, culture and company, separating symptoms from causes and bringing objectivity where politics or habit have blurred the picture.
Once the real constraint is clear, I help you make the few choices that matter most: where to compete, who for, and where to concentrate effort for the biggest commercial return. Focus beats activity every time.
A clear, practical plan your team can actually execute, with priorities, measures, and a simple way to track whether it's working. No jargon, no 90-slide decks nobody reads.
Strategy fails when it's abandoned at the first sign of pressure. I stay close to make sure the direction holds and keeps delivering over time.
Who it's for
This works best when you want to get to the underlying problem, not just add execution capacity. If that's where you are, let's talk.
Proof
Over two decades I've advised international and national brands on complex performance challenges, combining evidence-based thinking with practical business logic.
Recent Something Different clients
Agency partners & collaborators
Earlier career
Experience spanning banking, telecommunications, energy, retail, FMCG, automotive, agribusiness, education, construction, entertainment, industry bodies, government, and growth-stage organisations.
What clients say
A great strategist makes the solution feel so logical that it's immediately obvious… and right. Gareth takes the time to truly understand the business problem. He asks the right questions, bringing gravitas to every Discovery Session. He gnaws away at the strategy, constantly simplifying it. What you get back is clear, concise direction, and often a great strapline too! He's great to work with because he sets both the client and the creatives up for success. And he does so with genuine niceness.
Ben Lott, CEO, Big on Writing
Why me
Something Different was founded by me, Gareth O'Connor, after a 20+ year career as an award-winning brand and marketing strategist, honed overseas and in Aotearoa. I've advised some of the world's and New Zealand's biggest brands, as well as challengers like 2degrees and Skinny (now not so small) and businesses just getting started.
I created and teach Marketing & Strategic Intelligence, a 12-week course in the University of Canterbury's Executive MBA, and I write regularly on brand, performance and leadership over in Musings.
Read the Musings
If performance has stalled and you want to fix the cause, not just the symptoms, let's have a short, no-obligation conversation.
Get in touch