ABOUT

Scale NZ is an independent market research and marketing analytics company, built to help ambitious teams make confident, evidence-based decisions.

Led by Mike Underhill, a seasoned strategist with nearly 30 years’ experience in market research, brand development, and innovation across Asia and Aotearoa, Scale NZ exists to tackle the questions that matter most:

Will this work?

Who will buy it?

What’s really driving behaviour?

And, crucially: Are we sure?

We work with marketing, innovation and insights teams who want to avoid expensive missteps — especially in NPD, brand positioning, or new market entry. Because when the numbers are wrong, the fallout can be huge: missed targets, sunk costs, and loss of internal confidence. The most common cause of failure in NPD? Overestimating demand. We help our clients avoid that trap.

Our approach combines custom market research, syndicated category data, and marketing analytics to reveal what’s really going on. We’re method-agnostic and outcome-focused — equally at home designing bespoke surveys as we are analysing internal sales data or supply chain issues. If the answer isn’t in the data you already have, we’ll help you find it.

We know that not every business has a dedicated insights team. That’s why we keep things clear, efficient, and easy to act on — without cutting corners. Whether you’re refining a campaign, assessing brand health, or validating an opportunity, we work alongside your team to ensure the insight you get is not only accurate, but actionable.

Our Story

Where We Work

Scale NZ is led from New Zealand, but our reach is broader. We work as a tight team spread across New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, China and Bangkok — bringing diverse perspectives, real time local knowledge, and deep category experience. Everyone you work with has real expertise; there’s no junior handoff, no layers to navigate. Just smart, experienced people focused on helping you make better marketing decisions, wherever you are.

Fionna Susilo

Jakarta, Indonesia

Consultant - eCommerce

A Master's graduate from Victoria University, Fionna has experience in brand management and e-commerce across various sectors and understands the unique perspectives and needs of NZ businesses. Formerly with Nielsen, Fionna specializes in helping companies navigate the Indonesian market and is committed to supporting their growth in Southeast Asia.

Sarah Song

Shanghai, China

Consultant - Retail, Distribution

Sarah brings over 20 years of expertise in sales, marketing, and distribution, in both B2B and B2C sectors. Formerly with Nielsen, her deep understanding of the local business environment and consumer behavior makes Sarah a valuable partner for companies looking to thrive in the competitive Chinese landscape.

Vicky Ha

Auckland, New Zealand

Consultant - NPD, Production

Founder of House of Dumplings in 2012, Vicky is a chef and food scientist who 'wrote her own book' about what it takes to scale up from a farmer's market stall to a leading regional brand. Vicky brings to clients an exceptionally rich first-hand knowledge of planning, operations, distribution, retail and internal business culture.

Gannon Osburn

Bangkok, Thailand

Consultant - Media, Analytics

Gannon has lived and worked in APAC for 20 years, leading traditional and digital strategy, insights and transformation for clients in Technology, Automotive, Finance, Hospitality, Travel, Luxury, and CPG. Fluent in Mandarin, Gannon holds a M.S. in Data Science with a specialization in AI from Northwestern University.

Stephen Cicala

Wellington, New Zealand

Consultant - Design, Branding

An award-winning graphic designer from the US, resident in Wellington since 1995. In 2016 Stephen founded Cicala Design, focusing on brand expression and packaging design for leading brands such as Whittakers, Mainland and Monteith's.

Vivian Cheng

Hong Kong

Consultant - CX, UX

With over 24 years of market research experience with leading agencies like Kantar, Vivian excels at uncovering deep insights across industries such as FMCG, banking, and travel. Her extensive expertise spans the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and America, making her a sought-after moderator, CX/UX analyst, and ethnographic researcher.

Mike Underhill

Wellington, New Zealand

Founder | Director | Consultant - Strategy & Markets

A China-Asia guy with over 25 years of research agency experience in brand strategy, market entry, user insights, communications and media analytics. Formerly a director at Kantar and Ipsos in mainland China and Hong Kong, and conversant in Mandarin and Japanese, Mike is a full-on Value-added Maximalist.

Taylor Mills

Wellington, New Zealand

Specialist - Sales & Marketing

Recent Victoria University of Wellington graduate with a triple major in Marketing, Management and Commercial Law, Taylor combines a fresh pair of eyes and deep interest in the world of business and marketing to ask high impact questions and ascertain the most impactful and relevant answers for clients.