Hi, i'm Karen

Editorial portrait of Karen Lai in an almond milk tailored blazer

Senior marketing leadership across brand, digital growth, CRM, customer experience and commercial performance.

Contact Me
15+ yearsAcross NZ, China and international markets
Global BrandsDENZA, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Skoda and CUPRA
Web GrowthCar brand website growth through optimisation
Lead growthGenerated through online platform rollout
Multi-millionMarketing budgets, agencies and OEM stakeholders
Beacon winsGold and Silver campaign recognition
BYD-DENZANZ launch, dealership rollout and premium experiences
1M+ viewsOrganic post reach through creative content
PlatformsAEM, Contentful, GA4, Adobe Analytics, Hotjar and Power BI
AI toolsCodex, Claude Code, Canva, Midjourney, Seedance and Marketo
BrandsGroupon, Mobile Mentor, Nitecore and premium NZ businesses
Trade shows18 events across 13 countries and regions
AI & Automation
NZ
AI
CX

About me

I build the marketing systems that sit between brand interest and commercial action. My work spans senior brand leadership, digital transformation, CRM, performance marketing, customer journey design, agency leadership, premium launch moments, AI-enabled workflow and cross-cultural growth.

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Expertise

01

Digital Growth

Website performance, SEO, SEM, paid media, analytics, content governance, organic reach and conversion improvement across complex brand portfolios.

02

Customer Journey

CRM, automation, lifecycle communication, reservation, stock search, configurators, e-shops, trade-in valuation and dealer enquiry pathways.

03

Brand Transformation

Brand positioning, major CI change, launch planning, premium storytelling and customer-facing digital rollout across New Zealand.

04

Commercial Leadership

Agency management, supplier relationships, budget ownership, OEM stakeholder alignment, reporting and executive-level recommendations.

05

AI & Automation

Codex, Claude Code, Marketo, Canva, Midjourney, Seedance and practical workflow systems that make marketing faster without losing judgement.

Case Study

01

Premium automotive / Digital growth

Scaling customer acquisition across a multi-brand automotive group

120% Increase in digital enquiries across multiple brands
Karen Lai reviewing marketing strategy in an almond milk tailored blazer
7 brands / Digital platforms / Online tools / CRM / Dealer network / Customer
SEO / new brand websites / global CI Discover
Stock search / valuation tools / model content Engage
Reservations / lead forms / CRM integration Convert
Performance reporting / ROI optimisation / journey improvements Scale
02

Brand transformation / NZ launch

From global brand to local relevance

Global OEM standards adapted for local execution
NZ Digital showroom / Events / PR
Global CI rollout / brand foundations Establish
Dealer launch / showroom presence Activate
Premium customer experience / test drives Engage
Events / PR / partnerships / local awareness Amplify
03

Founder-led growth / Business building

From concept to customer Building brands, audiences and growth systems from the ground up.

Karen Lai in a creative studio setting
Idea / Positioning / Audience / Channels / Customer
0 to 1

Building brands, audiences and customer demand.

Idea Strategy Execution Growth
Finding the opportunity. Defining the value proposition. Market fit Positioning
Understanding customer needs, behaviours and motivations. Insights Audience
Content, search, social, partnerships and demand generation. Channels Acquisition
Websites, CRM, automation, measurement and optimisation. Systems Scale

Applied across: Mapview Media / Harper Malone / Adored Again / Whisper

Experience

2025-now

National Marketing Manager

BYD-DENZA / Harmony Auto New Zealand

  • Leading DENZA marketing across launch strategy, dealership marketing, PR, events, CRM nurturing and lead generation.
  • Building local market plans for a high-consideration premium brand in New Zealand.
  • Managing agencies, digital suppliers, media partners, event vendors and OEM stakeholders.
2024-2025

Managing Director

Mapview Media / Rednote Marketing / Harper Malone / Adored Again

  • Led digital marketing, website development, luxury bridal, e-commerce and Asian social media activity.
  • Worked with New Zealand SMEs and premium brands across SEO, Google Ads, Meta Ads, WeChat and Rednote.
  • Used AI tools to improve workflow, segmentation, messaging, reporting and decision-making.
2019-2024

Digital Marketing Manager

Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Škoda, CUPRA and SEAT, New Zealand

  • Led digital strategy across six German and European automotive brands.
  • Managed AEM, Contentful, Dynamics, Marketo, website performance, CRM, automation and dealer lead generation.
  • Delivered digital roadmaps, agency management, reporting frameworks and board-level recommendations.
Earlier

International and operational marketing foundation

Sit & Blake / Nitecore / Groupon / Mobile Mentor

  • Built experience across insurance, finance, consumer technology, e-commerce, merchant partnerships and operations.
  • Coordinated 18 trade shows across 13 countries and regions and managed global campaign partnerships.
  • Improved business efficiency, customer satisfaction, team capability and recurring revenue in earlier roles.

Beyond work

Curious by nature.

Away from the dashboard, I am usually in the garden, on a yoga mat, in the water, cooking something comforting, travelling somewhere new, or pulling apart a brilliant creative idea to understand why it worked.

That curiosity follows me back into marketing. I like finding the pattern behind success, then turning it into something useful, repeatable and human.

Gardening Yoga Swimming Cooking Travel Creative decoding
Karen Lai in an ivory shirt and cream denim jeans lifestyle setting

Let's talk

For senior marketing roles, brand growth projects, digital transformation work or strategic consulting conversations in the New Zealand market.

karen.lqs@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/karen-lai-nz