Mackenzie
Maughan
Brand and Behavioural Strategist
Mackenzie is a brand and behavioural strategist with a globally informed perspective shaped by experience across London, Tokyo and Singapore. She holds a Master’s in Applied Psychology from the University of Melbourne, alongside a double major in Psychology and Media Communications, giving her a deep understanding of how people make decisions, what shapes preference and why behaviour does not always follow what people say they want. Mackenzie combines behavioural science with brand, marketing and commercial strategy to uncover the real drivers of customer choice; the emotional, cognitive and contextual forces that influence what people notice, trust, value and ultimately choose. This allows her to move beyond surface-level insight and help organisations understand not only what their audiences think, but what will meaningfully change behaviour.
Her work translates that understanding into sharper positioning, stronger propositions, more distinctive brands and better customer experiences. Mackenzie has developed evidence-based strategies for organisations including TAC, Cancer Council, AFL Play, Intrepid, Ausbuild, Officeworks and The Y, working across consumer, community and service-based categories where trust, familiarity, ease and perceived value can be critical to decision-making. She brings rigour to questions that are often treated subjectively, using behavioural insight to identify where brands can remove friction, strengthen preference and create more meaningful connections with the people they need to reach. Her approach reflects a core belief that the most effective brand strategies are built not simply around what organisations want to say, but around a clear understanding of how people actually think, decide and behave.
Outside of her work, Mackenzie enjoys expressing her creativity through singing, songwriting and the occasional acting class. She also loves staying active through netball and chasing that post-Pilates burn!
Favourite Project
The pulse that powers pickleball.
What began as a backyard game with two paddles, a ball, and some tape has grown into one of Australia’s fastest-rising sports, bringing together players of all ages and abilities. As the national governing body, Pickleball Australia needed a brand that could unite a fast-moving community while celebrating the sport’s distinct personality: joyful, rebellious, inclusive, and proudly different.
