WHAT WE DO
Our Services
We assist in the development of new:
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Our innovation consulting team are highly experienced experts in corporate innovation, CX and new product development - from insight and ideation through to the design and delivery of new products, services, platforms and experiences.
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We have New Zealand’s most experienced start-up and scale-up brand strategy and design experts, with an unmatched track record in defining a brand’s positioning and story, to designing brands that connect emotionally and power high growth in innovative start-up and scale-up companies.
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Our ventures team have led the creation and development of both start-up and joint venture companies - from an early idea or opportunity, through product and brand development, to launching, fundraising, scaling, and exiting. We work as full venture partners, or as partners for equity for services swaps.
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We believe that brand can be the difference between a good company and a world-changing company. With our partners at Icehouse Ventures, in 2023 we raised Brand Fund 1, a $4m+ fund to invest in companies where brand will be a defining element of their success.
Our Track Record
2023: Ideally
2023: Brand Fund 1
2021: Tracksuit
2020: AF Drinks
In the first Covid lockdown of 2020, we partnered with Eat My Lunch’s Lisa King on her sophomore venture. We took an equity stake in the business and worked with Lisa through the product and business creation, launch and early stages. We gave the company it’s irreverent name. We branded AF’s secret booze-like ingredient Afterglow™. We created Drunk AF, a podcast of famous New Zealanders who don’t drink. We created the AF Number, a new metric that allows us to track our contribution to improving alcohol behaviour. And their website, Curious AF, is a haven of content for those wanting to be inspired by the alcohol-free world. AF fast became the clear leader in their burgeoning category, achieving widespread distribution and sales success throughout New Zealand.
2020: Odd Company
2019: Helius Theraputics
2018: Compostic
2017: Hawker & Roll
2016: Toothcrush
2015: Simplicity Kiwisaver
2015: Spark New Zealand
2014: Stolen Spirits
We work with ambitious leaders who are inventing or reinventing. Here's how we do that.
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You can work with us to...
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We work with client partners in three key ways
We provide our services in a traditional ‘fee for service’ model, but also enter equity or revenue-share arrangements with select clients.
Where we trade our services for fees. We scope and estimate projects in advance, and bill progress monthly.
Where we trade the value of our services for an equity stake in select ventures. We are confident in the value we create, and are happy to bet on that value in cases where we are values-aligned and believe we can be the difference between success and extraordinary success. We have a very simple and transparent approach, whereby we cost our services and trade the value of those for equity in companies at their current valuation. We aim to take a very small stake in such companies, and become a long-term partner in their success.
Working in partnership with one other company to co-own, develop and steward a new venture.
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Things we don’t do
They say you’re defined by what you say no to - and for us to be the best partner to those we can help, we embrace saying no to those we can’t. Here’s what we don’t do.
We’re not an ad agency. We do the foundational work creating or reimagining brands, which often includes the development of key messages and design of simple communications – but others are more appropriately resourced to manage ongoing marketing campaigns and brand and comms maintenance. In saying that, we love ad agencies and are happy to connect our clients to, and work with, agencies that are resourced to create and deliver advertising and marketing campaigns.
We are strategic partners and advisors to our clients. We work with clients who trust us, respect our deep experience and expertise, and value our recommendations.
We are not a provider to companies who aren’t pushing forward innovatively and ambitiously.
We don’t compete on price, and we’re not resourced to pump out executional output at cut-price rates. In saying that, we work with select start-up and scale-up companies on an equity basis to ease short-term cashflow and provide a deeper partnership.
We don’t pitch strategic or creative thinking. You are welcome to visit and meet us, learn about our process, see our work, talk to our clients, and ask us how much your project might cost. If you’re still not sure we’re right for you, then we're probably not :-)
Other than in special circumstances, we prefer not to accept the compromise, politics and excessive stakeholder management that government-aligned projects demand. If you’re a senior leader in a government or publicly funded organisation, and you’re prepared for a completely different approach, we’re happy to talk and consider your project.