The agency
for the modern marketer
Strategy, branding, through-the-line communications & media.
Trusted by leading brands in New Zealand and Australia
Years ago I went looking for the kind of agency I needed when I was on the client side.
But I couldn’t find it.
So I compromised – again and again.
Eventually, I stopped compromising.
I built the agency I couldn’t find. One that moved fast. Thought strategically. Had lots of ambition.
And that agency is The Business. Uncompromising.
Ben Cochrane - Founder & Director
We developed New Zealand’s
#1 selling Chardonnay
We’ve helped grow some of the world’s most valuable brands. We’ve won strategic awards.
But what I’m proudest of? People like to work here. And they stay.
Clients stick around too – because they feel what I felt. And they need what I needed.
Creating meaningful
brands that makes competitors nervous
We created a
category
and smashed
record sales
Created and launched a multi-million dollar brand
Injected adrenaline into the sleepy office space market
How we roll
Clarity
We start by defining the real problem, not just the brief.
Using tools like Category Entry Points, Jobs to be Done, and good old-fashioned commercial instinct, we uncover what your customers need, want, and expect – and what your brand needs to do about it.
We look at
What drives buying decisions in your category
What ‘job’ your brand is being hired to do
How you stack up in the minds of customers
What distinctive assets you already own (and which ones you need)
“Insight is only useful if it leads somewhere. We find the insight that unlocks growth.”
Creative
When clear on the strategy, we move fast into creative.
Ideas are developed by the same senior minds that cracked the strategy – so they’re never lost in translation. And every idea is pressure-tested against commercial goals, not just creative preference.
We focus on:
Big, brand-building ideas rooted in distinctiveness
Assets that work across channels and time
Behavioural science that nudges people to act
Creativity that builds memory, fame, and sales
“We create work that cuts through – and earns its place in your budget.”
Commerciality
We measure what matters, then optimise.
From testing assets in the wild to shaping comms around physical and mental availability, we make sure your brand isn’t just looking good – it’s working hard for your bottom line.
We apply:
Performance metrics that go beyond vanity
Test-and-learn loops to scale what works
Ongoing strategic stewardship to stay sharp
Brand growth thinking (mental + physical availability)
“Creative only matters if it performs. We make sure it does.”
Why it works
You work directly with senior people who know what they’re doing.
We work hard to understand your business – so we hit the ground running on projects.
We cut the layers and invest more of your budget in building your brand.
Global brands trust us to deliver – and we do.
“They get
our business.
It’s a successful
partnership”
— Brown Forman
“We don’t think of them as a supplier. They’ve become an invaluable and trusted part of our core team”
— Fujitsu
Our kind of people
Our passion is working with like-minded individuals, to develop an eco-system of marketers and partners that want to build brands through great work. We aren’t into short termism, ill thought through strategy or creative for the sake of the agency. Our clients are demanding, challenging and professional - so we have to be at the top of our game all the time. Here are 6 of our core beliefs.
Shared ambition
The client relationship comes first. We take a 10 year view and invest in understanding our client, their brand and their business. We want our clients to look like hero’s.
Complacency is the enemy
We take nothing for granted. We never rest on our laurels and detest complacency. Our clients value proactive, plentiful ideas - so that’s what we do
Always learning
We put a lot of time into training our people in strategic thinking and executional excellence. From residential strategy programmes at Harvard Business School to the latest digital marketing courses - our people know their stuff.
Quality. Not quantity
The quality of our work is critical. Rather than work in a bloated creative department with multiple layers, we took the decision early on that we’d rather be smaller, ego free and well respected
Energy and positivity
We have little time for cynical people – no matter how rock star they are. Our culture is our difference. We believe a positive, supportive culture creates better work and attracts better people
Transparent
Clients love our flat structure and openness. The old rules don’t apply here. Talk to the creative director direct. Or sit down with our designers to re-arrange your logo. We encourage this. It’s liberating, honest - and extremely fast, which is why we are efficient as well as effective
Contact us
If you’ve made it this far you are either extremely bored or a little curious.
If it’s the latter, please give us a bell.
Ben Cochrane
Managing Director
+64 (0)21 2448989
2.13, Axis Building
91 St. Georges Bay Road, Parnell, AKL, NZ