Hunter

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a sourcing and supply chain company. We help brands build and manufacture products overseas and then import and distribute them in their desired countries.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

We wanted to rebrand our business to help change our position within the market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with some conversations about brand strategy and tone. After that, they created brand logos, guidelines, a website, and all necessary documentation.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Simon (CEO), Matt (Creative Partner), Harry (Senior Designer), and another designer.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

We scheduled meetings with several agencies that we found through Google searches. Our meeting with Simon was the most interesting of them all, so we decided to work with his team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $120,000 AUD (approximately $90,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2020–May 2021.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

After working with them, we’re now happy with the business’ positioning as well as the clients we’re attracting. The way we’re communicating is different now, and our updated logo and brand have helped us achieve our initial goal.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. We used Slack to communicate and Miro for project management purposes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really worked to understand our business and our goal for the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared for a collaborative process. You’ll need to invest time into your work with them to get the best possible results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing director of The Lumery, a marketing agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

We had been in business for a little over three years and experienced aggressive growth in a very short time. Our brand identity no longer matched what we were doing in the market. We wanted to rebrand to match the success we were having in the market and build something that will be around for the next 5, 10, and 15 years.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hunter first spent a lot of time talking to people in the company to get to know our company and what makes us who we are. From there, they came up with a strategic story.

Following that, we received a handbook about our logo design, style, tone and voice, and color palettes. It gives our staff a really good understanding of who we are, what we stand for, how we talk about ourselves, the tone of voice, our elevator pitches, our values, our cultural elements. 

There’s also a style guide, given that our business is a lot about developing content for customers. From there, we did a lot of fun things with merchandise, stickers, and t-shirts that a lot of our staff and customers will gravitate around.

What is the team composition?

There were three core people: Simon (CEO, Hunter) for strategy, someone who played director and copywriter, and a creative designer.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

I was looking for a smallish agency and found a few. With a lot of the agencies I met with, I told them we need a style guide, a new website, etc. and they said they’d process it and come back to us.

Simon instead wanted to know what we were trying to solve, begin to look at the opportunity, and then run a process around that. I liked that they tackle things a bit more strategically.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $100,000 AUD (approximately $68,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February until October 2019.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They delivered a brand that matched what we were doing in the market.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

It was one area that they could tighten up a bit, especially with deliverables and keeping things on track. It was a shared responsibility—we put our own project manager on the job. However, if I went back again, I’d want to see a bit more structure in how things get delivered and when.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hunter did a great job of challenging the strategy and position of the brand.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on project management. We missed a couple of deadlines. It’s not anyone’s fault, but they could have had a bit more rigor on that aspect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to be challenged. Take your time in that initial phase to hone in on what you’re trying to solve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Ampersand Projects has a range of ready to drink alcoholic beverages. I am co-founder and director.

For what projects/services did your company hire Hunter?

We engaged Hunter to help with bringing to life the branding of our first and flagship product - Vodka Soda &

What were your goals for this project?

At this pre-launch stage of our business, we were looking to bring our vision to life and tasked Hunter with developing the look and feel of our first product. Following this project, we were able to move from the concept stage to actually launching our start-up.

How did you select this vendor?

Having worked with Simon and the team at Hunter on other projects in the past, we knew the quality of work they can produce. We also knew that the cutting edge style their agency is known for would resonate with our target market and therefore we selected them to bring our product development to life.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The project began with a comprehensive briefing session in person. Co-founder Marcus and I took the team through our vision in detail and let them really get a grasp of what we were setting out to achieve. Hunter were able to refine the brand story and develop our packaging design via a three step creative process of briefing-mood board/concepting- final packaging. We ended up with a packaging design that we loved and took to market.

What was the team composition?

We worked directly with Simon.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since dealing with Hunter in pre-launch phase we are now a successful start-up. Vodka Soda & is ranged in 2000 liquor stores and in the last 12 months has become the 7th fastest growing ready-to-drink product in Australia.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Having already had a relationship with Hunter, we were able to find a good working rhythm and complete this project fairly quickly. We had a very clear idea of what we needed and Hunter absorbed this and delivered exactly what we were after.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

No agency that I have dealt with in my time understands the importance of brand more than Hunter.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The challenge for Hunter is the smaller team they have means that they can only take on so many projects. This is the catch 22 of being a boutique agency.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing ANZ director for an international food and beverage company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter? 

Hunter worked with my team to identify spaces for new products, ideation, and to create a road map for a new product pipeline.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We primarily conducted secondary research, visiting markets, looking at competitors and adjacent markets to identify where we can grow. I wanted to expand their view of what is possible and challenge them to think in different ways. We even analyzed ingredients from adjacent spaces.

We then came together in a very collaborative work session, pinning things up on walls, mapping ideas, categorizing them, and order opportunities to expand opportunities. From there, we spent several months narrowing down what was actually realistic for us to pursue.

What is the team composition?

I had a single point of contact.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

I met them through a third party a few years ago. We stayed in contact loosely, and when they contacted me this year, this project was the perfect opportunity to collaborate.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $4,000–$5,000 per month in Australian dollars, so about $30,000 USD in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from January–August 2019.   

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We don’t have results quite yet because I haven’t presented our findings or proposal yet. However, the team feels very good about it.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

They were a very solid team. Their offices are very close to ours, so we met in person regularly or used Dropbox.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extremely strategic and are willing to challenge the norm. Simon (CEO, Hunter) is really good at bringing out the best in individuals to meet project goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was really happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Create realistic expectations.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder and CEO of an animal health company developing therapeutic products for companion animals using active compounds derived from plants.

For what projects/services did your company hire Hunter?

We’re exploring a potential new product concept to test with our target market. It has some complexities in the technology, so the challenge was in simplifying the complexity to connect with consumers while getting across our messaging.

What were your goals for this project?

To take the complex messaging around our product’s unique selling points and simplify it for consumers. The newly established brand needed to encompass our company's core values, and then translate the simplified messaging onto packaging concepts.

How did you select this vendor?

I received quotes from three different providers. While Hunter's wasn't the cheapest quote, they were the most engaged in the project, followed up with interested, and maintained communication while we navigated the product development stage. Their enthusiasm connected with our values.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They designed up to three packaging concepts for our newly created brand, including work on the logo design and copy as well as the tone of voice.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with the project manager who liaised with various different creatives at various points in the design process. We all worked collaboratively: I was introduced to each creative team member as we progressed through the project.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

I’m extremely pleased with the final outcome. The packaging embodies the core values of our company and highlights our unique selling points in a clear, humanized way. I like to provide input that is often not welcomed by creative agencies, but Hunter was able to take that working style and integrate it into their own approach to the creative design process. We’ve progressed to packaging concepts with the design that was provided, and our management team is progressing those into a pilot market test phase.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was effective given my unique approach to the creative process. We progressed at a relatively consistent pace and while the original deadlines were not met, that was due to us extending the scope.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

What I found most impressive was their patience with my frantic style. I enjoyed the collaborative approach as it was an effective way to ensure the end outcome was one that we were aligned on.

I also enjoyed the fine balance between entertaining my own suggestions, with constructive and honest feedback ensuring we got the best outcome. This involved decisions that I wasn't always in favor of but led to a great result.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could slightly improve the administrative documentation, but I know that for many, it’s actually a positive. There’s nothing I can objectively measure, and we’ll work with them again.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When I engaged Hunter, I was the marketing and export sales manager for Charlie’s Drinks Company, as it was called at the time. We had two key brands: Charlie’s Juice and Phoenix, specializing in organic drinks.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

At the time, the Phoenix brand had a notable presence in the Australian marketplace, but Charlie’s was not as well established. We wanted to rebrand and increase our social media involvement to improve local visibility and bring Charlie’s up to par.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hunter created the strategy that drove the launch of the Charlie’s brand in Australia. Though we outsourced the packaging, they were responsible for the branding and design. For the actual event, the team handled all of our PR needs, conducted interviews with our stakeholders, performed media outreach, and provided necessary staff. The strategy was geared toward local marketing and consumer engagement. Hunter created a Facebook promotional campaign that promised people in the Sydney Central Business District and Melbourne free juice for their online participation. They dressed the delivery staff as giant pieces of fruit as they ran through the streets drawing attention from crowds. Hunter handled all logistical needs in order to ensure the deliveries would run smoothly and efficiently.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with two members of their team, including their creative director and strategic director. Hunter sent a few others to help during the Charlie’s product launch.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

I’ve worked with Hunter on a variety of projects in the past, and I knew that they delivered nontraditional and contemporary strategies for brand challenges. I was also familiar with their event-based campaigns. They contacted me, and I agreed to work with them based on their location and my past experience with them. They had a presence in Australia and New Zealand, which is where we were looking to grow our brand.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $120,000—$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Hunter between October—December 2010.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Our market value substantially increased following our partnership with Hunter. The Charlie’s launch event secured us partnerships with a few local supermarket chains, and international corporations began showing interest. Asahi Beverages then bought the company for AU$170 million, at least five times its market value at the time. Shareholders pocketed money from the sale. Hunter’s dedication and detailed planning allowed for a low-cost event with fantastic results.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

Hunter acted not just as a business partner, but as part of our team. Their cost structure was transparent throughout the project. We communicated regularly and they were always available for meetings. Hunter was diligent in staying up to date with industry trends and incorporating new influences into their strategies to maximize the brand’s social presence. The CEO is also well-read on international developments in the field.

What did you find most impressive about them?

At the time, Hunter was one of few companies that embraced social media in their communications strategies. Their previous experience allowed for a unique and strategic understanding of our brand’s connection point with consumers. They avoided traditional advertising through simple visuals and focused on direct outreach to consumers and influencers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although we hired them, in part, for their location, we ran into some communication issues with geography and time zones. Technology designed to facilitate this type of partnership, like Skype, was not prevalent at the time. This led to minor scheduling difficulties.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should spend a lot of time with Hunter at the beginning of the project to facilitate a full understanding of the project direction and desired goals.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Coca-Cola Amatil is a bottler and distributor of a number of brands across Australia, the South Pacific, and Indonesia. We also have a large alcohol business, within which I run a business called The Exchange. We have a team of brand ambassadors or specialists who work within this division.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

We wanted to launch The Exchange. We’re quite a large corporate, and there is a definite need in our industry to avoid the one-size-fits-all approach that our company is famous for. In order to work with the best bars, nightclubs, and brands we needed to do things differently. We almost had to act as a separate entity with a separate brand. Hunter was engaged to bring that brand and name to market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They came up with the name and with all the brand positioning of The Exchange. In collaboration with them, we hired a team of brand ambassadors and sales specialists. They then moved to the management of that brand. They were on-call for a lot of the ad-hoc creative and media work.

We are currently working on an interesting concept for pairing one of our products with a type of food. It’s an interesting product so it’s all about challenging people’s opinions—they either love it or they hate it. It’s a pilot campaign at this stage. If successful, we’ll look to expand it.

What is the team composition?

I’ve predominantly worked with Simon (CEO, Hunter) and his business partner, as well as one or two other team members.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

My boss lined up Hunter prior to me taking on my role so I inherited the relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $200,000 per year on their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2014 and keep them on a retainer. We have just made the shift to another agency for managing the brand.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Data in our line of work is pretty challenging. Some of the brands that they have worked closely on remained in double-digit growth over the working period. They’ve been a major contributor to the successes of those brands. Our whole premium whisky portfolio is in very strong growth, for example. As a program, The Exchange is working and has been very successful. They were a very close business partner in delivering that growth.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

They're exceptional from a creative point of view. They absolutely challenge their clients to think bigger and more out-of-the-box, which is impressive. They won’t settle for the norm, and they work hard to push the boundaries. I think that’s amazing.

My only criticism, which they are aware of, is that the quality of the work comes at a cost sometimes. It takes them quite a long time to deliver a project. They do outstanding work, but timing is a challenge for them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have an immense amount of respect for and trust in Simon. I generally think that he’s a wonderful person. Beyond that, I’ve been impressed with the quality and creativity they offer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They pride themselves on being a small and nimble agency that will scale up as needed. We needed a larger agency that could deliver not only the creative, but also a very strong media offer and other items. For Hunter to provide this to us, they would have had to outsource the work, which would have come at a greater cost to us.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I advise clients to set a deadline for the work and hold the team to it. They should embrace Hunter challenging their thinking and give them a very clear brief.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of Sensory Lab, a specialty coffee roasting company in Melbourne, Australia.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

We needed a brand refresh and a packaging overhaul. We’d gone through some fairly quick growth and wanted to make sure things were consistent with our brand identity across the board. 

We were three to six months into the project with another agency, but we didn’t feel any closer to where we needed to be. They didn’t really understand our brand, so we decided to go with Hunter.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hunter assisted with realigning our brand. They did graphic design, strategy, and web work. It was a fairly broad scope that consisted of brand integration in all our spaces as well as packaging.

What is the team composition?

There were four or five people assigned to the work.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

Simon (CEO, Hunter) was a customer of ours for a long time. He and his team came in regularly for coffee because their office was just down the street, so there was a personal relationship before they were brought on board.​

​​​​​​How much have you invested with them?

We spend $150,000 AUD ($113,040 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2015 until August 2016.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

If you look at a before and after of our brand, you can clearly see where Hunter’s work started.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

I found Simon and his team to be really responsive and engaging. They were really hands-on with our brand and spent a lot of times in our stores.

The challenge few had while working with Hunter was that we didn’t have one clear person in our organization who was in charge of this relationship. There were quite a few hands getting involved and it got a bit messy, which slowed things down a bit more than necessary.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hunter is able to firmly integrate strategic concepts with design and tie that together to meet an outcome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could improve. The reason the relationship didn’t last forever was due to where we were as a business at the time. We’ve matured since then and I’m readier to have someone like Hunter on board. I’d absolutely work with them again but we’d have to have our goals clear from the start, as opposed to approaching the work haphazardly like we did.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a brand manager at Coca-Cola Amatil for Miller Genuine Draft and Miller Chill, our international beer brands.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

We hired them to adopt the company’s global marketing strategy to our local market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

To connect with our audience, the global strategy emphasized the product’s intrinsic qualities. We asked Hunter to localize this approach for a more niche marketing level. They simplified the product’s look and feel with a black and gold color scheme. Hunter also created an eight-week campaign for a three-day event; the team provided end-to-end services. They worked with our other external partners on out-of-home tram advertising, PR, and the actual event execution.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four people in total, specifically the CEO, creative director, and other creative members. Hunter assigned a resource to manage social media and event execution.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

I first engaged them when I worked at another beverage company. They created successful brand strategies and creative campaigns. I knew their bespoke and niche services would be a good fit for Miller.

Hunter was one of several agencies that pitched us; all the presentations envisioned Miller’s brand evolution the local market. They were among the strongest candidates to discuss outreach, creative, and campaign execution.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent 100,000 AUD ($75,988 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between January–November 2017.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The content was quality and relevant to targeted audiences; the new color scheme made the product look more premium. The eight-week campaign reached around 400,000 people within our target. The 17% post-engagement rate was much higher than the normal 3%.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

Although our teams were in Sydney and Melbourne, their organization and daily phone calls made the partnership feel local.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They approached brand campaigns and management in an innovative manner. Hunter consistently challenged norms, which distinguished them in a crowded market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their expertise was worth the cost, but they may be too expensive for some projects. In addition, they likely need a larger team. The four people I worked with were great, but more resources would benefit bigger projects. However, this a good problem to have.

I hold dual roles as a trade marketing manager and a brand marketing manager for a bitters manufacturing company. We manufacture and distribute bitters but are also expanding into cocktails and ciders.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hunter?

Initially, we needed resources who could help develop and execute our brand strategies by outlining our next steps and evolving our brands.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Although they were primarily responsible for carrying out our strategies, they’ve contributed to numerous processes ranging from concept development to creative implementation. They collaborated with us to come up with new brand strategies from scratch, working through the steps and offering insights into how the execution would look. We provided them with all the information needed to make these joint decisions. From there, they deconstructed our brand, developed positioning statements, and pursued key marketing channels. They’ve also provided creative support for our print ads and supported our PR efforts.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five members, including their co-owners as well as account managers and creative leads in Melbourne and New Zealand.

How did you come to work with Hunter?

When I entered my new position, Hunter reached out as part of a handover with us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000 AUD ($151,429 USD) thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work began in January 2017 and is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Since their engagement, we’ve noticed a substantial increase in our market share. With regards to their creative materials, they’ve accurately encapsulated our brand. They have a unique style, and we enjoy their modern, simplistic look and feel.

How did Hunter perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re organized and stay on top of things, reminding us of deadlines and forming a good relationship with our internal team. Responsive communicators, we interact through phone, text, email, and in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that they strive to go above and beyond our expectations. They’ve become passionate about our brands and treat them as their own, which drives them to work hard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While I value their enthusiasm, they should be mindful of pushing too hard for work and clearly establishing project costs.