In less than 12 months, Thompson Spencer Group has moved from merger to momentum. The combined business has gone ‘boof’, says CEO Melanie Spencer.
Thompson Spencer Group launched last year with a bold promise: to build the agency model for the future.
Almost a year into the merger of creative and media agency Thompson Spencer and performance agency Reason, CEO Melanie Spencer says the vision hasn’t just held up, it’s taken off beyond expectation.
“We thought we’d run side-by-side for a while,” she says. “Within months, Reason clients were asking for social, influence, creative, even TV. And Thompson Spencer clients were saying, ‘We want the performance team. We want data and analytics. We want to play with AI.’ The crossover just went boof.”
That ‘boof’ means 42% of the group’s top 35 clients now work across both sides of the business. In the past six months alone, the combined team has worked with more than a hundred companies and delivered a 76% uplift in the client portfolio, with wins including Fisher Funds, EcoStore, London City Airport, Entrada, Wattyl Australia and Bendon.
Spencer calls the integration “magical”. Not because it was easy, but because it clicked so organically.
“I can’t believe that, in less than a year, everyone’s in the right seats and working beautifully together. Mergers are one of the hardest things you can do. But this one moved fast because the model made sense.”
Golden thread, tiny sparks, big results
The model is anchored in what Spencer calls ‘the golden thread’. Creative, media, performance, social across all channels, including Chinese platforms, influencers, production, community management, data and above‑the‑line all working hand‑in‑glove. No silos + no handovers = no bottlenecks. “Brands want speed,” Spencer says. “They want nimbleness. They want to change things out quickly. You can’t do that with big, stodgy divisions passing work along like a relay baton.”
It all starts with “the spark of an idea”. A small, testable creative seed that can be validated, iterated and scaled. “It’s low‑cost, builds momentum and creates culture. And when something pops off organically, we can put media behind it, or not! Sometimes we don’t need to. Then we can flip it up into above‑the‑line and it makes more sense because people already feel connected to it.”
This approach mirrors how audiences behave today. “It’s like dating in the digital world,” Spencer says. “You see something online, you feel the connection and then you see it out of home or on TV and it clicks.”
The best journeys aren’t a straight line
The agency’s full‑funnel positioning has evolved too. “Some people don’t understand what a funnel is,” Spencer laughs. “But the truth is, the customer journey isn’t a funnel any more. It’s more like a flywheel. People jump in at any point and as soon as they do you have to be ready for them.”
To keep the flywheel spinning, Thompson Spencer has built deep expertise across every touchpoint. “When someone sees an out of home ad and then jumps online, the brand has to be there. That’s the modern agency. It’s not about creating a brand any more, it’s about creating a culture.”
Radically human
Culture is at the heart of the agency’s stance on AI. Spencer is unequivocal about the hype cycle. “Last year everyone scrambled to get on board. Now we’re in the trough of disillusionment and distrust.” Thompson Spencer’s response is to double down on the human element. “AI and being radically human have to go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other.”
The agency has two full‑time developers building proprietary tools and an AI specialist helping clients streamline marketing processes. But the philosophy stays grounded. “AI is not our crutch: it helps us lift heavy and move faster, but that spark still comes from us.”
That spark is increasingly important in a sceptical world. “People start distrusting every piece of content. It’s our job to show them what’s real.” That’s where influencers and creators step in. Not as glossy ambassadors, but as trusted humans. “It’s no longer influence,” Spencer says. “It’s trust‑fluence.”
Recognition, growth and the next horizon
The industry has taken notice. After claiming Aotearoa New Zealand Agency of the Year at last year’s B&T Awards they went on to beat several larger Aussie agencies to the gold for Social Media Agency of the Year and bronze for Influencer Marketing Agency of the Year at the Campaign Asia Awards.
“Winning against the big end of town in New Zealand gives us confidence we’re on the right path.”
Looking ahead, the trajectory is clear: more full‑service clients, deeper talent and a stronger foothold across the ditch. “Australia is next. The team is already buying media there with staff and clients on the ground.”
PR and activations are also on the expansion list.
For Spencer, the highlight of the past year isn’t the awards or the growth, it’s the moments when everything comes together. She points to Auckland Transport’s ‘Christmas Joy Rides’ campaign, which included wrapped buses, Jona hosting carolling karaoke on bus rides, the lighting of the Christmas tree and a city‑wide burst of delight.
“Every part of the team was involved. It created a movement. It brought joy to Aucklanders. Watching our clients’ eyes light up because of what the team created, that’s the highlight for me.”
thompsonspencer.com
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 86, March-May 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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