In the June-August 2026 issue of NZ Marketing magazine, we asked agency founders to tell us the story behind why they started their agency, their favourite thing, what they’ve learned and their best advice.
Sneakers Media
- Founders: David Parker & Eddy Whatt
- Year founded: 2016
Tell us the story behind founding your agency.
Ten years ago this August, David and Eddy walked away from the big global agencies with a simple belief: NZ businesses deserved a better media partner – one that was fair, accountable, transparent, backed by senior expertise and smart technology.
When we launched, there wasn’t a foundation client waiting in the wings. Just a leap of faith, strong industry relationships and confidence in doing things differently.
Starting in digital media, the business steadily grew from the ground up. In 2019, Elaine Gibbons joined as co-owner, helping expand Sneakers Media into a full-service media agency spanning every channel consumers engage with.
There have been challenges along the way, but the core philosophy remains unchanged: keep the team senior and close-knit, cut the jargon and ego and focus on doing genuinely good work for New Zealand businesses. The belief has always been simple: do the right thing, and success will follow.
David Parker and Eddy Whatt started Sneakers Media in 2016.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own agency?
The obvious answers are all true. Being your own boss, choosing the clients you work with and building something that whole-heartedly reflects your values.
Most founders would probably say the same. But my favourite thing is something harder to create – we’ve built an agency that genuinely feels like a family. Many of us worked together long before Sneakers Media existed, in some cases for nearly 20 years across different chapters of our careers.
We’ve celebrated big wins together, worked through tough times together, and through it all, kept showing up and building. That kind of connection doesn’t happen overnight or by design. It’s built slowly through trust, loyalty and shared experience, and it shapes everything about how we work and who we choose to work with. The Sneakers Media family is not only our favourite part of the business, but also what we’re most proud of.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
Long-term success comes from staying true to a clear core philosophy while deliberately evolving how you execute it.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or given out?
We probably haven’t been great at seeking advice ourselves, which is likely a common trait among people who decide to go out on their own.
But if I were to offer any advice to someone starting a business, it would be this: stay true to yourself and your vision. Know your North Star and don’t let the noise pull you too far off course.
At the same time, be willing to adapt when the world around you changes – because it will, constantly and often unexpectedly. The media landscape, the economy and technology look completely different today than they did when we launched in 2016.
Evolving isn’t optional, it’s part of survival. But evolving with a clear sense of purpose is what separates meaningful growth from simply drifting. Stay focused on where you want to go, just stay flexible about how you get there.
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 87, June-August 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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