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.
Blutui
- Founder: Graeme Blake
- Year founded: 2010
Tell us the story behind founding your agency.
I was put on gardening leave from my previous agency where my silent partner took exception to an interagency relationship. Totally cliche.
Then paired up with a couple of uni grads who had started a small brand and web studio, I brought my address book and sales to the joint venture and we were off.
Realised fairly early on that the technology we were needing to rely on to build client web projects was largely rubbish and set about building out an agency focused platform.
This began to take on a life of its own and Blutui.com was born, which serves agencies in major markets around the world. We are currently setting up hubs in SEA and the UK.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own agency?
Being around talented creative problem solvers. Seeing how quickly the technology market is moving especially in the martech space.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
Patience. Learn to play the long game, and the value of your network, the relationships that get you through and open opportunities given time.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or given out?
Don’t listen to anyone who hasn’t done the hard yards themselves. Theory means nothing.
Anything else we should know?
We are close to pivoting completely away from agency to martech agency web ecosystem software provider. The next phase of the journey is shaping up to be a wild ride as we venture into new markets.
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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