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.
Crave
- Founders: Daniel Hopkirk & James Blackwood
- Year founded: 2016
Tell us the story behind founding your agency
Hopkirk: My backstory was coming up through the ranks as a marketer across various companies globally, before deciding to come home and try my own thing. I was moving back to NZ from Sydney, slightly over the corporate world. I’d always had an entrepreneurial itch, so I backed myself, and Crave Global was born.
Blackwood: I’d spent well over a decade inside the Clemenger Group, finishing as ECD of Colenso during a period of radical creative change. But there comes a moment when it’s the right time to move on. I came close to going to DDB, took pause, had a sabbatical and realised if I didn’t like the politics of multinationals, I should probably back myself and have a go. That was 26 years ago. I was fortunate to have early support from the Giltrap Group, and I owe a huge debt to the partners from throughout my career.
What’s your favourite thing about running your own agency?
H: The people, the diversity in work each day and the creativity. I really love creative work and being able to have an impact on clients’ businesses through lateral thinking and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
B: What I love most is the freedom. Not freedom in the loose goose, do-what-you-like sense, but the freedom to make calls quickly, back people, chase better ideas and build the kind of agency we actually want to work in. There’s something very satisfying about being close to the work, close to the clients and close to the consequences. You feel the wins, you feel the pressure and you get to shape the culture. And while my heart is in creative, I enjoy the business side equally. The standard line is that indies have to be sharper, hungrier and more inventive, but these days every business does. I think the key difference is that when you’ve got skin in the game, the risk and reward makes the day more exciting.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
H: Persistence beats resistance, always. Running your own business is not for the faint-hearted, so you need to be able to run with the highs and lows.
B: It’s the same now as it was then. If you’re going to show up every day and give it a big nudge, you want to do it with people you genuinely respect and can have a laugh with. That makes it worth the effort. And that’s what Dan and I have now. A year later and it’s still a bromance.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or given out?
H: Find people who are the best at what they do, and create a culture in your business where they don’t want to leave. This industry is all about people. If you get that bit right and create an environment for them to produce their best work, you will naturally float to the top.
B: Stay independent in your thinking, not just your ownership structure. The real value of an independent agency is the ability to be honest, move quickly and make decisions based on what you believe is right, not what fits a network model. So protect that. Get good financial advice and listen to it. There’s no parachute.
Independence gives you freedom, but it also means the consequences land squarely with you. Back your instincts, have a point of view, protect the work, hire the best people you possibly can, stay close to the numbers and work hard for the success of your clients. Always be prepared to clean the coffee machine and empty the dishwasher.
I used to think I’d be here for a good time, not a long time. Seems you can do both.
Anything else we should know?
BCG2 is 20 years old, Crave Global 10 years old. The two businesses merged to form Crave Group.
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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