new zealand landscape for digital marketing agency

Award Winning Digital Marketing Agency in New Zealand

Vanguard 86 is a New Zealand digital marketing agency helping B2B and B2C businesses grow through strategy, content, SEO, AEO, paid campaigns, and social media. Fixed price programmes, clear reporting, and marketing that is built to convert.

A marketing agency that brings structure to growth

Most businesses do not need more marketing ideas. They need a plan that matches how their customers buy, and a team that can deliver it consistently.

We act as your marketing partner. We help you decide what to focus on, build the assets that support that focus, and keep activity moving month after month. The goal is simple. Less stop start marketing, more compounding momentum.

 

Thomas Emmerson marketing meeting

Who benefits most from hiring an agency

A marketing agency is a good fit when you have a solid business, but marketing is not getting the attention it needs to perform consistently. In New Zealand, that usually shows up in a few common business types and growth stages.

01 Owner led businesses that have hit a ceiling

Many NZ businesses grow through reputation and referrals, until growth slows. When enquiries become unpredictable, it is often not a demand problem, it is a consistency problem. A marketing agency gives you a plan, a delivery rhythm, and a clearer view of what is driving leads so growth is not reliant on word of mouth alone.
02 Businesses with unclear messaging

If customers need the offer explained, or your services are not easy to compare, marketing can feel hard. This is where an agency helps most. We tighten the message, build the pages and content that answer buyer questions, and create clearer pathways that turn interest into enquiries and sales.
03 B2B companies with longer sales cycles

B2B marketing often needs to earn trust before someone is ready to enquire. Prospects research, compare options, and involve other stakeholders. An agency helps you show up consistently, build proof, and create content that supports real sales conversations, so your lead quality improves over time.
04 B2C brands that need predictable growth

B2C businesses benefit when marketing turns into a repeatable system. That usually means stronger creative, clearer offers, better landing pages, and campaigns that drive action. An agency helps align social, search, and paid activity so you are not relying on spikes, promotions, or one channel doing all the work.
05 Businesses with a team who are overworkered

Often marketing falls into the gaps between other priorities. It is started, paused, restarted, and never has time to compound. An agency gives you capacity and momentum, without needing to hire a full internal team.

We turn your goals into a practical marketing plan

We start by getting clear on what you sell, who you want to attract, and what a good lead actually looks like for your business. From there we build a prioritised roadmap, so you know what we are doing first, what can wait, and what will create the biggest lift.

That roadmap usually includes things like which pages need to exist on your website, what content will help people choose you, what campaigns are worth running, and which channels should carry the load based on your budget and timeline.

digital marketing meeting darker saturation
Workers shaking hands around desk of marketers

We deliver the work, not just the ideas

Once the plan is clear, we move into consistent delivery. This is where the marketing actually happens.

Depending on your scope, that might include building or improving landing pages, writing and publishing content, planning and scheduling social media, setting up and managing paid campaigns, improving SEO foundations and on page content, creating email campaigns that nurture leads, or tightening website journeys so more visitors convert.

You will always know what is being delivered, what it is tied to, and what the priority is. No vague deliverables. No mystery activity. No surprise invoices.

We track results and improve what matters

We track performance against outcomes like lead quality, conversion rate, enquiries, and sales opportunities. Reporting is not just a recap. It is used to decide what to double down on and what to change.

If a page is getting traffic but not converting, we improve the message and structure. If ads are driving clicks but not leads, we adjust the offer, targeting, and landing page. If content is not earning visibility, we refine the topic, intent, and optimisation. If something is not working, we do not defend it. We change it.

marketing strategy workshop
Two people shaking hands over desk

Our promise

It’s not just about us, it’s about you and your business. We know that our success is fuelled by your success, so we prioritise your business' growth above all else.

Jonny Hornsey | ABC Sheds

Traditionally I have been a skeptic of digital marketing agencies, due to many broken promises and little ROI - but V86 have blown me away! Wouldn't hesitate recommending them to anyone.
- Jonny Hornsey, ABC Sheds

The services our agency offers

01 Paid Social

Paid social scales your best message to the right audience. We run campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn that focus on action and lead quality.
02 SEO

SEO helps you win the searches that already show buying intent. We improve rankings and conversion so you attract the right traffic and turn it into enquiries.
03 Google Ads

Google Ads can generate leads fast when the targeting and landing pages are right. We build and manage campaigns around conversions, not clicks.
04 Social Media

Social media works when it supports a clear business goal. We create a consistent plan for LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram so you stay visible and relevant.
05 AEO

AEO helps your brand show up in AI answers, not just search results. We structure and strengthen your content so it is easier to cite, trust, and choose.
06 Email Marketing

Email turns interest into repeat attention and repeat sales. We build newsletters and nurture campaigns that keep leads warm and customers engaged.
07 Marketing Coaching

Coaching gives your internal team direction and accountability. We guide the work so your marketing stays focused, consistent, and tied to outcomes.
08 Website Design and Build

Your website should make it easy to understand, trust, and take the next step. We design and build websites that are clear, fast, and built to convert.
09 Strategy Day

A strategy day turns scattered ideas into a practical plan. You leave with clear priorities, next steps, and a roadmap your team can follow.

Awards & recognition

Our results have been recognised at a global level, here are just a few of the awards we've won.

Netty Awards - 2024 Digital Marketing | Best SEO Content Strategy
Digital marketing agency
TechBehemoths - 2022 Top SEO Company in New Zealand
Top SEO agency in NZ
TechBehemoths - 2022 Top Email Marketing Company in New Zealand
Best email marketing company in New Zealand
TechBehemoths - 2022 Top Social Media Marketing Company in New Zealand
Social Media Marketing top 10 NZ
TechBehemoths - 2021 Top Social Media Marketing Company in New Zealand
TechBehemoths top social media marketing companies NZ
New Zealand Direct Marketing Awards - 2019 Marketing Financial Services | Silver Award
Digital agency
New Zealand Direct Marketing Awards - 2018 CRM Multi-channel | Bronze Award
Digital marketing nz
TSB Business Excellence Awards - 2017 Technology Excellence | Highly Commended
digital marketing agency
Australasian Catalogue Awards - 2017 Multi-channel Mail Out & Inbound Campaigns | Highly Commended
Marketing agency
HubSpot IMPACT Awards - 2017 Inbound Growth | Honourable Mention
Digital marketing nz
Digital marketing agency Top SEO agency in NZ Best email marketing company in New Zealand Social Media Marketing top 10 NZ TechBehemoths top social media marketing companies NZ Digital agency Digital marketing nz digital marketing agency Marketing agency Digital marketing nz

Are we the right team you're looking for?

With more than 10 years of experience as a creative digital company, we've worked with more than 100 companies and completed over 200 esteemed projects. Have a look at our completed projects and see if we have what it takes to help bring your company further.

Frequently asked questions

What does a monthly programme actually look like in practice?

Most months follow a simple rhythm. We agree on the priority outcomes, then we plan, produce, publish, and improve. The actual work is typically a mix of website and landing page improvements, blogging or content creation, social media, and email marketing, depending on your scope and goals. You can learn more about our tier plans here.

Hiring a marketing manager vs using an agency, what is better?

A marketing manager is great when you need someone internal to own brand, coordinate stakeholders, and keep momentum. The challenge is that one person rarely has the full skill set and time to cover everything well, like copywriting, design, development, paid advertising, and SEO. With an agency you get a specialised team that can execute across those areas without you having to hire multiple roles.

Many NZ businesses land on a hybrid, an internal marketing lead working with an agency to handle delivery and specialist work.

How much time do you need from us each month?

Less than most businesses expect. We rely on you for the essentials, like approvals, subject matter input, and quick answers on products or services. The heavy lifting sits with us so marketing keeps moving even when your team is busy.

How do you decide which channels we should focus on?

We start with how your customers decide, how competitive your market is, and what results you need and when. If you need demand quickly, paid channels and conversion work usually take priority. If you want compounding growth, we build search visibility, content, and repeatable lead generation systems alongside it. We keep the channel mix tied to the buyer journey, not whatever is trending.

How does your fixed price model work?

You get a defined monthly scope and a set cost, so you know what is included and what the team is delivering. It is designed to remove end of month surprises and keep delivery consistent. If something is not making progress, we change the approach rather than letting activity drift.