Thomas Emmerson
Public speaker, marketing strategist, and HubSpot expert.
Thomas' story
"Lacks focus, easily distracted."
Read the 30 year-old report card. Never one to be described as 'academic', traditional subjects failed to hold this young man's attention.
This all changed in college when business entered the curriculum. One subject captivated the mind; Marketing. The first student in the school to score an A+ in this module, a calling was found. And the rest, as they say, is history.
What also emerged was a drive for the unconventional. As a child Thomas' favourite car game was identifying car brands from their logos. At night, this changed to identifying the make and model from headlight shapes. Not only was a passion for the automotive sector unlocked, but an early appreciation for brand recall.
These two loves combined when Thomas approached his favourite car brand, Aston Martin, with a customer loyalty strategy pitched to the director for customer care after a cold outreach. The result? A job guiding customers through the factory telling the story of the hand craftsmanship, and dedication behind every one. The next role at Aston Martin was in PR, supporting international events, like the launch of the V8 Vantage S, and Virage in Spain.
Two wheels beckoned. European marketing for Honda Motor's motorcycle division meant 7-figure marketing budgets, pan-European video shoots, and a constant desire to be at the cutting edge.
The forefront.
The Vanguard.
The Growth Engine Methodology
Moving to New Zealand and building Vanguard 86 exposed the harsh differences between a marketing budget so big it cannot fail, and a small business that needs to be smart with its spend. Over the next decade, a new way would emerge.
Vanguard 86 - a new methodology applied
'Boring', 'Repetitive', 'Not very flashy'. Not words most marketing agency owners want to hear.
While agencies all around were chasing the latest trend and jumping on one bandwagon only to jump again 2 years later, Thomas was focused on something else. From the early days at Honda, a frustration had built that marketing never built over time. Each year a new 7-figure budget was allocated, and each year it was poured into buckets of activity that were a flash in the pan. Some would stay in the mind for years, but most were forgotten as quickly as they were launched.
Vanguard 86 was built differently. It would take the modest budgets of our ANZ SMB clients and work to compound effort, to deliver long-term success. This methodology propelled the agency to a Bronze award in the New Zealand Direct Marketing Awards, and then Silver the year after. Beating brands with 100 times the budget with the results delivered.
How could a boring methodology result in such a high level of industry recognition? The answer lies in the framework.
The Marketing Growth Engine: Basics
The marketing strategy is developed with a single customer in mind. Your business can sell to any number of people, but if you market to them all, you market to none.
The methodology builds on a specific framework. Building from the decision-level conversion out creates a structured conversion pathway customers can easily follow.
The real value in this methodology lies in the long-term growth seen from the compounding funnels. Each stage builds on the previous with 'rented' engines supporting organic for low-cost success.
Core to this approach is a marketing plan built from the business's desired direction, and real insights from the sales team and CRM. We don't hand you a plan, we build one together.
The results of this methodology are easiest to see when the groundwork stops, or when the rented engine pauses. When implemented properly the Marketing Growth Engine keeps working.
Public Speaker
Alongside delivering his methodology to agency clients Thomas shares his methodology and insights to business networks across New Zealand and Australia. From webinars to business groups like UBT, to in-person events at HubSpot Connect he creates engagement and delivers insights essential to businesses looking to scale efficiently, without the 7-figure budgets.
Let's talk
Whether you want Thomas to speak at your next event, or help you apply the Marketing Growth Engine the first step is a quick chat. Get in touch to see the value he can bring to your organisation.
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