Thompson Spencer Group
Two of New Zealand’s independent agencies, Thompson Spencer and Reason, have merged to form one of the largest independent agency groups in the country.
Both agencies have operated for 15 years.
The newly merged business will be known as Thompson Spencer Group, with both the Reason and Thompson Spencer businesses operating in market under the leadership of Melanie Spencer and Tim Pointer as co-CEOs.
With a combined team of 56 industry-leading experts, the group’s Auckland offices have merged while Reason’s Wellington office remains, ensuring a continued presence in the capital.
Thompson Spencer is a full funnel creative and media agency, founded by Wendy Thompson and Melanie Spencer. The agency's clients include Bupa, Wattyl (Aus/NZ), Asahi, Honda, London City Airport, Mitre 10, Musashi, Seagrass Hospitality (Global) and Auckland Transport.
Reason, co-founded by Tim Pointer and Matt Rowe, is a performance agency, its clients include Chubb Life Insurance, Briscoe's & Rebel Sport, Woolworths, Tourism Holdings (THL), Caci Clinic, Hirepool, CANZ, DoorDash NZ and Australia and Timely.
Thompson Spencer co-founder and co-CEO Melanie Spencer said most mergers happen when agencies need to consolidate to survive - this is the exact opposite with both businesses coming off the back of record-breaking years of growth despite the challenging economic environment.
“Both Thompson Spencer and Reason are at the top of their game. We’re growing, winning new business and making waves in our industry," Spencer said.
"The timing was right - this is about supercharging that momentum by bringing together two high-performing teams that share a bold vision for the future.”
Thompson Spencer co-founder Wendy Thompson said this is a coming together of strengths.
“Clients no longer want their creative and media strategies sitting in silos. By merging with Reason, we’re creating an integrated powerhouse that blends world-class creativity with deep performance marketing expertise," Thompson said.
"We’re setting a new standard for what a modern, independent agency can deliver.
“This is just the beginning. We’re not merging to maintain the status quo - we’re here to challenge it.”
Reason co-founder Matt Rowe said this is not just about scale - it’s about innovation.
"We’re four founders who have built our agencies from the ground up and we know what it takes to succeed," Rowe said.
"Together, we’re going to push the boundaries of what’s possible for our clients.”
Reason co-founder and CEO Tim Pointer said by combining both agency's expertise in performance, strategy and creative, the business is equipping clients with the best tools to navigate this changing world.
"With a shared commitment to innovation, creativity and performance, the new agency will offer an end-to-end service that gives clients the best of both worlds," Pointer said.
"But more than that, it’s a fusion of entrepreneurial drive, industry leadership and a relentless ambition to shake things up."
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