Sugar&Partners

What Sugar&Partners does

Sugar & Partners (S&P) is one of New Zealand's longest-running independent marketing and advertising agencies, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Auckland (Level 1, 114 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn). The agency operates as a full-service brand, creative, and digital marketing firm serving clients ranging from early-stage startups to multinational corporations. Its service portfolio spans brand and communications strategy, full-funnel campaign development, brand identity and design, creative platform development, and ROI tracking and reporting. The firm's technical core is its proprietary 10-Step Full-Funnel Planning Process, which has been trade-tested across 84+ brands, hundreds of campaigns, and millions of data points, coordinating traditional, digital, social, SEM, SEO, CRO, and remarketing channels around measurable business outcomes. A specialist social commerce sub-brand, Social Sugar, was established in 2015 and is positioned as the #1 Social Commerce specialist in New Zealand.

S&P's commercial model is differentiated by its willingness to share downside risk with clients. The firm operates a Total Marketing Investment (TMI) planning model focused on business outcomes rather than inputs, offers payment-by-results engagements where compensation is tied to client success metrics, and structures IP Partnerships where the agency co-invests time and capital in client ventures in exchange for equity or revenue share. Distribution is relationship-led: the firm enters client relationships through a free 30-minute strategy chat with Managing Partner Jeremy Johnston, and emphasizes long-tenure partnerships — the agency reports average client tenure over twice the industry benchmark and a longest-standing client relationship exceeding 25 years.

The firm's customer base spans at least nine verticals, including financial services (NZHL), fintech (SquareOne), tourism (Love Taupō), automotive (Scania New Zealand), healthcare (Evolution Healthcare), pet food (Soulmate), manufacturing (Venz Vacuum Elevators), health/wellness (Allergenics), and food and beverage (Dunkin' Donuts via Café Concepts). Geographic operations center on New Zealand, with documented work across Australia and APAC markets. The agency has been recognized twice as Independent Agency of the Year and as Marketer of the Year, and operates as a privately held entity with no disclosed ownership structure or funding history.

Name

Sugar&Partners

Legal name

Sugar & Partners

Website

https://sugarandpartners.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sugar & Partners is an Auckland-based independent marketing and advertising agency offering brand strategy, full-funnel campaign development, and creative services to startups and multinationals, differentiated by a payment-by-results and IP-partnership commercial model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marketing & Advertising Services

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Marketing agency services
• Brand strategy consulting
• Full-funnel advertising
• ROI campaign management
• Digital marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Total Marketing Investment (TMI) Model: Focuses on business outcomes rather than inputs. Determines realistic test budgets, required skill mix and production, then measures, refines and scales based on results.
2. Payment-by-Results: Risk-reward model where S&P shares risk with clients. Agency walks the talk by aligning compensation with client success metrics. Keeps everyone aligned and strengthens long-term partnerships.
3. IP Partnerships: Agency invests time and money directly in co-created start-ups and initiatives. Generates revenue through equity or revenue sharing arrangements while testing cutting-edge marketing techniques.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sugar & Partners is a full-service independent marketing and advertising agency providing brand strategy, full-funnel campaign development, creative platform development, brand identity and design, and fractional CMO support across digital, social, and traditional channels. The agency differentiates through outcome-based payment models, IP partnership arrangements, and a proprietary 10-Step Full-Funnel Planning Process tested across 84+ brands.

Product overview

Sugar&Partners is a full-service independent marketing and advertising agency offering a unified portfolio of strategic, creative, and digital marketing services. The core offering combines Brand & Comms Strategy with Full-Funnel Campaign Development, supported by proprietary methodologies including the 10-Step Full-Funnel Planning Process and Total Marketing Investment (TMI) Model. The agency also operates Social Sugar as a specialist sub-brand for social media services. Service models include IP Partnerships with shared risk/reward arrangements and Fractional CMO Support for clients needing senior marketing leadership. Creative services span brand identity design, creative platform development, and multi-channel campaign execution across digital, social, and traditional media, all supported by ROI tracking and reporting capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Sugar: Specialist social commerce agency established in 2015, specializing in targeted social ad campaigns to drive traffic, leads or e-commerce sales, plus world-class day-to-day social media management in New Zealand and internationally.

Products and services

• Brand & Comms Strategy Positioning strategy services focused on relevant, distinctive, and competitive brand positioning based on rational or emotional points of difference. Includes brand architecture models and brand manifesto development.
• Full-Funnel Campaign Development Modern, full-funnel digital, social, and traditional campaign development using the agency's 10-Step Full-Funnel Planning Process, tested across 84+ brands. Coordinates traditional, social, digital display, SEM, SEO, CRO and re-marketing.
• IP Partnerships & Shared Risk Model Agency partnership model where Sugar & Partners shares risk and reward with clients, including payment-by-results arrangements and co-creation of brands and businesses for start-ups or expansion.
• Fractional CMO Support Short-term or long-term CMO-level marketing thinking and support, including team upskilling, mentorship, and marketing strategy guidance from experienced practitioners.
• Social Sugar Specialist social media agency established in 2015, positioned as the #1 Social Commerce specialist in NZ. Specializes in targeted social ad campaigns to drive traffic, leads or e-commerce sales, plus world-class day-to-day social media management in New Zealand and internationally.
• Creative Platform Development Crafting flexible creative platforms that can tell a variety of stories across multiple mediums and build brand equity over time, from quick tactical ideas to long-term brand campaigns.
• Brand Identity & Design Brand identity design services including new name and identity creation, polish of existing identities, and campaign design and production support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80,000 sign-ups in 8 months for SquareOne on startup budget
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Social SugarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Specialist social agency established in 2015 as part of S&P Group. #1 Social Commerce specialist in NZ. Specialises in targeted social ad campaigns to drive traffic, leads or e-commerce sales, plus world-class day-to-day social media management in New Zealand and internationally.
• Jeremy Johnston (Fractional CMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Fractional CMO services for S&P clients needing senior marketing leadership. Offers support to up-skill teams, mentorship for marketing pivots, or quick-fire marketing strategy re-boots.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SugarAdvertising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sugar
• Instagraminstagram.com/sugarpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sugar&Partners