Unlocking talent with Zoo brands

RYAN Hunter is hoping a keen insight into advertising and marketing trends will help him turn his agency into a multimillion-dollar operation at the forefront of the industry.

The ex-bar owner, who ran a printing company before launching Zoo Agency, started his business with $12,000 of his own money.

He counts Universal Store, Cotton On and Australia Fair as clients and this financial year is on track to hit $1.5 million in turnover.

After a decade working first in hospitality and then the printing industry, where he was able to forge relationships with shopfitters, shopping centre managers and clothing/retail companies, Mr Hunter launched his own company in February last year.

His first major client was Universal Store, producing printed material for window and instore display features.

Mr Hunter said he worked long hours from a small factory in Bailey Cres, Southport to fulfil merchandise orders that ran up to hundreds of items.

“I was doing 80 hours a week – working my butt off to get the orders done, which included taking bookings, filing invoices and marketing of the brand. I was a one-man show,” he said.

Mr Hunter said his client base grew rapidly and by July he expanded into 500sq m of space on Olsen Ave, Molendinar.

He put on his first employee in May, shortly before the move, and soon gained another significant client in Australia Fair.

The shopping centre embarked on $15 million refurbishment of the western side of the mall (called Australia Metro), which it completed last year.

Mr Hunter said they impressed the marketing team through the quality of the vinyl-printed murals they produced.

“We went on to do a good deal of the print that goes around Australia Fair which promoted the new development (owner YFG Shopping Centres is working on a $25 million refurbishment program of the eastern side). That led to a contract doing the signage or way finders that point towards the amenities.”

The number of strands to Mr Hunter’s business is extensive and covers a range of printing (including printing to vinyl, aluminium and glass for kitchen splashbacks), small and large signage and visual merchandise, laser cutting and laser etching (for weddings and cake toppers) and vehicle wrapping.

The business is broken up into three parts: Zoo Creative (the core of the business – covering signage, visual merchandise and interior design); Zoo & Co (laser cutting and laser etching); and the soon-tobe launched Zoo Interactive.

The latter involves a drive to carve out a niche as a provider of augmented reality and interactive projection services.

Mr Hunter said he sees a big future for the technology in Australia. He is looking to put on more staff, add extra space and expand into other areas.

These include home decor through providing printed glass splashbacks to kitchen outlets.

“I want to create an empire,” he said. “I want to take this as far as I can go. I foresee the development of other Zoo Agency brands.”