One day, eight years ago, two mates spent an afternoon out in the surf together. Between waves, they sat on their boards and discussed an idea that had been brewing in both their minds – starting their own business.
Those mates were Mark Vincent and Antony Neeso, and almost a decade later, that business is what we now know as Habitat Media – an agency of creative and strategic specialists who deal in big ideas and immersive experiences.
“Habitat was formed off the back of what we thought was a little bit of a lack of creativity in our field. There were a lot of people creating great work out there, but no one was executing it creatively together. So we thought that there was a little bit of a gap in the market,” says Mark.
From head-turning street posters to digitally integrated brand activations, and everything in between, Habitat Media puts the big idea front and centre. With a portfolio of global clients and renowned experiential work, the business has seen major success in its short time out in the world – and a lot of it comes back to Mark and Antony’s complementary skill sets.
“I came from a client service background in the ambient media and experiential field, so I already had experience, and Antony was working at creative agencies around the traps,” says Mark.
On the topic of client relationships, Mark says what keeps them coming back is a dedication to cracking the big ideas.
“We pride ourselves on ideas – they’re kind of our currency. We don't have billboards or radio air space to sell. We literally have ideas and that forms the currency in which people buy from us or not.”
Habitat Media were the event producers at CGU’s Big Small Business Christmas Party – an event for small businesses, run by small businesses – giving them the chance to celebrate the year that was, as many aren’t quite at the point of being able to host their own Christmas parties just yet.
The Big Small Christmas Party featured a giant ambition wall that asked the businesses to write down their goals for the future. Habitat’s ambition is a big one – but it’s certainly not unattainable.
“I think our ambition as a company is to be the first name in experiential and brand activations here in Australia – if not the world. I mean, we say that so that we always strive for that a little bit extra,” says Mark.
“I think big ambitions allow us to keep pushing ourselves to come up with better ideas, to win more work with new clients, and to maintain work with major clients like Samsung. I think that ongoing ambition to keep getting better and better at what we do is what will move us forward.”
And for anyone who’s thinking of starting their own business, Mark says the best piece of advice he can give is to just go for it.
“Just don't be scared to take that first step. Just back yourself and give it a go.”
