BY SADIE BECKMAN
HotHouse is a collective of creative professionals who are passionately curious about technology, innovation and contemporary culture.
Leading-edge thinking lies behind this progressive little company, a literal hothouse of strategic activity that delivers meaningful brand design and marketing solutions across web and print.
Based in Nelson, but with a substantial presence in Wellington, the company has become one of the region’s major players, with a long list of clients that underpin vital industry and economic activity in the Top of the South.
Director Allan Innes-Walker, the creative driving force behind HotHouse, is rapt to have built positive relationships with his clients and establish brand identities for them that deliver real results. “Getting into a space where a client relies upon our capabilities – where we become a go-to partner in promoting their growth – is key,” says Innes-Walker.
An exciting example of this trusted partnership is HotHouse’s work with Port Nelson and its newly established business unit, QuayConnect, a sea change in distribution networking. Hothouse helped to launch a seamless brand for this new venture, which is poised to have a dramatically positive effect on our local economy.
QuayConnect was established as a smarter way of distributing goods with a business model that optimises import and export loads and reduces the number of trucks on the road without reducing actual freight movement – an efficiency that also minimises carbon footprints. The past year has seen a focus mainly on the wine industry, with 80 percent of the South Island’s wine exports now managed by QuayConnect.
Innes-Walker, who has counted Port Nelson among his valued clients for five years, says he feels privileged to be involved. “New, innovative businesses like QuayConnect have an incredible story to tell – and we get to help shape that story for maximum market impact.”
Backed by a dedicated team of creatives with individual specialisations, the willingness and drive to develop a deeper understanding of companies, brands and their customers might just be the formula to HotHouse’s success. “We want to build real partnerships where we’re as invested in a brand as the business owners,” he says. “Running a business today can be challenging – it’s about being able to adapt quickly to change and find progressive ways to solve problems – and it’s our job to be right by their side whenever they need us.”