Benjamin Johnson, BCOM and BSc

Benjamin Johnson’s journey to co-founding successful creative marketing agency Werk Agency shows how a willingness to take risks can shape an unorthodox career.

After studying commerce and science, Benjamin’s diverse career path took many unexpected turns, ultimately leading him to the helm of the agency that recently won a prestigious Wellington Gold Award.

Benjamin graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Psychology and Public Policy, with the initial intention of becoming a policy analyst. “But my life took a different path,” he says.

His years at Victoria University were pivotal in shaping his future. Like many students, Benjamin’s initial experience wasn’t smooth. “Truth be told, I didn’t do very well in my first year. I failed papers and got low grades on the rest.” He took this as a wake-up call, and once he began to take his studies more seriously, Benjamin transformed his casual approach into a “voracious appetite for learning,” turning Cs and Bs into A-averages.

A particularly memorable part of his student experience was the computer lab in the library, where he would often study late into the night. “It turns out there’s a direct correlation between study and grades, who would have thought?”

Forging his own path

After graduation, Benjamin and his wife, who had studied photography, started a wedding photography business. He learned the ropes quickly, and within a year, they were full-time professionals, travelling across New Zealand and even internationally to shoot weddings in places like Hawai’i and New York.

This early venture was just the beginning of what he calls an “unorthodox” career. After five years of wedding photography, Benjamin transitioned into commercial photography, working on advertising campaigns and product photography for major brands such as Whittaker’s, Fix & Fogg, and Mercedes-Benz. This shift from weddings to commercial work stretched Johnson creatively and helped him develop skills in art direction, set styling, and lighting design.

He founded a non-profit organisation in Wellington called The Free Store in 2010 which redistributes surplus food to those in need. Over time, he helped replicate the model in other communities across New Zealand and internationally. However, after nearly a decade of juggling photography and non-profit work, Johnson decided to take on a new challenge.

The Birth of Werk Agency

In 2019, Johnson co-founded Werk Agency, a full-service creative marketing agency offering services ranging from marketing strategy and branding to content production, social media management, and digital advertising. “An old friend had just moved back to Wellington after a decade in Auckland and he was a freelance marketer. His clients needed content for their ads and my clients needed ads for their content. It was a natural fit, and Werk was born.”

Just as the agency was taking off, the global pandemic hit. While the timing was challenging, Benjamin reflects on it as both a curse and a blessing. “It was a curse because I had two kids and a mortgage by this point. I genuinely didn’t know if we could pay the bills. It was a blessing because it was just two guys with nothing to lose,” he says.

The agency’s ability to adapt to the changing landscape was crucial. During lockdown, they helped brands pivot to online sales, providing services like content creation and high-conversion digital ad campaigns. This period of rapid growth was supported by small brands that trusted Werk Agency during a time of uncertainty, including Wellington-based brands like Fix & Fogg and Flight Coffee which became key clients.

In the years since, Werk Agency has expanded, grown a powerhouse team of creative marketers, and opened an office in Auckland. “We didn’t just survive, we thrived,” Johnson reflects.

Looking ahead

Johnson’s career path has been anything but conventional. “My journey hasn’t been linear or directly correlated to the courses I took at university. While I haven’t 'used' facts from a raft of papers I took, my educational journey provided me with the foundation for all my success—dedication and stickability, time management, the ability to clearly communicate and persuade, and most importantly, writing.”

Benjamin has remained connected to the Victoria University community, serving as a mentor through the Alumni as Mentors programme. He was paired with a final-year marketing student, offering guidance and insight into the inner workings of an agency. This mentorship not only benefited the student but also allowed Johnson to share the real-world challenges and opportunities that come with running a creative business.

At Werk Agency, Benjamin and his team are also passionate about hiring young talent. Over the last four years, they have employed several recent graduates, including four from Victoria University. “We’re big believers in harnessing young talent,” he says, emphasising the value of providing students with hands-on experience before they graduate.

Johnson’s advice for students is simple yet powerful: “The world is changing very, very fast. The ‘facts and figures’ you learn are less important than your ability to think critically, be adaptable, and bring a toolbox of technology to the table.” He encourages students to take on side projects, saying that anything—even a TikTok account—can provide valuable experience.

Outside of his work, Johnson’s greatest passion is his family. He has made a conscious effort to prioritize quality time with his wife and three daughters, taking Mondays off to spend time with them. His family life, he says, is his greatest source of fulfilment and balance.

In addition to his family, Johnson enjoys foraging for mushrooms, a hobby that offers him a way to connect with nature and unwind from his busy professional life.