With some help from our friend Kathleen Gunther, we’re taking a look at some of the most creative minds in Melbourne. Gunther partners with independent agencies across Australia and New Zealand to scale their brand presence and drive sustainable growth. This week, we spoke with HypeTap’s managing director, Bryce Coombe.
How long have you been in Melbourne and if you weren’t born here, did you choose it or did it choose you?
I mostly grew up in Adelaide but also spent a number of Primary School years in Melbourne. I’m now in my 11th year here in Melbourne after moving over with my family from Adelaide. In many ways, Melbourne and Adelaide are sympatico – both cities are obsessed with footy, food, trams and a CBD layout that uses right angles and makes sense (Unlike Sydney or Brisbane).
What’s the most Melbourne thing about the way you or your team works?
One of the most noticeable attributes of Melbourne Creators and Creatives is the level of craft, care and consideration put into the work. I suspect this comes from Victoria’s long history of craftspeople – artists, musicians, painters, poets, designers. Our team at Hypetap genuinely care and work extraordinarily hard to craft and curate campaigns that will deliver real results for our clients.
Who in the local industry has shaped the way you think about leadership or doing business? Tell us about them.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some stalwarts of the Melbourne industry over the last decade. Peter Clemenger, Kim Boehm, Billy Baxter, The AJF partners, John Petropolous have all shaped and inspired my leadership style. One of the key lessons all of them have taught me is the importance of doing the right thing – the right thing by our clients, by my team, and by the people we work with. It may not be easy and shouldn’t be uncommon, but it’s a solid investment with the highest returns.
Where do you go in Melbourne to inspire your best ideas?
This will sound a little biased because of my early involvement, but the Buxton Contemporary is a brilliantly dynamic gallery that introduces you to artists, perspectives and thinking that is always new, sometimes challenging but always compelling.
If you were a Melbourne landmark, what would you be?
I’d love to say I see myself as Flinders St Station. A central intersection of multiple moving parts, that directly impacts and can move thousands of people and create momentum. But I suspect with how much I talk, how often I laugh, my peers would say I’m realistically more like Luna Park.
Kathleen Gunther is the founder of Gunther Consulting, partnering with independent agencies across Australia and New Zealand to scale their brand presence and drive sustainable growth. With expertise spanning digital marketing, brand strategy, PR and communications, she brings the pragmatism, specialist connections and industry know-how to help agencies market their most important client — themselves. Kathleen also serves as a Board Member of AWIA, actively shaping Australia’s digital landscape and championing inclusivity in the industry.
