Mediaweek has teamed up with the IMAA to give its indie leaders a platform to talk about their work, thoughts about the industry and their interests outside of their working life.
Veronica Cremen was 24 when she set up Vonnimedia in the lounge of her home. Now, as the Marketing Operations Director of the social-led marketing agency, she brings media buying, strategy and creative together. Vonnimedia joined the IMMA back in 2021.
What sparked your interest in launching your own indie agency?
I believed social was being underestimated. Too many agencies treated it as a channel, not a growth engine.
As a practitioner I fell in love with what doing Social (particularly paid, and increasingly now organic) could do for businesses (ask anyone who’s been to dinner with me, they’ll back this up), and I couldn’t stop telling everyone about it and people then started to ask me for help!
One thing led to another and we had too many clients for me to handle on my own, so next thing I looked up and we had created a thing called an Agency!
What sets your agency apart from others?
We position ourselves as the social-led marketing leader in the Independent Agency space.
That means:
– Producing social-led creative that feels elevated and culturally relevant.
– Content optimisation and adaptation execution designed for sustained growth ~(60% small tweaks to existing best performers, 30% refreshed executions of the winning messages, 10% bold new ideas).
– Paid media strategies designed for today’s platforms (Meta, TikTok, Google, Amazon, Pinterest).
– Creative analytics reporting that are digestible, visual and eliminate information overload.
– A transparency-first approach, where clients know exactly what’s driving results, and we push the boundaries strategically of what is possible for a brand.
We’re not just running ads – we’re helping brands unlock the true growth potential of social while aligning, and amplifying their broader marketing system.
We pride ourselves on an “In house mentality with Agency level execution”. We take a focus on business growth, not just media strategy (which has come from our time working with some of the hyperscaling brands in Australia).
How many Agencies can say they have access to the P&L and balance sheets of more than 70% of our clients?
Indie agencies are increasingly seeing success with major pitches. What differentiates your pitch approach from that of larger agencies?
We cut the jargon. Our approach is straightforward: real insights, clear numbers, and creative ideas that can be actioned tomorrow.
Larger agencies often lead with scale; we lead with clarity and precision. Clients tell us they value that they walk away from our pitch not just inspired, but equipped.
We’re seeing Media becoming less and less about the buying power benefits, particularly as we move to more access to great inventory – which means that clients are really looking for strategic advisors.
Working with Indies, you get that mix right – where clients get access to senior professionals and get the expert support they need.
I also think clients love our energy, we want them to win – so the incentives feel much more aligned.
Who are your latest agency account wins?
Recent wins include preferred social partner for Schwarzkopf Professional ANZ, and a growing roster of consumer brands across fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, such as Deja Marc and JAYD Swimwear.
What’s a piece of work you’re most proud of?
Our recent Australian Fashion Week with Schwarzkopf Professional was a recent highlight.
It united paid social, organic creative, and content optimisation in a way that not only drove results, but elevated the brand’s perception in a highly competitive space.
For us, that’s the benchmark, campaigns that win commercially and creatively, that create behaviour shift and a new, improved level of brand experience.
As a leader, how do you switch off from work and unwind after a busy week?
I find inspiration outside of advertising – coffee at a local cafe, time with friends, going for walks and working out, creating content, cooking or discovering new creators online. Creativity outside of work always comes back into the work.
What does success look like for you over the next 12 months?
Scaling Vonnimedia into Australia’s most empowering marketing agency – one that clients trust to drive growth, and a place where our team feels energised by the work.
Success is being recognised as the go-to indie for eCommerce and consumer brands who see social as their growth engine.
See here for past editions of IMAA Spotlight.
Top image: Veronica Cremen