Meet Amie Cripps: Marketing sparkle, with real results

As Marketing and Communications Manager at Aspeq, Amie is in charge of how the company presents itself to clients, customers, and anyone else who might be curious. She helps ensure Aspeq’s content and branding are clear, confident and consistent - so that everyone understands what Aspeq does and why it matters.

Officially, Amie’s marketing career began in Wellington City Council’s Publication and Design team. But in reality, she’d been in the industry long before that.

She grew up working in her family business, Cripps Promotions, which created promotional advertising for clients across New Zealand.

“I worked there after school, on weekends, and between terms at university. By the time I left for my first ‘real job’, I’d done just about every role in the company, from administration through to project management,” says Amie.

She learned how to work with creatives to translate clients’ visions into show-stopping campaigns. More importantly, working in a family business taught her a strong sense of pride in her work.

“When your name is on the door, you really want to give it your all.”

That sense of responsibility - combined with her infectious optimism - made her a natural leader. Amie quickly rose to manage the Council’s  Design function, leading the team at just 25 years old.

“It was intense at times, but I loved it. My role was meeting with internal clients, understanding their vision, and working with designers and photographers to bring it to life.”

Her favourite project was a city safety campaign aimed at people heading out for a night in town, cleverly named Safe in the City.

“Being at Council, we were super budget-conscious. So instead of hiring actors, I asked friends to model. We borrowed clothes from Wellington designers and held photoshoots around the city.”

Seeing the billboards go up across Wellington was a proud moment.

“It showed me how much I enjoy owning a project - pulling all the pieces together and seeing it out in the real world.”

The campaign is a perfect example of how Amie’s playful and clever approach helps her achieve brilliant results on a shoestring, while calmly managing multiple moving parts.

After seven years at Council, Amie took time off to raise her three daughters. By the time her youngest started kindergarten, she was ready for her next challenge.

Despite some nerves about returning after a long break, she was quickly hired by Wellington UniVentures, the commercialisation arm of Victoria University of Wellington.

As Marketing Adviser, she worked alongside researchers spinning out new companies from academic research. Her first project involved branding a company developing rocket component technology - a steep learning curve.

“I knew nothing about superconductors or space. But I love a challenge. It was about listening, asking good questions, and helping them shape something they were proud of.”

She later led a brand refresh, organised stakeholder engagement events, and developed researcher personas and customer journey tools that were licensed to other organisations.

“The biggest thing I gained was confidence that I still had it. Having a team that believed in me and gave me challenging projects was huge.”

Amie joined Aspeq in 2024 to establish its first in-house marketing and communications function.

“It was a dream opportunity for a generalist marketer like me. I could work across all areas and platforms, and really make it my own.”

As with previous roles, she began by listening - meeting with teams across the business to understand priorities and challenges - and demonstrating value through action.

“I knew the best way to show what marketing and communications can add was to roll up my sleeves and get involved, whether that was refining messaging, supporting tenders, or helping shape how we present ourselves externally.”

Since joining, she has led a full website restructure, implemented a new CMS for marketing, refreshed stakeholder and internal newsletters, updated the brand for improved clarity and accessibility, and grown Aspeq’s social media presence with a stronger focus on people.

“People like people. It’s important to highlight the incredibly smart professionals behind Aspeq’s technology, and to show our team how valued they are - not just for the work they do, but for who they are as people.”

Her instinct was quickly backed by results, with Aspeq’s social media following growing by 82%, and engagement nearly doubling.

Amie’s willingness to take on new challenges means her role now extends well beyond traditional marketing. She has supported tender responses, organised internal and external events, and project managed Aspeq’s move to its Victoria Street office - liaising with architects and builders, overseeing timelines, coordinating communications, and organising the official opening by Hon. Chris Bishop.

She is also currently leading Aspeq’s first in-house conference, focused on strengthening collaboration and culture across teams.

“I believe that a strong brand starts internally. When our people understand where we’re heading and feel connected to each other, that confidence carries through to how we present ourselves to the world.”

While it was the breadth of the role that first attracted her, Amie realised working somewhere that aligns with her values has become just as important.

“I value the trust and flexibility I’m given to get on with my job. We all know the best ideas don’t always strike between 9 and 5, so having that space is critical.”

Aspeq’s commitment to professional development has also allowed Amie to keep evolving in a fast-moving field.

“As the sole marketer at Aspeq, it’s especially important to stay connected to what’s happening in the industry. I’ve been able to attend conferences, take courses, and explore how things like AI are shaping communications.”

More recently, Amie has become involved in Aspeq’s initiatives aimed at supporting women in traditionally male-dominated fields.

“I want my girls to grow up knowing that women can do anything, so I’ve loved working with the organisations helping encourage more women into aviation and STEM.”

Two years on, it’s hard to picture Aspeq without Amie’s marketing sparkle woven through its brand, culture and client experience. Likewise, Amie is proud of the impact she’s had - and excited for what’s next.

“It’s incredible to think how much Aspeq has grown in 30 years, from its origins in Lower Hutt to working across multiple countries and markets. We’ve evolved so much, and there’s still huge potential ahead. Marketing and communications have a big role to play in supporting that growth - helping tell who we are, where we’re going, and why it matters. I’m stoked to be part of Aspeq’s journey.”

With her legendary efficiency and positivity, Amie is no longer just telling Aspeq’s growth story - she’s helping write its next chapter.