Full-service media agency, Awaken, this week celebrated a decade in business, marking the anniversary with new client wins and significant growth.
The Sydney-based agency, which was founded in 2014 by CEO Chris Parker, has continued its incredible growth trajectory, seeing a 1,825% increase in revenue over the last five years. Awaken has also celebrated eight major new business wins including Ray White, Delaware North/Melbourne Cricket Ground, Blue Cross, Blooms Hearing, WS Audiology, WagePay, Revolution Aerospace, and The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.
From its humble beginnings at Parker’s kitchen table, Awaken was born with a commitment to helping clients stand out, make an impact and cut through the competitive marketing landscape.
After landing its first client, Glasshouse Candles, the agency quickly grew, taking on additional digital work and larger media budgets.
Now, the agency is one of Australia’s fastest growing media businesses, having been listed on the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies list for the past four years.
Awaken has also shifted its focus in recent years, moving away from a service provider to a growth partner, allowing it to forge ongoing relationships with legacy clients like Panasonic Australia, Proximo Spirits, Pier One, City of Newcastle and Opal Healthcare.
Reflecting on a decade in business, Parker, says: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Awaken. From the outset, our goal has been to create work that is meaningful and helps brands better connect with their audiences.
“Over time, we’ve found our sweet spot, working with challenger brands to help create lasting, memorable impressions and build relationships that endure. Staying true to our original mission has been pivotal to our success, allowing us to grow our digital work and client base.
“After 10 years of running an agency, I can say it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. There are sleepless nights, moments where you wake up at 2am in a cold sweat, pacing the halls and stressing over the details. There are stretches where all you can think about is a problem, and sometimes, it just sucks—the weight of everything can be overwhelming. But for all the hard days, the good days far outweigh them.”
Parker said the past 12 months were one of the most challenging periods for the agency, amid shrinking media budgets and declining consumer spending, but believes there is light at the end of the tunnel for agencies and brands alike: “The past year has been particularly challenging. We’ve watched clients drastically cut budgets, consumer confidence dip to unprecedented lows, and spending in key categories significantly slow. And while we’ve continued to win new clients and managed to retain staff, it’s felt like a race to just stay on pace. We’ve had to work harder than ever to preserve our momentum and maintain our position in-market.
“Despite 2024 feeling like a sprint to stand still, I believe we’re positioned for a better year ahead. Indicators are pointing towards easing interest rates and a potential return in spending, which are likely to bring growth – but not as we’ve seen it before. Agencies have had to get creative, with different marketing and advertising approaches to reach audiences, and these are really set to shake up the landscape in the years to come.”
One of Awaken’s core focuses for 2025 will be on mental health for agency staff and the broader media industry. With this in mind, Parker has launched Awaken Yoga – a YouTube channel, offering free online yoga classes. The channel has already notched up more than 43,000 subscribers since its October launch.
Says Parker: “This feels like my way of giving back – sharing something that has helped me. If I can hold space for just one person to explore yoga and find a little more peace or calm in their life, then that would be incredible. It may seem like a healthy midlife moment, but it’s something I’m deeply passionate about and excited to share as I move forward.
“Our industry faces an enormous amount of pressure – from our clients, from budgets, from trying to find balance – and it’s vital that we support the people around us. Finding a way to navigate these challenges is essential, and I’d encourage all business owners to find something that helps bring them a sense of peace and balance – and share it with their people.”
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