Jasmine Robertson
A Visionary in Marketing

Story by Sharon Lee Chapman / Images by Sharon Lee Chapman & Nicole Troost

The first time I had the pleasure of working with Jasmine Robertson, I was blown away by how much of a “visionary” she was. In the highly competitive field of Thoroughbred Marketing, Jasmine’s unique approach was a standout to me.

I’ve always been a believer in having a point of difference with my photography and creating unique imagery, and Jasmine has this same philosophy, which resonates through her marketing and striking ad campaigns, not just in print, but the incredible videography projects she has directed.

Jasmine grew up in Manakau, New Zealand and like many young girls, had a love of the horse from an early age. Jasmine recalls “Mum and Dad eventually gave in and bought me my first horse for my eighth birthday – a retired racehorse that I named Wind Dancer. We had no idea what we were doing in the beginning, but I quickly learnt and went from there”.

Jasmine’s love of horses continued when she attended an Equestrian School at Nga Tawa in Marton. This meant she was able to take her horses with her and ride every day after school. “We even got a pass out of classes if we had lessons. The equestrian facility there was amazing – they had about 80 stables, several arenas, a cross-country course and track. It was a 15-year-old girls’ dream”.

She competed up to Young Rider Level (1.35) on a retired thoroughbred called Star (Belvedere Quality Star). Every single one of her horses was a thoroughbred (bar one pony). They all had their quirks, but this cemented Jasmine’s love of the thoroughbred.

When it came time to think “career”, doing something “non horsey” wasn’t an option. Jasmine enrolled in a Bachelor of AgriScience (majoring in Equine) at Massey University in Palmerston North. When Jasmine discovered the “Thoroughbred Industry” it was then she made the decision to pursue that industry rather than the sport horse industry.

Jasmine was introduced to the Thoroughbred Industry at the age of 19. She had no idea about the vastness of career options available. She found a part time job as a stud groom at Wellfield Lodge. She spent 4 years working part time at Wellfield, working with foals, weanlings, yearlings, broodmares and stallions. She even rode breakers and pretrainers in their training facility. Winters and spring were spent in the foaling unit where she was responsible for foaling hundreds of foals in the time she was there.

Nearing the completion of her AgriScience degree, Jasmine’s passion became the marketing area of the Thoroughbred Industry. She had ambitions on making it better and added another year to her degree to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing in 2012.

During university, Jasmine became a regular on the Australasian Sales Circuit. When she finished University, she did a 5-month stint at Three Bridges in Victoria before travelling overseas. Having spent a few months in Europe, she was fortunate to gain a position working with yearlings at Highclere Stud, gaining valuable further experience.

Whilst overseas, a job became available at Inglis Digital and Jasmine spent two years in a Marketing and Communications role. A part-time role at the Australian Turf Club looking after winning connections on race days during the Carnivals, cemented a greater understanding of the owner’s, an integral part of the Thoroughbred Industry.

Sometimes, there is no place like home, and after overseas stints and two years in Sydney, Jasmine felt the pull to return home. She worked for Lime Country Thoroughbreds before they relocated to Australia.

Jasmine then took a position in Business Development Manager at Mapperley Stud and this was the first time I had noticed Jasmine’s “special touch”. Mapperley’s website and marketing was top notch and was different to what I had seen. It was a complete stand out. As a photographer, I am always looking for Studs to work with, who share a common vision, “Don’t be the same as everyone else”.

When Jasmine left Mapperley to take up a position at Waikato Stud, it was then that our paths crossed. I was on assignment for New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing with my first stop being the magnificent property at Waikato. I spent a few days there photographing and spending time with Jasmine and reviewing photographs. It was then that we quickly realised we were on the same page, with the importance of imagery and “uniqueness of imagery” for any ad campaign.

When Jasmine needed updated Stallion Photographs for Waikato, I was thrilled to be able to work with her on this project. Some of the work Jasmine did with marketing and introducing a real point of difference was ground-breaking in its approach. It had the WOW factor, not just with her print ads, but creating some incredible night videography of the stallions, which she directed and scripted. Jasmine searched for just the right videography team and when she discovered Play Creative, she knew that they would be the perfect match. The videos she created at Waikato are without doubt some of the finest I have ever seen.

Jasmine soon realised her unique skill set and passion was in high demand with others, so she made the decision to create her own Marketing Business. “I started Ziba Creative in August 2019 and haven’t looked back. The support I received in the first few months of business has been overwhelming. Some of my clients include Arrowfield Stud, Vinery Stud, Ohukia Lodge and Armidale Stud”.

Jasmine is passionate about what she does and determined to create unique and innovative content. “My vision for Ziba Creative is to revolutionise marketing within the thoroughbred industry. I love developing creative concepts – there is nothing more satisfying than mentally challenging yourself and delivering an exceptional result for clients”.

The valuable experience that Jasmine gained, especially in her early years, not just owning thoroughbreds, but also working with foals, weanlings, yearlings, stallions and broodmares has proved invaluable in her work in Marketing. Knowing the thoroughbred intimately has been so important.

Understanding the horse so well, has allowed her to create such unique content. Jasmine notes “I have called on this knowledge when creating some of my best work”.

Jasmine is also a Founding Member and is on the Committee of the FORacing NZ Group (Future of Racing NZ). “We are a group of under 35-year old’s working to establish positive change in the industry”.

With breeding one mare a year with her partner, they recently sold their first breeding venture at the Inglis Ready to Race Sale. Jasmine’s dream “is to have a small but exclusive broodmare band in her front paddock one day” (one and only dream).

I’m looking forward to the next innovative project that Jasmine and I get to work on together.