This customer story is part of our Partner Spotlight series.
When Tim Preston launched VYBRNT seven years ago, he knew exactly what he wanted to build: a consultancy nimble enough to feel boutique, yet scalable enough to serve clients around the world. What he didn’t know, at least not right away, was which marketing automation platform would be the backbone of that vision.
Building on the Right Foundation
Preston’s career has always lived at the intersection of CRM systems, technology, and business strategy. Originally from the United States, he moved to Australia after meeting his wife on the U.S. ski team and quickly recognized an opportunity: Australian businesses were hungry for sophisticated marketing automation, yet many lacked the support to adopt it effectively.
“I always wanted to own a business and help other companies implement technology,” Preston says. “I’d worked in several roles involving CRM and software, and eventually I hit a point where I just made a plan, went for it, and built VYBRNT from the ground up.”
Launching a consultancy meant making big decisions early, and the most important one was choosing a platform partner. Preston evaluated several options, weighing each one’s partner ecosystem, technical capability, and long-term stability.
Why ActiveCampaign Stood Out
Choosing ActiveCampaign wasn’t a quick or casual decision. Preston dug deeply into multiple partner programs before landing on the one that felt both accessible and aligned with VYBRNT’s long-term goals.
“One of the best parts about ActiveCampaign’s partner program is how open it is,” he says. “Some other programs had long, complicated pathways just to get started. With ActiveCampaign, the barriers to entry were low, and we could begin building immediately.”
Beyond the ease of joining, the company’s culture became a major differentiator.
“I knew our clients would love the technology, but I also appreciated the values ActiveCampaign operates with,” Preston explains. “There’s a genuine openness—we can build real relationships across the company. They treat partners like actual partners.”
ActiveCampaign’s market positioning also played a role. “It serves everything from small businesses to very large organizations,” Preston says. “That flexibility means we never outgrow the platform, and neither do our clients.”
Building a Business Model Around Customization
VYBRNT’s success has been driven by more than just technical know-how (although Tim and his team have more than enough of that to spare). The agency has used ActiveCampaign’s flexibility to carve out deep industry specialization. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all automation, VYBRNT builds tailored frameworks for industries like real estate, property development, and the recreation and leisure industry.
“ActiveCampaign is built to go deep into customization,” Preston says. “For us, that meant we could design systems specifically for industries we knew well. Real estate and property development became core verticals, and we’ve developed a lot of formulas and workflows tailored to those businesses.”
This specialization has scaled well for Tim and the team. By transforming customized solutions into repeatable templates, VYBRNT can deliver personalized experiences without reinventing the wheel for every client.
One key ingredient in that approach is ActiveCampaign’s custom objects.
Custom objects have become one of the most critical features in VYBRNT’s toolkit, particularly for their real estate clients. “Custom objects is one of the most important features in ActiveCampaign, and it’s really what makes it possible to customize this system for your customer’s needs,” Preston explains. The feature solves a problem that breaks most basic email platforms: tracking complex, multi-touch relationships over time. In real estate, a single contact might inquire about a downtown condo in January, a suburban house in June, and return months later looking at investment properties. Three distinct buying journeys with different intents, price points, and timelines. “If you think about the real estate industry, one individual could make many inquiries over a period of time. They might be a customer over many years,” Preston notes.
Custom objects allow VYBRNT to build what he calls “a many to one relationship” connecting multiple property inquiries back to a single contact while preserving the unique details of each interaction. This means automations can be triggered based on inquiry patterns, property types, price ranges, and timing between inquiries by delivering relevant, personalized communication instead of generic blasts. Without custom objects, Preston says, agencies are limited to flat data structures that can’t reflect how real businesses and real customer relationships actually work.
Leveraging the Partner Program for Competitive Advantage
VYBRNT’s partnership with ActiveCampaign has become a strategic advantage in itself. The Partner Program offers more than commissions. It provides access, education, and a collaborative relationship with the product team.
“The partner program is always there for us,” Preston says. “We talk to ActiveCampaign weekly. Our entire team is certified, they watch the educational videos, and we’re consistently ahead of upcoming releases.”
That early visibility matters in a fast-moving industry. Preston has served on the ActiveCampaign customer advisory board for three consecutive years, giving him hands-on access to features still in development.
“I’ve tested so many features before they hit the market,” he says. “It’s incredibly rewarding to provide feedback and then see those changes go live.”
Thoughtfully Evolving with AI
As AI becomes central to modern marketing, many agencies are still figuring out what their AI strategy is (or playing catch-up as the market quickly evolves). VYBRNT’s alignment with ActiveCampaign helps them stay ahead of the curve.
“AI is changing everything,” Preston says. “How we work, how our clients work, how we interact with technology. Being an ActiveCampaign partner means we’re aligned with the people actually building the AI we use.”
ActiveCampaign’s AI suite, including Active Intelligence and predictive tools, is already embedded across the platform. This gives VYBRNT the power to bring advanced capabilities to clients without building custom models themselves. “We’re using Active Intelligence a lot right now,” Preston notes. “It gives us charts, reports, and even an analysis we can send directly to clients or review internally.”
For clients, that means enterprise-level capabilities without enterprise-level budgets. For VYBRNT, it means remaining competitive as AI reshapes the industry.
Real-World Impact: From Skateboard Coaches to Major Nonprofits
VYBRNT’s client stories reflect the both the breadth of their work and how adaptable the platform can be. One of Preston’s favorites involves an independent skateboarding coach.
“I was talking to a local skateboarding coach who didn’t have much of a digital presence,” Preston recalls. “We helped him set up a website and an ActiveCampaign account. Now every parent who submits an inquiry gets a helpful drip sequence. It completely changes how this solo-coach can nurture his customers, and engage them to continue their sport participation.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, VYBRNT supports one of Australia’s largest nonprofits, a peak educational body reaching millions. “They use ActiveCampaign to scale messaging to millions of people,” he says. “Seeing what the platform can do at that scale is incredible.”
The Bottom Line: A True Partnership
Seven years after launching VYBRNT, Preston’s decision to build his business around ActiveCampaign has paid off. What began as a solo consultancy now spans three continents and serves a wide range of industries, supported by a team of certified experts and a library of specialized solutions.
“It’s a win for us, a win for ActiveCampaign, and a win for the client,” Preston says. “We bring our processes, they provide the platform, and together it just works. ActiveCampaign is fantastic software, and it scales beautifully.” For agencies weighing similar partnership choices, VYBRNT’s journey underscores what really matters: not just features, but the culture, values, and long-term support behind the platform.
Looking ahead, Preston sees even more opportunity on the horizon. “There’s no better time to be aligned with ActiveCampaign as a technology partner,” he says. “AI is moving quickly, and for agencies wondering how to approach it, joining the ActiveCampaign Partner Program is an incredible way to stay ahead.” Additionally, Tim shared, “This year we plan to lean further into the adventure-tourism sector, and sporting organisations. An industry that’s near and dear to us. We are now partnering with the ROLLER platform to create a native integration between the two platforms.”
In an industry where the right technology partnership can determine long-term success, VYBRNT found more than software. They found the foundation for sustainable, scalable growth. If you’d like to learn more about the ActiveCampaign Partner Program and how you can leverage it to grow and scale your business, check it out here.
