In this series, AdNews takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. This time it's QMS SA group business director Amelia Allan.
Time in current role/time at the company:
At time of writing, two weeks!
How would you describe what the company does?
QMS is a leading outdoor media company in Australia, specialising in premium digital out of home (DOOH) locations that help provide clients with dynamic and innovative advertising solutions.
What do you do day-to-day?
Put simply, my role is to service, grow and educate the Adelaide market on all things DOOH and QMS. Day-to-day, this sees me working on client briefs and delivering high-impact out of home campaigns across our growing national portfolio of digital assets. A lot of my time is also spent talking and listening to clients to build strong relationships.
Define your job in one word:
Exciting.
I got into communications because:
It’s that story we hear all the time of falling into the media industry by accident. After university I didn’t know what I wanted to do and a friend sent me a job ad for a co-ordinator role at Channel Nine in Adelaide. Once I started there, I knew I has found the industry I wanted to work in.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Being the first sole QMS representative in the Adelaide market has its challenges, but it also comes with great opportunity to educate the market and build things from the ground up. It’s also an exciting time to enter the out of home industry and I’m thrilled to be flying the flag for QMS in Adelaide.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Sustainability: as an industry we need to really tackle this issue and do it now. I’m proud to have joined a company that has a sustainability plan and is committed to investing in responsible innovation that will reduce our environmental impact.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
I spent the past two years working at Wavemaker in Adelaide in the marketplace/investment team. Prior to that, I spend almost 10 years at Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) in various agency sales role and before that, my career started in the Nine offices in Adelaide where I was a co-ordinator.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
I’ve worked across all agencies in Adelaide over my time and there have been many campaigns that have been exciting to work on. But being a proud South Australian, I always really enjoyed working on SA Tourism campaigns. I love promoting our great state!
In 2021 I worked on an SA destinations campaigns where we used national SCA talent to tap their real-life experiences and really tell the story in a live read format. It’s great when clients give media partners that creative flexibility as it just amplifies campaigns.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
As my sales director at SCA, Rob Iannazzo was an amazing role model. Rob provided me with professional guidance and development over my years at SCA, supported me professionally in my move over to agency side and has continued to be a trusted advisor and friend.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Always help others in your team when you can; it’s a small thing but people remember the ones who are always there willing to roll up their sleeves and help their team members. I’d also remind people to not be afraid to ask questions, listen to people around you with more experience and learn from them.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
I don’t think I can see myself ever not working in media. So, if I wasn’t in media, it would only ever be because I have won the lottery and I’m travelling the world!
My philosophy is:
Keep it simple and be kind.
My favourite advert is:
Is it weird that the ad I have always remembered is the 1990s Sorbent toilet paper television commercials? They are just iconic and this is just one that stands out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NTLy1q7Buk
I also love contextually relevant OOH campaigns, so the recent Woolworths Olympics campaign that used artwork to be relevant to the recent Australian wins was fantastic.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Music is, of course, Spotify. It is ALWAYS on in the car as I commute and while I’m exercising.
I think I might subscribe to too many services, but I love crime/true crime/thriller series. I’m always on the hunt for something new but my recent watches include Dopesick and Hotel Cocaine.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
When I was in school, my friends and I tried out for Red Faces on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. We thought we killed it, but looking back we definitely did not and I feel embarrassed for our parents who had to sit there and watch in the crowd (most likely cringing every second they were there).
In five years' time I'll be:
Hopefully still doing what I’m doing in a growing and thriving SA office for QMS and raising my two daughters here in Adelaide!
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.