Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
Anthony Smith: brand director at Jaywing
Time in current role/time at the company:
Six and a half years (Since Feb 2017).
Six and a half years (Since Feb 2017).
How would you describe what the company does?
We are a digitally focused agency that has creative, data and performance at our core.
We are a digitally focused agency that has creative, data and performance at our core.
What do you do day-to-day?
The agency answer: “I help to ensure that the output is creative, consistent, customer specific and aligned to all our media channels.”
The personal answer: “I get to come up with (some pretty debatable) ideas and the incredibly talented digital marketers around me seem to always find a way to make them work in the digital space.”
Define your job in one word:
Unpredictable.
Unpredictable.
I got into the media industry because:
All of my good ideas seemed to originate over a pint.
All of my good ideas seemed to originate over a pint.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Do designers really ever switch off? Common scenario… Let the dog out for a pee-break at 3am and find out that’s my prime thinking hour, staring at the ceiling in silence. My phone notes are full of early morning (and over a pint) thought starters.
Do designers really ever switch off? Common scenario… Let the dog out for a pee-break at 3am and find out that’s my prime thinking hour, staring at the ceiling in silence. My phone notes are full of early morning (and over a pint) thought starters.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
The perceived value of creative in a world of automation and AI. There’s some incredible tech out there that brings creativity to the masses, but the challenge will be getting people to continue to value the input of human creativity (and agencies).
What are you most excited about in the next 12 months?
Hopefully the continued revival of traditional channels to support the digital space.
Hopefully the continued revival of traditional channels to support the digital space.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people and credit a lot of my core grounding to my early agency years where I was thrown in at the deep end as a creative sat within an artwork department. The attention to detail and process has never left me and I try and pass on that wherever I can.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great people and credit a lot of my core grounding to my early agency years where I was thrown in at the deep end as a creative sat within an artwork department. The attention to detail and process has never left me and I try and pass on that wherever I can.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Some of the best (and most creative) times in an agency are the outside of work hours. Of course work / life balance is important, and I value that more as the years pass, but does anything beat a beer and pizza pitch night?
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Going to Liverpool FC games home and away because I don’t think I’d have moved to Sydney, the amazing place I now call home, if this wasn’t my job.
My mantra is:
Professional answer: Be grateful your job is also your hobby.
Real answer: There is a Simpsons meme for everything.
Professional answer: Be grateful your job is also your hobby.
Real answer: There is a Simpsons meme for everything.
My favourite advert is (and why):
Random one. But there’s a Sky Sports advert from around 2015 that ticks all the nostalgic memories of a football-loving kid growing up in the 90s in the UK.
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?
Music: Wouldn’t / couldn’t be without my Spotify account.
TV: Too many, I fall into the classic trial trap.
Random one. But there’s a Sky Sports advert from around 2015 that ticks all the nostalgic memories of a football-loving kid growing up in the 90s in the UK.
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?
Music: Wouldn’t / couldn’t be without my Spotify account.
TV: Too many, I fall into the classic trial trap.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
My go to anecdote. I once ran over a spectator whilst driving Rory McIlroy in a golf buggy.
In five years' time I'll be:
Probably still banging on about that Guinness coronation ad I created. But hopefully I’ll have done something more significant!
Probably still banging on about that Guinness coronation ad I created. But hopefully I’ll have done something more significant!
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