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.
Chris Crook: Managing partner at Nature
Time in current role/time at the company:
Almost 16 years. I set up Nature in 2006 with one employee: me.
How would you describe what the company does?
We’re a strategic insights consultancy with particular expertise in providing quantitatively based evidence to inform business and marketing decisions.
What do you do day-to-day?
My focus shifts throughout the day. I ensure that both our Melbourne and Sydney offices are running well, our business direction is on track and our clients are happy. This can range from working with the leadership team to address both industry and client needs, to working with our clients and partners on key projects.
I also spend around a third of my time meeting with the Nature team of 50 spread around Melbourne, Sydney and NZ. These are walking, sitting or zoom meetings and are such an important way of activating our open influence culture, and for me to get to know everyone’s growth and development journey. Our people are our lifeforce and I want to ensure they are supported as much as possible.
Define your job in one word:
People.
I got into insights because:
It all started in uni. As an undergrad I focused on sociology, psychology and human geography and then later did a PhD in sociology at ANU. I just loved being able to understand people through data. As my time went on, I realised I wanted to focus on a commercial rather than academic career. I was lucky enough to fall into an opportunity to apply some of the more advanced statistical work I’d be doing then into a technique that was just beginning to take marketing research by storm – choice modelling – and that started my career.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Seeing what’s next, on a whole bunch of levels, is the biggest challenge. Where is the marketing services sector going? Where do insights play into this? How is the competitive landscape shifting?
A specific challenge in the current environment is navigating our desire to offer our team maximum locational and time flexibility within a hybrid working environment, without losing the powerful impact of in-person serendipitous and incidental conversation.
Alongside planned collaboration sessions; we do find time together boosts energy, cohesion, shared identity and culture. The challenge is being able to find the balance.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
The shortage of talent.
Previous companies you have worked at:
After I finished at ANU I headed overseas to intern at Angus Reid Group, which is now a part of Ipsos. Following that, and because of a good relationship with Prof. Jordan Louviere, I did a stint at Advanis Inc. and eventually helped open its Melbourne office. I then spent some time at TNS, now Kantar, before starting the Melbourne office of a then Sydney-based agency, Blue Moon Research & Planning. Finally, I spent some time at Telstra as Director of Insights & Analytics, which proved really valuable as it gave me a good view of things from a client lens.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I have no single mentor in my life, but I have been fortunate enough to have a wide number of positive influences in my career over the years!
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Learn a lot about the nuts and bolts of research and insights but spend an equal or greater amount of time working with and trying to understand people.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Clearly, I’d have to be an influencer
My favourite advert is:
At the moment, I love all the Toyota stuff
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Netflix, Stan, you name it…
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’ve got three passports: English, Australian and Canadian.
In five years' time I'll be:
Hopefully doing what I’m doing now
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