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.
Felicity Wainwirght: senior sales manager, ANZ at LoopMe
Time in current role/time at the company:
Three months.
How would you describe what the company does?
We’re an ad-tech company built on Artificial Intelligence (which we use in a number of different ways), but our key USP is using this tech to find the most efficient ad-slot possible based on any KPI – from brand to performance – and then continuously optimising campaigns towards that KPI in real-time.
What do you do day-to-day?
As LoopMe is still relatively new to the Australian market, the majority of my time at the moment is spent educating the market; presenting to and having discussions with clients, responding to briefs and overseeing live campaigns.
Define your job in one word:
Entrancing.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
In all honesty because I needed a permanent role. I had spent a few years working short-term contracts in the charity/NGO space but needed something more stable, so when a friend’s brother asked if I was interested in an Exec role at Posterscope, I went for it not knowing how much I would enjoy it! Fast forward a few years and my interest in the tech side of advertising is why I’m now in my current role.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Growing awareness and establishing credibility in this market – LoopMe is 11 years old globally and well-established in Europe and the US but, because we’re new in Australia, we still have work to do communicating our offering.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
A healthy, fair work-life balance because I think there are fine lines between a sense of entitlement, working hard, and being over-worked. I personally believe in earning competency, but I think standardising late nights, an overwhelming workload, and unrealistic deadlines is neither fair, nor beneficial, to the employees or their quality of output.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
Posterscope (outdoor specialist agency under dentsu), JCDecaux, and I also work closely with Untld.
Notable ads/campaigns you have worked on:
“Everyone loves their Winter Woolies” – I was on the Woolworths account at Posterscope for this campaign, working with JCDecaux to place giant, knitted beanies over city light panels in Sydney and Melbourne. What started out as a ‘cute’ idea transformed into a successful campaign that brought so much laughter to everyone who worked on it. And, funnily enough, we also won a couple of small awards for it too!
Who is/has been a great mentor to you and why?
I’m fortunate enough to be mentored by Chris Freel (CEO of Unltd.) who has taught me the importance of taking risks, having perspective, and not letting self-doubt get in the way of making decisions. He’s also just an all-round good person so it’s been a fun mentorship and friendship too.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Do your research on the company and product you’re wanting to sell – if you don’t see the value in it, it’s going to be hard for you to sell it to someone else.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Either still working in the NGO space or a psychologist.
My mantra / philosophy is:
I’m a very curious person so probably the Chinese Proverb – ‘he who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.’
My favourite advert is (and why):
I think Absolut Vodka have nailed it with their ongoing ads – classic, recognisable, and so versatile. They’re able to adapt to any moment with creative flexibility, but simultaneously remain consistent.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Spotify, Netflix and then I have temporary logins for whichever streaming service has the show or movie I’m wanting to watch at the time.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
How much I love Jack Harlow and Tiny Desk concerts.
In five years' time, I'll be:
Who knows… that’s the most exciting part!
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