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.
Germaine Hendrik: head of marketing, APAC at Quantcast
Time in current role/time at the company:
Two years and eight months.
How would you describe what the company does?
Quantcast is a global technology company founded in 2006 with the simple idea of bringing the digital ecosystem together responsibly - publishers, advertisers, and most importantly consumers. Combined with Ara, our AI/ ML toolset, we help brands plan, activate, optimise, and measure campaigns delivering industry-leading performance, combined with sustainable, best practices aligning what consumers want with what brands can offer.
What do you do day-to-day?
In short, I run the marketing department for Quantcast’s Asia-Pacific offices. This includes supporting our key markets in the region (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong, and five other countries in Asia) with relevant marketing initiatives, everything from content to events to digital activities – that help to elevate the Quantcast brand and connect marketers on this side of the world with the right solutions to improve their advertising outcomes.
Define your job in one word:
Multifarious - every day is different!
I got into marketing/advertising/media/tech because:
I am constantly being challenged to learn and move out of my comfort zone. Every organisation, regardless of the industry needs marketing to amplify its presence wherever they operate. I saw marketing as a job that I would never get bored of, and I haven’t been once since I started more than 10 years ago.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Practically, the biggest challenge I face is getting into the headspace I need to be in every time I have to wear a different hat. I think many marketers can relate to this.
Going from managing budgets to planning campaigns strategically, writing content writing, dealing with the press, senior stakeholders, my team and clients all in one day requires me to almost have a different personality with each approach.
The satisfaction of a job well done is unparalleled for me though, so I prioritise getting the rest I need so I am in my best shape for whatever comes next.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
I think there is still a very prevalent perception that people who work in media are tired all the time, have no work-life balance and generally become unhappy after a few years.
I believe this deters newer generations from starting a career in media, which is a shame because we need younger talent more than ever to effect change, evolve the media landscape and carry on developing the innovation marketers need to navigate ever-changing audience attitudes and behaviours.
I would love to see our industry become more inclusive and decisive when it comes to making policies that create better working environments for people working in media in general, so that this perception is no longer the same in future.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
In my second year at Quantcast I developed an advertising state-of-play report that pulled together first hand insights from hundreds of marketing and advertising professionals in the APAC region. It was a first for the business and gave invaluable insight into our key audiences and where to improve our marketing efforts for the year ahead, not to mention offered some very interesting takeaways for the industry at large. We received a notable amount of press coverage and great feedback and it’s been a benchmark for me ever since.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
Rachael Townsley, former head of marketing APAC at Quantcast prior to me taking over, was the woman who hired me into the business.
Her positive attitude negated every doubt I had about myself and whilst setting the bar very high in her role, she was exceedingly human in everything she did and was never afraid to be herself. From her, I learnt that it was ok to make mistakes, as long as I learned from them, and to forge ahead in times of doubt because often, I was my own barrier to success.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Hire people better than you – to build a great team that achieves outcomes beyond your vision means working with talent that can do just that. Hiring people you can learn from, just as much as you can teach, will help you become a better and more knowledgeable leader.
Also, be your whole, true self at work and ask for help when you need it.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Probably a food blogger travelling around the world with my own Youtube show. I wish!
My mantra is:
If you are your authentic self, you have no competition.
My favourite advert is:
I might be revealing my age but it’s definitely the old Mentos - Fresh goes better ads.
I loved how the brand made those ads about making the most out of a less-than-ideal situation, it’s very much my approach to life - if it throws you lemons, make lemonade!
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Spotify, Audible and Netflix are my top three most used apps, and I can imagine it must be for many others as well. I listen to a series of podcasts in my down time, take in a book or two on the weekends and my music taste ranges from 80s and 90s to hip-hop and RnB.
TV wise, I usually stick to light-hearted drama or documentaries, especially if they are about food!
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I love playing console games, particularly long epic role-playing games or first-person shooters. My favourite so far has been The Witcher, and I’m currently playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
In five years' time, I'll be:
On the path to becoming CMO hopefully! Or maybe on another track altogether with my own Youtube cooking channel/food show.
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