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 Neuralle managing director Jordan Michaelides.
Time in current role/time at the company:
Seven years, 10 months.
How would you describe what the company does?
Talent and brand representation in the influencer space. For talent, we are a full 360 representation that will try and exploit as many mediums as possible to advance their career and ensure it runs long. For consumer brands, it’s running social and influencer campaigns to boost their mindshare with customers.
What do you do day-to-day?
Eat broken glass and stare into the abyss. Seriously though, lots of emails, lots of content writing, lots of sales or talent strategy meetings.
Define your job in one word:
Hard.
I got into marketing/advertising/media/tech because:
I hated finance.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Finding enough time to work on the business, so I don’t get out-competed.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
A licensing regime that defines who can practice as a manager. Anyone (myself included) can start a talent agency. There’s a lot of shmucks in this business, and also a lot of good people who take their job seriously. A licensing or testing system, similar to what real estate agents must go through, would clean out a lot of bad actors.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
Maximus’s first social influencer campaign achieved more views than pretty much anything that’s been run at Frucor Suntory.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
Dan Monheit in the early years of my agency gave me more time than he should have. I’ll forever be thankful for how many times, he had me staring into the abyss, realising how stupid I was. As I’ve grown in the talent business that would easily be; Clare Winterbourn, Kirsty Kassabis and Morgan Barta. I don’t get to see Clare as much but when I do she often says something to me that makes me realise how much of an imbecile I am.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Prepare to eat shit, and you better be thankful for that shit you’re eating from both talent and brands. Or else.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Miserably running a trading desk.
My mantra is:
Sign one, cut one, break one.
My favourite advert is:
John West’s Bear Fight Ad
Not because it was more special than other ads or someone I admire wrote it, but because it brings back memories of sitting in my grandma's 'den', eating vanilla ice cream with sprinkles, watching VHS re-runs of Fawlty Towers, and occasionally getting random ads intertwined because my Papous missed the ad break stop-start.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
My own Spotify playlist is an amalgam of bizarre stuff; from Post Malone to Zorba the Greek to Viking music. TV Streaming is harder these days with a six-month-old, I’m probably watching 30-45mins max a night of whatever the most important/popular show is on the streamers, so I can stay clued in. Otherwise, I watch A LOT of YouTube. Never giving up my YouTube premium subscription.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m a pretty open book with staff, so I honestly can’t think of anything.
In five years time, I'll be:
Ari Emanuel’s thorn in the AU/NZ market.
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
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