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.
Nick Grinberg: Head of strategy at Next&Co.
Time in current role/time at the company:
14 years.
How would you describe what the company does?
We are a digital marketing agency that focus on measured, performance-focused and commercially accountable outcomes.
What do you do day-to-day?
I make sure that our talent has everything they need to be successful in their roles and I think about how to connect the world of digital marketing to our clients’ commercial objectives.
Define your job in one word:
Influence.
I got into marketing/advertising/media/tech because:
I had finished university as a qualified dietitian and after working at a hospital in the early days of that career, I realised it wasn’t the career path for me.
I threw myself into some of my side hustles, starting online stores and doing some affiliate marketing (this is back in 2007, so everything was pretty raw back then) and fell in love with the craft.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Aligning stakeholders behind a vision.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Optimal working conditions for agency talent. Better hours, more empowerment and environments where talent feels psychologically safe to develop their careers.
We are taking a super common-sense approach at Next&Co. We have open conversations about workloads with our staff to ensure they are not consistently working outside standard business hours. We also have individualised learning and development plans for every member of our team based on their desired career paths and areas of passion.
There is often a lot of pressure put on agencies, so I know we don’t always get it right but I think a focus on this will reduce industry talent churn and make for more fulfilled talent. Greater focus on this as an industry, will reduce talent churn and make for more fulfilled teams.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
In 2017 we were responsible for launching the Harley Davidson eCommerce presence in ANZ. It was great to work on such an iconic brand as they took their first steps into eCommerce via a marketplace presence.
In 2015, we worked on the re-launch of the NBL digital strategy when it changed ownership. I am a big basketball fan, so this was special to me for many reasons. It was great to witness first-hand what an injection of new passion into Australian basketball has done for the sport as it continues to thrive.
Working on the new Very Special Kids website. This organisation and its people are extremely close to my heart. I’m really proud of this one, as the work they do is extremely important. We were thrilled to have enabled their digital presence to help them do more of that great work.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I have been extremely fortunate to have many great mentors throughout my career. My business partner John Vlasakakis and I came into this industry from the world of digital not knowing a huge amount about how ad-land operated. A gentleman by the name of Edgar Doble, with a storied career, was instrumental in helping us mature and had a huge impact on my career.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Take a deep interest in human behaviour.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Hanging out on a giant farm with my family and a whole bunch of rescue German shepherds. Might have a llama in there for good measure.
My mantra is:
What is coming is better than what has gone.
My favourite advert is:
Roof Seal - The jingle is so catchy, and anything with animal mascots just gets me.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Our family has way too many subscriptions. We are all over Netflix, Prime, Stan, Audible, Paramount+.
I refuse to get YouTube Premium because I want to see the YouTube ads!
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I was in a shampoo commercial in the 80’s in the former USSR.
In five years' time I'll be:
Better than I am today.
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