Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we speak to P2 director of content and strategy David "Flanners" Flanagan.
Time in current role/time at the company:
A good year and a half.
How would you describe what the company does?
Make sure our clients brands never not stand out.
What do you do day-to-day?
Dive, dig, develop, design, describe, deliver, delight. Daily.
Define your job in one word:
Arousing.
I got into marketing because:
Fascinated by the power of considered communications on every level.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Being able to channel the energy and potential I see in opportunities in order to inspire my clients and team.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Retention of wisdom. When I joined Saatchi & Saatchi back in 2000, the agency was peppered with some wild, but mainly wise and seasoned practitioners. Each skilled in the art of business, whilst equally being adept at teaching us young guns the correct, high standards of creative thinking. Such confidence and capability comes with experience. Retaining this rare and wonderful skill will allow the industry to grow up. A little.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
Advertising: Saatchi & Saatchi, BMF, Cummins&Partners, Ogilvy.
Marketing: Universal Sony Picture Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures.
Notable ads/campaigns you have worked on:
Selling beer, death and cricket to Australians has proved to be a heady mix of campaigns.
IRON JACK, the crisp Australian lager was one of the most successful launches of any beer in Australia with over 13 million litres sold in the first six months.
VOLUTARY EUTHENASIA, a passion project of Andrew Denton, encouraging the law to allow this essential option for people suffering with incurable illness. The “BE THE BILL” campaign developed for Go Gentle Australia collapsed the email server of the 69 voting South Australian MP’s with a barrage of 1,009,000 personalised voluntary euthanasia bills.
FOX SPORTS CRICKET. One of my first ever campaigns promoting the cricket coverage under the “TAKE YOUR SPORT SERIOUSLY” campaign.
Who is/has been a great mentor to you and why?
Jamie Clift. My boss at Saatchi & Saatchi. Showed me how the ‘idea’ is the most powerful thing in advertising. And fighting to preserve it is essential.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
You will have some of the most fulfilling and frustrating conversations with a mixed bag of creative souls, strategists, marketers and ruthless sales people. You’ll also get to create something that never before existed. I still get a buzz from all of that.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Careering down a mountain on a bike (on the way to a remote pub for a cheeky schooner).
My mantra is:
Always look on the bright side.
My favourite advert is:
An oldie, but a goodie from STIHL Power Tools. A truly simple, funny and memorable product ad. I just love it.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Santa Clarita Diet has me addicted to Netflix, and my week is a brighter place with the Discover playlist Spotify kindly delivers each Monday. FTA TV has disappeared, as has Facebook from my media diet.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
With a boiled egg in your pocket, you can bike mountain trails all day.
In five years’ time I’ll be:
Bravely leading my team on another new adventure.
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