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.
This week we speak to Claxon Chief Growth Officer Phillippa Netolicky.
Time in current role/time at the company:
5 months.
How would you describe what the company does?
In brief, we’re a growth agency that helps brands be heard by cutting through the noise.
Our heritage has been digital marketing, however our services have expanded beyond advertising, media and marketing as growth comes from many places, and begins with a brilliant foundational strategy.
We’re a group of growth hunters, building growth architecture for businesses and subsequent pathways for implementation and activation. Our solutions are now typically derived from open briefs, rather than defining the execution or requirements upfront.
Essentially, we grow businesses.
What do you do day-to-day?
I relentlessly pursue growth.
…And my day-to-day involves strategically solving problems through a creative and functional lens. In real terms, growing our agency business, growing our clients businesses and of course, supporting our brilliant people to ensure they themselves are supported and are realising their own growth.
Define your job in one word:
Transformational-effectiveness. (That’s one word right…?)
I got into advertising, marketing and media because:
I have always wanted to have impact, at scale. I love difficult challenges and shifting behaviour to ultimately create change.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Transparency and authenticity. How can we be true consultants without it? It needs to come from us and our clients.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
The value equation. The perception, comparison, expectation, the weighting, you name it, all comes down to value.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
10 years at McCann, with half of that leading the Queensland region.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
Transformation projects for Pillow Talk and Auswide Bank have been personally memorable. The impact was deeply embedded into business, people, operations as well as marketing.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I’ve had amazingly talented people who have influenced my career in a myriad of ways - in no particular order - Ash Farr, Zain Hoosen, Pat Baron, Jessica Davey, Makarand Tare, Toby Southgate and most recently Stephen Forth.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Seek out what you want. Look where others don’t.
Plus, never lose sight of the human factor. People and their agendas matter.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Likely working in a form of psychology. My career to date has been non-linear, but it’s certainly been an incredible ride filled with understanding the business of people.
My mantra is:
Always interrogate and debate.
My favourite advert is:
So hard to choose a favourite anything! Three that would be up there - The Immunity Charm, Whopper Detour and for simplicity, It’s a Tide Ad.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Most of them! A notable podcast highlight though is the ‘Talking To Ourselves’ podcast by Omid Farhang. Interviews with some of the greats.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I once fell asleep in a chopper in Vegas.
In five years' time I'll be:
Growing, reflecting, planning. Same same.
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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