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 Stefanie Duhy, Senior Account Director, Archibald Williams
Time in current role/time at the company:
8 months
How would you describe what the company does?:
Archibald Williams develop smart, beautiful, effective creative for brands across all stages of the marketing funnel; in fact, we have a really strong focus on unifying customer communications throughout.
What do you do day-to-day? Organise team workloads, give input on creative work, plan and progress our pipeline, review project scopes, meet with clients, problem solve, brainstorm proactive initiatives – it’s a mixed bag!
Define your job in one word:
Rollercoaster
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
I discovered how hard it is to make it as a professional actress! Jokes aside, throughout my drama degree I was always fascinated by character analysis – understanding who they were, how they thought, what made them tick – an interest that lent itself pretty well to working in advertising.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
It’s a toss-up between not having enough hours in the working day to get through everything effectively and successful people management - be that internal or external.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
A breakdown of the client/agency ‘wall’, and the unrealistic expectations that can come with that – people shouldn’t be expected to break themselves or the teams. Regardless of what side of the fence you’re on, we’re all working towards a common goal, and more importantly, we’re all human and can only do so much! Oh, and also, pay your interns (I’m talking to you, agency leaders) and pay for pitches (now you, clients) – no-one should be expected to work for free, much less work well for free.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
Here in Australia, CX Lavender.
Notable ads/campaigns you have worked on:
Most recently, American Express’s Open For Travel andCitibank’s Spot. Buy Now, Pay Later.
Who is/has been a great mentor to you and why?
My dad. He’s worked in marketing for the majority of his career, and as such, is a fountain of knowledge and advice on current trends, advertising know-how, people management, personal growth – the list goes on! I should also give a mention to Kiranpreet Kaur – it’s awesome having a strong, driven, successful female as a boss!
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Stay hyper organised (become firm friends with lists and excel sheets), have conviction in your views and decisions, and be fair but firm when needed. Keep a perceptive and creative mind, never underestimate the value of collaboration, and don’t be afraid to ask questions or be unsure – it’s OK to learn, regardless of your seniority.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
TV presenter and psychiatrist were always on my list. However, more recently, I’d probably go with dog sitter!
My mantra / philosophy is:
Judge people on their actions, not their age.
My favourite advert is:
There are a few that come to mind. The Cadbury Gorilla ad was awesome – it was whacky therefore memorable but (thanks to Phil Collins) familiar therefore feel-good. I also loved the Old Spice The Man Your Man Could Smell Like ad – simply because (for me at least) it did such a good job of re-positioning the product. But the winner would probably have to be The Big Night by Sainsbury’s – it’s bloody cute, super nostalgic, and unbelievably heart-warming.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Everything. Lockdown, am I right?! I’m more of a visual streamer than an audio one though. Having said that I do enjoy a good podcast and prefer Apple Music to Spotify as I find the UX nicer.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
A couple do know this, so it isn’t strictly answering the question, but I’m a (very) amateur pole dancer!
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
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.