Meet the NGENers: Kate O’Loughlin and Leah Franco, Initiative

By AdNews | 12 September 2022
 
Image: Supplied.

The MFA’s NGEN Award gives media agency executives with less than five years’ experience the opportunity to create positive impact by using their core skills: strategic thinking, creativity, storytelling and media execution expertise. NGENers were this year invited to respond to a brief for youth mental health organisation Batyr.

AdNews presents, Meet the NGEN Award Finalists.

Leah Franco, Strategy Manager, Initiative, and Kate O’Loughlin, Strategy Manager, Initiative, are finalists for a second year running.

What attracted you to working in a media agency? Was this always the plan?
Leah: I was aiming for creative or PR, but ended up landing in media. It has been nearly five years, so I guess I’m sticking with it.
Kate: Same as Leah, I intended to work in creative but ended up sticking in media after an internship. Wouldn’t have it any other way!

What were your greatest lessons from the experience of entering the NGEN Award?
Leah: Land the insight and idea early so you give yourself plenty of time to edit and finesse. An award-winning idea can be ruined by unclear writing.
Kate: Know your strengths of your partner’s strengths. If one if you is an absolutely incredible low-key graphic designer (coughLEAHcough), then make sure you play up that skill. Work with someone who will balance your skill set.

What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
Leah: The free lunches. Kidding! I have landed my dream role that is the intersection of all the things I love. On top of that, I get to work with such cool, kind, and creative people who inspire me every day. I am very unironically and very earnestly living the dream.
Kate: Aside from the people we work with who are all absolutely brilliant, being able to think laterally is honestly one of the best parts of the gig. While I work in media, I find myself researching completely random topics day in and day out – in what other job could I spend a day trawling the internet for information on the cultural impact of the Harry Styles fandom?

What does the MFA industry purpose of ‘We Are The Changers’ mean to you?
Leah: I still struggle to describe to people what I do every day but that also feels like the selling point of the industry itself. Media is such a vibrant and creative industry with so many different avenues and opportunities to explore. I love that the ‘We Are The Changers’ purpose aims to capture this and celebrate it for new people who are entering the industry.
Kate: It’s empowering knowing that the random thoughts we have day in and day out are translated into tangible business results for our clients, or create social change beyond just our industry. To me, ‘We Are The Changers’ sums up the opportunity to work in an industry that essentially helps to power culture.

Where do you plan to be in five years’ time?
Leah: Last year I said I would be working in London in strategy, but this year I am going to dream bigger again. I want to be on stage accepting a Cannes Lion for a campaign I worked on… or accidentally having the campaign dissected on the God is Dead podcast. I am acutely aware that sometimes the line between good and cooked marketing is really in how it is framed in the case study video.
Kate: Unlike Leah, last year I wrote some corny bit about wanting to be happy in whatever it is I’m doing in five years – which while I do always want to be happy, it would also be cool to win a Lion. So maybe that, plus I hope I’m still working with people who are just as smart, supportive and sassy (sorry but I just had to make that alliterate) as the team I’m in now.

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.

comments powered by Disqus