Our Young Gun profile takes a look at some of the young talent across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.
Today we speak to Bastion Insights senior research executive Natasha Rapacciuolo.
Time at current company:
Three years.
How long have you been in the industry?
Also three years!
How did you get here?
Originally, I was studying a double degree of Chemistry and Business Management which sounds ridiculous, but combined my interest in science with the business skills and knowledge required to thrive within an organisation. Ultimately, chemistry wasn’t for me and I ended up completing a business degree majoring in marketing. Along the way I did a market research subject and I loved how it pulled together all the analytical, problem-solving I missed from chemistry with real-world, human-centred applications.
From there, I applied for the Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS) traineeship program and which landed me a graduate role at Bastion Insights. After three years at Bastion I’ve worked my way up to a Senior Research Executive.
Who guides you day-to-day?
I’ve had the privilege of working with some pretty incredible people. Agency life means having to specialise in so many different industries and my work more often than not takes place at the beginning of campaign ideation which puts a lot of pressure on getting it right. I work with a great team now, and I’ve learnt from some masters in the past.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
No two days are ever the same and luckily too, otherwise I'd be pulling my hair out! The marketing industry is constantly evolving, especially the way we communicate with our audiences. The application of tech innovation means there’s more and more ways to push the envelope to uncover untapped, actionable insights.
And the biggest challenge?
Keeping up with the change! It’s a constant battle between thinking forward and getting the job done.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
An insights or strategy lead at a large Australian company that values the voice of consumers.
My favourite advert is:
Australia Post’s recent ‘Spread The Merry’ Christmas campaign. A feel-good tear-jerker that gets me every time.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Inward. A lot of thinking, pondering. And when I get tired of all that I just talk it out with those around me.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I actually enjoy cooking, even though I’m terrible at it. I lose all attention to detail as soon as I’m in the kitchen.
In five years' time I'll be:
Sitting at my desk in the office...probably with some back pain. Renovating my house in my down time.
What’s your personal motto?
My ballet teacher would always crack it at the class for not pointing our toes. She’d say, “it’s no harder to point your toes than it is to NOT point your toes”. For some reason that’s always stuck with me; the mindset of ‘you may as well do it, and do it right’.
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