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 The Works strategist Lucy Batchelor.
Time at the company:
Two years.
How long have you been in the industry?
Two years.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
Through an internship, but no it wasn’t the plan. Before I started I didn’t even know the difference between advertising and marketing. Within the first week I loved it and have never looked back.
Who guides you day to day?
My leading lady is Cate Mathers, brand strategy director. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. An absolute gun in all things brand.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
You can never get bored. Each day is a challenge, learning something new. One day I can be immersing myself in all things dog food, and the next, diving into the science behind why people give to charity.
And the biggest challenge?
Bravery. Bravery in creativity and pushing the guardrails and bravery in shifting from a short-term to a long-term focus.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
The role of a strategist is changing and will continue to do so, so to be honest, I don’t know.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
My office is great at sharing inspiration, sometimes in advertising, sometimes not and so I always have a great and constant source of inspiration. I subscribe to the likes of WARC, The Drum, EuroMonitor International and The CB Insights team. And I also follow the likes of Mark Ritson, Mark Pollard and Julian Cole, who all provide a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Beyond the realm of advertising I turn to travel, talks on anything and everything, podcasts, and friends in other industries.
My favourite advert is:
Barclays – Big Bank. It's memorable, has one very clear message, and is ownable from a brand perspective.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I think peanut butter can go with everything. Carrots, apples, tofu, rice, you name it.
In five years' time I'll be:
I have no bloody clue, I’ll see where life takes me…
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