Our Young Guns profile takes a weekly look at some of the buzzing young talent across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry. Last week we spoke to Pacific Magazines account sales manager, Kate MacAlpine.
Today we head to Sydney to speak to News Corp account manager, Simone Ludeke.
How long have you been in the industry?
Three years.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
Current role: 18 months. News Corp: three years.
What were you doing before this job and how did you get this gig?
Before News I was a naïve university student. I got my lucky break at News Corp through a university graduate program and haven’t looked back since.
Define your job in one word:
Hectic.
What were your real and cliché expectations of working in the industry?
I’m sure that I’m not the only one…. I thought it was all big budgets, long lunches and continuous creativity.
How does the reality match up?
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of lunches, budgets and creativity, but it takes a lot of hard work and long hours to get there.
How would you describe what the company does and what does your role involve?
News Corp is a content creator. My role is to connect great brands with our audiences through the content we create.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
The people and the personalities that come with them.
Any major hard learnings in the job so far?
Make sure that everything is in writing.
If you had to switch over to another department, which would it be and why?
Editorial, it’s a totally different perspective on the industry that I’d love to be exposed to.
What's exciting you about the industry right now?
The rapid evolution particularly in terms of all the emerging tech platforms. The longer I’m in the industry the quicker the industry changes. The challenge for us will be working out how to keep up.
What concerns you about the industry and its future?
See above.
Who's your right hand person/who guides you day to day?
It’s not about a person, it’s my whole team without them nothing would get done.
And your almighty mentor that you hope to dethrone?
Mum – she’s done it all. She has worked successfully in the media industry for 40 years, completed two university degrees and raised two children, all without breaking a sweat. If I can one day emulate what she has created I’ll be happy.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in 2020 and how do you plan on getting there?
Definitely still in the media industry. By then, I’ll be managing a group of extremely talented people, all with a common purpose of creating smarter solutions for my clients.
What is the elephant in the room?
Gen Z… the industry currently is so focused on marketing to millennials and how we do that effectively, with an authentic voice. Gen Z will be the first true generation of digital natives, they will be born into an environment where touch-screen technology already existed. Gen Z, with all the access they have at their fingertips to technology will likely have a greater commercial impact than any other generation before. We need to be ready.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Mainly the people around me. Friends, family, colleagues and even children – the innocent perspective they have on the world can’t be ignored.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
Reality TV is my guilty pleasure.
Favourite advert is:
Evian Baby Bay
What’s your personal motto?
You always regret not going, but you never regret going.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
It was fate.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
A professional tennis player and living in San Sebastian in between tournaments.
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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