Our Young Guns profile takes a weekly look at some of the buzzing young talent under 30 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.
This week, we head to Sydney to meet OMD account manager, Mitch Jansons.
How long have you been in the industry?
Nearly three years.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
Two months in my current role and nearly three years at OMD.
What were you doing before this job and how did you get this gig?
I had a brief internship at PHD which I organise through Macquarie University where I was studying at the time.
Define your job in one word:
Dynamic.
What were your real and cliché expectations of working in the industry?
Coming from a family in which both my parents had previously worked in the media industry, I had a fairly good idea what to expect. The real expectations I had were long office hours, constantly working in excel documents and dealing with tight client deadlines. The cliché expectations I had mainly came from one of my favourite TV series Mad Men in which I thought I would be walking into the role of Don Draper….suiting up on a daily basis and regularly being taken out for work meetings at the finest restaurants and bars in Sydney.
How does the reality match up?
In reality there are the occasional late nights staying back in a manic stress to meet a tight client deadline and I do spend a lot of time with my head buried in an excel document but it’s always worth it to see your campaign go live and having friends and colleagues commenting on how much they like the quality and creativity of the campaign.
How would you describe what the company does and what does your role involve?
OMD is a top tier fully integrated global media agency which strives to deliver sharper insights, smarter ideas and deliver stronger results across our diverse range of clients. I am part of the business management team, working closely with our clients from the initial briefing stage all the way through to the post campaign reporting phase.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
The best thing about working in media is meeting so many likeminded people who all share the same passions and interests in coming up with successful campaigns that you do. Much like an artist walking through an art exhibition, I love being able to see on a daily basis quality campaigns and the hard work and collaborative efforts put into these.
Any major hard learnings in the job so far?
Much like the butterfly effect, in media one little mistake can lead to a much larger issue if left untouched. I’ve learnt that the best solution to any mistake large or small is to own up to it straight away and find a solution instead of letting it sit and turn into something much larger.
If you had to switch over to another department, which would it be and why?
I have always had a passion for developing the underlining strategy behind a campaign. If I ever were to move it would likely be into a strategy role.
What's exciting you about the industry right now?
The most exciting thing about media is that it is ever changing and in order to be successful in this industry you must always be looking out for new and innovative ways to implement a campaign in this highly competitive industry.
What concerns you about the industry and its future?
With a growing interest in the programmatic buying model, my only concern is what my role in media is going to look like in the future coming from a traditionally offline background.
Who's your right hand person/who guides you day to day?
I couldn’t pin point just one. The great thing about working in a team like mine is that we each work very closely with one another and always look to help each other out when the team is stretched for numbers and the workload is building up.
And your almighty mentor that you hope to dethrone?
I work under the great leadership of Stella Carnegie (executive business director) who regularly goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure client expectations are not only met but also exceeded. Her passion for media and creative thinking has always been something I have admired and hope to one day own these qualities myself.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in 2020 and how do you plan on getting there?
Honestly at the moment I am torn between several possibilities. I have always loved the creative side of media and coming up with compelling/impactful creatives that everyone notices. However, at the same time I also love the data driven insights that underpin a successful strategy for a campaign so I guess it just depends what end of the media spectrum I end up in.
What is the elephant in the room? The thing that no one is talking about – but they should be.
The growing skew to digital media buying and the impact this is going to have on offline media channels and roles of offline media specialists.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Todd Sampson – I believe he is incredibly talented and has achieved some amazing things in his lifetime. He has an incredible talent for looking at things from a completely different perspective than anyone else does.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
It would probably have to be that I sometimes draw and paint in my spare time.
Favourite advert is:
Carlton Draught's – The Big Beer Ad. Such a simple yet effective ad that everyone remembers and was viewed online by over a million people before ever hitting the TV screen in 2005.
What’s your personal motto?
Life is too short to stress about the little things.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
It was a mix between my parents suggesting I should get into advertising……and wanting to be like Don Draper in Mad Men.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Working in marketing or working in some form of creative role.
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