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.
Pawena Kaniah, SEO manager at iProspect, Dentsu
Time in current role/time at company:
Just about 2 years at iProspect, Dentsu and 10 months as SEO manager.
How long have you been in the industry?
3 years.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
When I started uni (studying business administration, majoring in marketing), I had no idea that a structured media industry was ripe and thriving in Australia. As an international student, many things were new and even becoming aware of this world was like being a deer caught in headlights, but I knew I was cut out for mass media campaigns. As a teenager, writing came naturally to me, especially the type that would provoke and grab attention. I always wanted to be part of a news-making environment. But that I would start my journey professionally with an SEO approach was never what I had envisaged.
I was already writing for various student publications, local newspapers as well as my daily blog (a total of over 500 articles on average every year!). I picked up freelance gigs with global brands doing copywriting, followed by a marketing coordinator internship and part-time roles at various start-ups during my international business school journey which flew me across Singapore, Dubai, Paris and Sydney.
The world went berserk in 2020 as we all know and that was also my graduating year from b-school. I took up a role at a boutique agency in SEO as a content writer and backlink builder. Soon after that I applied for an SEO Executive role at iProspect, dentsu and haven’t looked back.
Who is your right-hand who guides you day to day?
I’m quite the book monster – I got back into the habit of one book every week after uni. I’ll say that I have made several conceptual authors my mentors – whether it is about confidence-building, personal developments in the arena of feedback-giving and receiving or more technical areas like integrated media, strategic process and digital maturity.
At the same time, I am surrounded by so many wonderful teammates at iPro who are amazing sounding boards. But I must call out Chella [Marcelle Gomez] who leads our incredible performance media teams to accelerate brands with a huge focus on people and culture which inadvertently makes one feel supported.
Lastly, my network of students who I coach during the weekends on critical thinking and argumentative essays provide for incredible opportunities to hone, sharpen, and make my thoughts better.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
The industry is willing to self-assess and be changemakers for the world. It seeks to keep its unconscious biases in place while empowering minority voices to speak and share their lived experiences. Several other industries are unable to do the same in such a short span of time. Whilst we have a long way to go, I highly appreciate the willingness to accept that we owe it to the world to be mindful of our own stereotypes, prejudices, and biases as media professionals. After all, we impact the lenses and perceptions of every consumer of our work. Initiatives like the MFA Ex, the SBS Core Inclusion Certification and Only One in the Room are a breath of fresh air that I have come in my journey in the Australian media industry.
And the biggest challenge?
The absolutist thought that AI will replace people instead of the well-rounded assessment that those who don’t embrace AI in their day to day will lose efficiency to those who learn how to best harness what the various technologies can help them with.
Whose job have you set your sight in the future?
I’d be interested in creating a role. I wasn’t aware of what a media buyer/planner did five years ago! But for now, I want to continue to grow in my role, support and empower my team and amplify diverse voices.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Movies, beaches and solo time are my greatest sources of inspirations.
Movies are a fantastical approach to reality and tend to magnify emotions and record human experiences as visual poetry. Watching a movie is a date for me, I take away a lot from them, whether it’s the social criticism or mockery of human frivolity or the celebration of what makes us all who we are, they are a treat, an escape and a relief.
The beach is a rejuvenating tonic, a bullet juice of sunshine and quiet fun. Looking into the ocean is also humbling for its perfect reminder of how tiny we are in the whole wide world. And solo time is a non-negotiable, self-reflection is important and a great way to be mindful about my own existence.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you:
I would like to believe I’m an open book (haha). I have missed a flight to France from Poland once because the immigration counter refused to believe Mauritius (my home country/island) even existed. I can be good at banter – code switching when you are multi-lingual makes it a bit harder, but I try. Oh, and I love hosting people over for fancy dinners at mine (just let me finish my house hunting first).
In five years’ time I’ll be:
A conduit between the lesser heard voices and the decision-making rooms that impacts our consumer-society. I’ll also be celebrating micro moments of our collective courage as an industry, and our ability to uplift peers along in our personal journeys of self-developments.
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.