In this series, AdNews spotlights young talent in the Australian media, marketing and advertising sector. This time it's Underscore influencer and creator marketing executive Renee Picciani.
Time at the company:
I have been working in the influencer and creator marketing team at Underscore for almost two years.
I began as a marketing administrator whilst completing my degree and was recently promoted to Influencer and Creator Marketing Executive. I manage influencer marketing campaigns for some of Underscore’s biggest clients including Tennis Australia, AFL, Universal Store, Untitled Group and Listen Out Festival as well as execute social media strategy and content creation.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
In high school, I was a theatre kid who was also obsessed with economics and had always been split between my creative and analytical parts of my brain.
When I started my degree I was pretty set on working in corporate management consulting. I studied a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Arts majoring in management and sociology, so my academic net was cast wide. As my degree progressed, I naturally began linking sociology and business, finding many commonalities in marketing.
As a Gen Z, I was an early adopter of Instagram, quickly becoming addicted to the platform (Ariana Grande fandoms were my introduction when she was still on Nickelodeon). I have been attached to my iPhone since I first got one in high-school, definitely ticking the boxes of a stereotypical Gen Z.
I found that pursuing a career in marketing allowed me to use both my creative and analytical skills, and throughout the COVID lockdowns I realised social media marketing was the path for me.
How long have you been in the industry?
After graduating high school, I went directly into my dream course at La Trobe University. One of my biggest goals upon graduating was to finish my degree with more than just a good score and a piece of paper to prove it.
I started by creating and sharing content on my own social media channels and eventually helped a few of my friends with their business ideas, taking on social media strategy and execution for a range of different ventures. Being stuck inside for most of 2020 and 2021 meant I had a lot of time to invest in learning more about social media marketing and content creation. I also completed some additional short courses that connected me with like-minded people and expanded my knowledge.
I gained valuable experience helping friends, and quickly began working as a freelancer soon after. I fell in love with understanding and formulating a brand identity and using marketing techniques to strategically communicate that identity to a given audience.
The next step was to get some experience in large-scale, global businesses so whilst still studying full-time I completed three internships at frank body, Accent Group (CAT Workwear and Skechers) and Talking Tables (London). Internships are still my NUMBER ONE recommendation to anyone currently studying and dreaming of a career in marketing. Building your network, experience and understanding of different job roles is truly invaluable.
I got offered four jobs at once after finishing my internships and decided that Underscore was the best fit for me! A year of casual admin in the influencer marketing department whilst finishing my degree later, I was managing my first campaign; 125 paid and contra influencers across a three-day music festival for one of Underscore’s biggest ever clients.
Who is your right-hand person/who guides you day to day?
The first person that comes to mind is my manager, mentor and friend, Elise Brando (head of influencer and creator marketing at Underscore). She has guided me through the early stages of my career and equipped me early on with all of the belief, resources, support and agency I need to catapult my marketing career. She has put so much trust in me ever since that first conversation we had, and I could not be more grateful for the rapid growth she has encouraged in me.
I have been so lucky to have great female role models around me, in work and my personal life, who feed my passions and support my career drive. Every step of my journey thus far has been accompanied by an intelligent, fierce woman leading the way. Maybe Beyonce was right when she said girls run the world.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
It is constantly changing, which means there is always something new to get around. The internet is a deep place. Somehow, TikTok is even deeper. Having access to internet connection seriously is having everything at your fingertips all of the time, and understanding the micro-trends and jargon from every single niche is impossible. As someone chronically online, this means that work doesn’t even really feel like work!
It is so exciting to work in an industry that is ever-growing, especially as someone just getting started, because it means it can lead me to career pathways I may not have ever considered, or that simply don’t even exist. Social media marketing is so multifaceted that the possibilities are almost endless (when someone cracks the TikTok algorithm, let me know). Showing up online is vital for any business in today’s landscape, which makes the industry a very exciting place to be for a social media obsessed marketer.
And the biggest challenge?
Social media doesn’t sleep, which means the people whose jobs revolve around it don’t sleep much either (metaphorically). Everything I scroll through is an idea, an up and coming influencer we can utilise or a strategic thought we can apply to our next campaign, which means doom scrolling before bed manifests into something so much deeper and my notes app is full of these thoughts.
It can be hard to balance life and work because the ‘work’ just doesn’t feel like work. I know this is a cliche thing to say, but in my case it’s so accurate.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I don’t know yet. At this stage of my career I think it’s important to be a sponge and soak up all of the knowledge I can so I can find an area of marketing to specialise in. In five years time I think I will be far better equipped, with a greater wealth of experience and knowledge, to know what that thing is.
One thing I will be doing in 5, 10, 20, even 30 years from now is prioritising learning, and continuing to develop my skills. I place so much emphasis on always learning and know that at any stage of my career there will always be someone that can teach me something I didn’t know before. Younger, older, more experience or less, learning from people around me will always be something I prioritise.
I’m so excited to continue my career growth with Underscore during a period when it is building into a leading marketing agency that champions contemporary marketing efforts, whilst empowering its employees to mould their career around their passions.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Inspiration is in abundance in this industry. I think it's valuable to look at what people are doing overseas, particularly in the US and the UK, as this usually naturally trickles down to Australia at some point.
I like to find inspiration from high-level marketing campaigns produced by big corporations and think about how they could apply to smaller brands I love, and my clients. Companies that engage world-class marketers, create world-class work like Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, Amazon and Netflix (to name a few).
Industry peers are also an invaluable source. Sometimes talking to people that don’t have any internal touchpoints to a project I’m working on is the most valuable because they see the ideas from an unbiased point of view - professional marketers or not! It usually helps spark more abstract or targeted ideas.
Usually it is people in the general public that marketing campaigns aim to influence, so it's strategic to ask their opinion right?
My favourite advert is:
Shaz & Kim Uber Eats
Celebrity endorsements was a marketing technique I learnt in highschool. Uber Eats has championed this, and made memorable moments all around the world. Shaz and Kim is the perfect character juxtaposition, making it truly iconic. It’s nostalgic whilst also being current and couldn't be more on brand for an Aussie audience.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
At Underscore we are a small, close-knit team that has developed genuine friendships, which is such an incredible culture to be a part of. It’s rare to not know something about each other.
However, they probably don’t know I almost pursued a career as a solo artist rather than marketing. I grew up heavily involved in singing, song-writing and eventually musical theatre and had my sights set on a career in music for much of my childhood and teenage years. I have more than 10 years of professional vocal training, multiple vocal awards and an original song published on streaming services.
Working on many music events from a business perspective is a dream come true, and I’m so glad I am surrounded by many creatives throughout Underscore and their partnership with Untitled Group.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
In the rapidly evolving industry landscape that is social media marketing, pinpointing a specific future job can prove difficult, as many roles that will be crucial in the future may not even exist yet. With new platforms emerging and the evolution of technology, there is bound to be major shifts in the industry as I work my way through my career.
Fortunately, at Underscore I am led by a team that sees the value in learning and development and feel supported in chasing my big picture dreams. A marketing career requires you to stay adaptable and continuously expand your skill set. Underscore is championing this by offering me learning opportunities across digital marketing, paid advertising, content production and project coordination to help me upskill and align my growth in the company with my personal career aspirations.
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