Exactly one year ago, I entered the fray that is Australia's media and advertising sector.
Back then, to me, a 'tarp' was something we'd squirt washing up liquid on and slide down in the back garden on a hot summer's day; Bass, Sparrow and The Monkeys were animals, and a big pitch is something I'd most likely say in relation to a weekend away camping.
But now, armed with an overwhelming amount of acronyms and insights, as I look back at my first year in adland I can't help but be excited about what's around the corner for this lucrative and innovative sector.
From my first TV upfronts and keeping ahead on local and global pitches, to getting my wires around agency churn, media jargon and balancing one 'industry first' with another, the business of advertising has proved to be a hundred times more fascinating than I could have ever imagined.
Yes, it often sniffs of boys club, but not as much as I feel people proclaim, but gender differences aside, it's the innovation, ad tech smarts, business tie-ups, mergers, creative minds, strategy souls and many other surprises that have kept me on my toes.
In my year to date, we've ticked off the local emergence of programmatic TV — with radio and outdoor entering the space too; the increasing formation of private premium ad coalitions; and overhauls from Myer and Qantas.
From the media agency underworld and local threats from looming global giants Facebook and Google, to viewability woes, the 'mediapolooza' and much more; there is no rest for the wicked.
While having lamented on programmatic and attribution in the past, and having even been prevented from writing about less than transparent issues in previous roles, I am glad the industry is tackling such topics with increasing force – although we still have a way to go. Moving forward, these are also key areas I want to dig a little deeper into.
Having met the previous guards at about this time in 2014, from Baxter to Sintras, Tajer, and more, like the rest of us, I am keen to see how the new leaders in the realm will bed in and adapt.
As I look back at the last 12 months in adland and all that has happened, I struggle to think of a more exciting space to be in. And as I advance into this next year, I move with an avid intrigue, and of course, plenty of questions about what next, how, and of course who will be the players carving out the next step in adland's rapid evolution.
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