Young Guns: Bohemia content manager, Cameron Roberts

Lindsay Bennett
By Lindsay Bennett | 2 November 2016
 
Cameron Roberts

Our Young Guns profile takes a weekly look at some of the buzzing young talent under 30s 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 Pedestrian TV advertising manager, Jordan Gelbart.

This week we head to Sydney to speak to Bohemia content manager, Cameron Roberts.

How long have you been in the industry?

Two and a half years.

Duration in current role/time at the company:

Ten months.

What were you doing before this job and how did you get this gig?

Working as a media trader at Bohemia. I kept pestering to work closer to our CREATE team, seem to have worked.

Define your job in one word:

Remarkable.

What were your real and cliché expectations of working in the industry?

Work hard, play hard.

How does the reality match up?

Times the above by 10. 

How would you describe what the company does and what does your role involve?

We’re in the business finding growth for brands. My role in that is creating remarkable brand experiences through content. I’ve worked on the Voice, activations at the MCG, influencer content, advertorials – every day is different and that’s why it’s so good.

Best thing about the industry you work in:

I get to work with people of all disciplines: data, design, strategy. There’s research that talks to connecting non-obvious ideas as key to innovation – it requires knowledge of concepts in areas that are not necessarily tangents. Our industry attracts people from all different backgrounds and I get to learn from these people each and every day. I’d like to think this melting pot of people are the reason we are creative and innovative.

Any major hard learnings in the job so far?

All of my work is project based, working on a variety of clients. Getting up to speed on multiple brands has been a challenge. You can’t walk into a room with clients and show only a shallow understanding of their brand and expect them to buy into the work.

If you had to switch over to another department, which would it be and why?

I’d work in design – taking something you have imagined and crafting it into something tangible is an amazing skill I wish I had.

What's exciting you about the industry right now?

Brands are fighting for attention more than ever. We can’t add to the noise, or our message will quickly be dismissed. That means we will continue to be asked by clients to innovative ways to connect with audiences in a meaningful, remarkable way.  

What concerns you about the industry and its future?

Media agencies are at risk of being caught in a race to the bottom with fees – we keep cutting each other’s grass at the detriment of the whole industry. Let’s not sell ourselves short.

Who's your right hand person/who guides you day to day?

Sally Hickson, my boss and sister in arms. She’s always asking me to lift my game.

And your almighty mentor that you hope to dethrone?

Rose Herceg – although I have a lot more to learn from her before I’m in a position to dethrone her.

Career-wise, where do you see yourself in 2020 and how do you plan on getting there?

I have the crazy ambition of starting an agency by the time I’m 30. Success in our industry is based on relationships – I’m going to keep working on making good impressions and showing integrity.

What is the elephant in the room? The thing that no one is talking about – but they should be.

Agency-side is a young person’s game. What are we actively doing to retain the young people in our industry? Finding talent hits the bottom line of agencies more than retaining them.

Where do you turn for inspiration?

Faris Yakob, The Economist, my old man.

Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?

I’m deadly afraid of rats.

Favourite advert is:

Keep Walking Lebanon. Brands can have a positive impact, outside of sales or media metrics. Truly remarkable campaigns have to connect people and make a difference to their lives.

What’s your personal motto?

Perception is reality.

I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:

Total accident but one I don’t regret.

If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:

A struggling musician.

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