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. Earlier this week we spoke to Ogilvy & Mather creative Kate Shearer.
This week, we head to Sydney to speak to Slingshot Media strategy executive, Queenie Ling.
How long have you been in the industry?
Three years.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
One year.
What were you doing before this job and how did you get this gig?
Previously I was a digital planner/buyer at MEC and then transitioned into setting up their social media department. During my time in this role I was awarded the 2015 Australian runner-up at the Cannes Young Lions where I discovered my interest in strategy and was then offered a role at Slingshot.
Define your job in one word:
Inquis-ovating. (Inquisitive + Innovating)
What were your real and cliché expectations of working in the industry?
Before landing an entry level role, I had never even heard of media. There seems to be little awareness at university of the industry, and its clichés, unless you already know someone in it.
How does the reality match up?
Coming from a digital generation, I assumed all media technology and tracking would be fast, efficient and advanced. While these expectations haven’t quite matched up yet, I came into the industry at a time of rapid change with social media and online measurements such as OCR (on-target impressions) and viewability (in-view impressions).
How would you describe what the company does and what does your role involve?
At Slingshot our mission is to take brands, ideas and people to places previously thought impossible. For this to succeed there is a lot of collaboration between us, our media partners and clients. While my role involves the initial work into the audience, facilitating brainstorms and developing the core idea into a strategy, it’s a collaborative process as a great idea can come from anyone.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your hard work come to life. Whether it is producing an integrated TV show, changing council legislation to create exciting new formats or an inspiring conversation starter on radio, there is always work you can be proud of and tell others you were a part of. This is something very few industries have.
Any major hard learnings in the job so far?
I think being young, we expect growth to be fast and linear. My hardest learning so far is understanding that growth looks more like jagged spikes. Some of your work will be absolutely on point and some of your work might miss a client’s expectation. What’s important is seeing the bigger picture.
If you had to switch over to another department, which would it be and why?
I am quite happy to stay in strategy. I believe it has the potential to grow in the future into something that encompasses overarching marketing and creative strategy, which might extend to production design to better engage with our consumers.
What's exciting you about the industry right now?
As the internet of things/smart objects i.e. TVs, watches, fridges evolve into mainstream usage, so do the opportunities for an exciting future in strategy, communication and engagement with new ways to connect to our audience.
What concerns you about the industry and its future?
The rise in technology and data should not mean the end of creativity and consumer research. While the emphasis is currently on reaching the right audience at the right time, sometimes consumers don’t know they are the right audience. We mustn’t forget to also focus on creativity and uncovering deeper insights to influence action.
Who's your right hand person/who guides you day to day?
Lisa Overall, our head of strategy. I consider myself a sponge having jumped from digital to social to strategy but Lisa is on a completely different level with the depth of knowledge she shares with me every day.
And your almighty mentor that you hope to dethrone?
I’m not in the business to dethrone anyone. What’s the point? How long can you stay there with our rapidly changing landscape if you don’t keep trying to punch above your weight? Shout out to my mentors for this reminder: Simon Rutherford, Simon Corbett, Joel Brady and Lisa.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in 2020 and how do you plan on getting there?
A large number of new jobs are expected to be created over the next five years. Therefore instead of focusing on a specific role that may not even exist yet, I prefer to focus on adaptability and an entrepreneurial mindset as the rest will follow. I am currently studying for a Masters in interactive design and technology and while I don’t plan to leave media, I believe this will provide me the knowledge on how to apply innovative and interactive technology of the future to our industry faster.
What is the elephant in the room? The thing that no one is talking about – but they should be.
Why aren’t more clients sharing sales and customer data with their agencies? And why aren’t more agencies reporting their performance on client’s business outcomes rather than CTR and video views? Instead of looking at short-term goals, the best measure of success should be based on how media has tangibly impacted a client’s long-term business objectives.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
I turn to other creative disciplines for inspiration. Studying for my Masters has opened up my knowledge of 3D printing, prototyping and ultimately, how to better engage with consumers through more interactive technology and design. The most recent example I can think of in the media space is the Reebok OOH campaign that opens up a free pair of shoes if you run past the panel fast enough.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
Before media, I used to study acting part-time and got to be on set with Chris Hemsworth ‘acting’ as a hard-core fan in a red carpet scene.
Favourite advert is:
ANZ GayTMs and Dumb Ways to Die.
What’s your personal motto?
If you feel out of your comfort zone, you’re doing it right.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
I love understanding people. Why people do things, why people don’t do things and what makes people tick.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Probably in interactive product design as my main interest is looking at innovative human-centred engagement. What we do every day in strategy is just as easily applicable in these different fields.
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