Industry Profile takes a look at the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. Aiming to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week Adnews spoke to Jeremy Smart, VP of sales, Asia Pacific & Japan at Acoustic
Time in current role/time at the company:
I’ve been with Acoustic since our company spun off from IBM in 2019, following an acquisition made by Centerbridge Partners. Since then, I’ve been leading sales for the Asia Pacific and Japan geography.
How would you describe what the company does?
Acoustic helps businesses communicate better with customers and understand how they can deliver seamless, digital customer experiences (CX). We provide marketing, digital experience, and lifecycle pricing and promotion technology solutions that enable brands to communicate with consumers across digital touchpoints with greater efficacy and speed.
Our solutions help close insights gaps to empower brands not only understand how consumers interact with them, but why.
What do you do day-to-day?
I lead, support, coach, mediate, and manage a team of incredibly talented individuals across one of the most diverse geographies on our planet. Ultimately, my day-to-day is about finding solutions for our team, our customers, and our business partners.
Define your job in one word:
Diplomacy.
I got into MarTech because:
It’s the centrepiece of how businesses continue to evolve and succeed. Whether you’re focused on communication, commerce, or customer experience, MarTech remains central to business growth today and as we look to the future.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
I’ve found that egos can be one of the biggest challenges to contend with because they can prevent people from asking questions, which ultimately prevents them from learning.
If people can remove their egos from the equation and know it’s OK to “fail,” I think we’d see even more innovation and creativity.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
The single biggest challenge we face is a lack of education and understanding with regards to the rapidly changing technology landscape. The net result is customers becoming fixated on price and the “fringe benefits” that come with signing up for a large vendor’s solutions.
If those in the industry took advantage of the many educational opportunities around them – from webinars to events to analyst discussions – we’d see brands maximise their tech stacks, propelling them forward.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
I started my career in advertising and was fortunate to work on the Toyota AFL Great Moments campaign. Meeting sporting legends was a huge thrill, but meeting my childhood idol, Peter Daicos, took it to another level. What I didn’t expect was for my son to now idolise the son of my own childhood idol. Talk about history repeating!
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
Outside of my professional life, my father was my greatest mentor given the life skills and values he imparted in me. Many of these values inform my professional approach to leadership: respect everyone, have manners and be punctual.
Throughout my professional career, I’ve been very fortunate to work with amazing mentors from different industries. These mentors all emphasised and embodied emotional intelligence, diplomacy skills, the ability to listen, the importance of authenticity, and being highly approachable and engaging.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Rebuilding old Land Rovers.
My mantra/philosophy is:
We’re in the business of relationships.
My favourite advert is:
The ads I see stemming from Thailand are my favourite. Whether it’s for fly spray or insurance, local brands and agencies have a knack for delivering epic campaigns, from highly emotional to laugh-out-loud funny adverts.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
I have three children, so Disney+ is mandatory in our household. In addition, we have Netflix, Stan, and Prime. My wife and I love to binge a good series, no matter the genre.
I’m also a big podcast fan and mix it up with a range of shows including, “Desert Island Discs,” “How I Built This,” and “Revisionist History,” among many others.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I love musical theatre.
In five years' time I'll be:
Closer to 50 than 40.
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
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