Kauri Ballard.
Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
Kauri Ballard: Senior director at Analytic Partners.
Time in current role:
15 years in total, including the past 10 years as part of the Australian team.
How would you describe what the company does?
We help brands understand what’s actually driving sales and how they can make smarter marketing decisions. That could mean improving media efficiency, understanding what’s working across channels, or helping clients think more strategically about their overall marketing effectiveness.
Ultimately, it’s about turning complex data into practical insights businesses can actually use.
What do you do day to day?
No two days are ever really the same, which is probably what I enjoy most about the role. One day I might be helping teams work through modelling challenges, the next I’m answering client questions, running simulations, presenting insights or coaching people through problems. There’s a lot of variety and always a new puzzle to solve!
Define your job in one word:
Insights Sleuth. It’s two but I think it accurately sums up how I feel - which is like a detective into insights!
I got into the industry because:
I grew up around market research so I was introduced to marketing concepts pretty early on.
My dad worked in advertising and research for years and family TV time would sometimes turn into an unofficial ad recall test to see if we could actually remember the brand behind an ad we liked. I think he wanted to know whether the campaign was really doing its job.
That sparked my interest from an early age. After interning in research roles during university, including at Ipsos, I fell in love with using data to tell stories and solve business problems. After moving back to the US in 2011, I shifted from brand tracking into mix modelling and haven’t looked back since.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Balancing everything. There’s always a mix of client work, presentations, problem solving and team development happening at once. I’d probably say the biggest challenge is wanting more time to spend mentoring and developing people.
What’s the biggest industry wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Data quality and consistency. Every business wants clearer insights and stronger measurement, but when the data is messy or inconsistent, it makes things really difficult.
If the industry can get better at building strong data foundations, it’ll make marketing measurement far more useful and give businesses a lot more confidence in the decisions they’re making.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
Paul Sinkinson, Managing Director (Australia and Asia) has been an incredible mentor over the past decade.
One of the biggest things he’s taught me is that you don’t have to lead like anyone else to be effective. He’s always encouraged me to trust my instincts, bring my own personality to the role and push myself outside my comfort zone.
That’s had a really big impact on both my career and the way I approach leadership.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Stay curious and have a genuine interest in interrogating data and results. You definitely don’t need to come from a hardcore maths or coding background to succeed in this industry. I actually studied politics and Spanish at university!
What matters more is being interested in marketing, asking questions, solving problems and understanding what’s really driving business outcomes.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I'd be:
Probably running a bakery or café. I love baking and usually test out a new recipe almost every week. I really enjoy experimenting with different flavours and sharing the results with family and friends.
My philosophy is:
Leave the ladder down and lead with kindness.
My favourite advert is:
Apple’s “Share Your Gifts” Christmas campaign from 2018. I’m a huge fan of Christmas ads and look forward to them every year, but that one really nailed the storytelling and emotion in a way that’s always stuck with me.
Music and TV streaming habits:
My music taste is very broad - everything from country and pop to classic rock, crooners and K-pop. I mostly listen on Spotify.
TV-wise I’m currently watching The Pitt.
What do you subscribe to?
Spotify, Netflix, Stan, Binge and HBO Max - I like keeping up with whatever everyone’s watching.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I recently started taking sewing classes. It originally started because I wanted to learn quilting like my grandmother, but now I’m completely hooked and hoping to eventually make my own clothes. It’s probably no surprise that both of my hobbies, sewing and baking involve a fair bit of maths.
In five years time I'll be:
Working in commercial mix modelling. I am genuinely excited to see how the industry continues to evolve after all the momentum of the last five years.
I also hope that I’ll be an accomplished seamstress with fabulous homemade garments by then.
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