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.
This week we speak to MediaCom Melbourne head of strategy Tyler Greer.
Time in current role:
Just over one year.
How would you describe what the company does?
We are a media agency, yes, but our mission is to help clients see the bigger picture. This speaks to the fact that the world is complex, and that cultural influence can arrive from an endless array of places. The more we know about the world the better we get at recognising opportunity.
What do you do day-to-day?
I work with the national strategy team to help develop ideas and approaches that will work for our clients and our internal process; try to understand emerging trends and translate them into something actionable for clients; and, if I’m lucky, do some reading. I also eat a lot of chocolate.
Define your job in one word:
Broad.
I got into media because:
People who already worked in the industry that I knew thought I might be ok at it. Jury’s out on that one. The real question is why I stay. And that’s all about an energy that is almost impossible to find anywhere else. I know; I’ve looked.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Seeing an idea through from concept to delivery.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Short-termism.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
You know when you call a company and get put on hold and you hear an informative and hugely valuable message about their brand? My career started with writing those. I learned two things. Firstly, I was pretty good at writing punchy sentences. Secondly, anyone on hold long enough learns to despise punchy sentences. It’s a balance thing. I’ve also worked at Mindshare, Starcom, Exponential and Roadshow Films.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
About a decade ago I launched a car at an event that used influencers (before that term was inflicted upon us) to build grass-roots perception change amongst the desired audience.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I learned a whole lot from Ben Maudsley, some of it not related to ping pong. Otherwise, the hard thing is not finding more experienced people willing to share their knowledge, but rather ensuring your thinking has relevance to young people. They are always worth listening to.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Have a point of view and develop a style in which to deliver it that is your own. People like opinions. At least that’s my opinion.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Because I have no real idea of how I got where I am, it’s hard to imagine exactly what else I might be doing. But it would like to believe it would involve writing.
My mantra is:
At the end of the day, the work will win.
My favourite advert is:
CUB had a piece of outdoor at St. Kilda junction that read: Brewed in Richmond. Just 8 hours up Punt Road. In fact, it is only around 5kms from there, but for Melbournians, Punt Road is where fast commuter times go to die. This creative perfectly spoke to place with local humour to those actually sitting in the hell of Punt Road traffic.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
I’m an audio kinda person, and I spend a lot of time on the ABC listen app, along with podcasts on advertising, politics and footy. Well, mostly footy. But that’s political. It’s why the Saints haven’t won a flag in six decades. Politics.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you:
I can’t eat potato cakes. Not because of health. But because I once owned a fish’n’chip shop but, honestly, it is not something I ever wanna discuss with anyone again for the rest of my life.
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