Industry Profile: One Green Bean group account director Amber Lonergan

23 February 2021

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 One Green Bean group account director Amber Lonergan.

Time at the company:
Six and a half years.

How would you describe what the company does?
We harness the power of culture to get brands seen, heard and loved by the people that matter.

What do you do day-to-day?
In a nutshell, I direct teams across PR, social and influencers to deliver creative communications strategies that earn attention for brands. On any given day I can be a content creator, data aggregator, reputation guardian, and channel-agile storyteller.

Define your job in one word:
Dynamic.

I got into the communications industry because:
It means I get to read, listen, watch, stream, and immerse myself in culture and call it work. I’ve always been fascinated with human psychology and the communications industry is about discovering what makes people tick and finding the opportunities for brands to have meaningful conversations.

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
The biggest challenge is also the best part of my job and that’s finding the sweet spot between what grabs people’s attention and what brands want to say. We get served over 10,000 brand messages a day and I help brands cut through the clutter.

What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
There is so much talent in our industry, so much knowledge that could be used for good. But we’re often consumed by the day-to-day, particularly now given the pandemic’s impact on many businesses’ bottom line. So my challenge to the industry is: how do we find the time and resources to come together (agencies and brands) to help causes greater than our own? We saw some great initiatives during COVID, like Havas Hustle, but how do we make ‘doing good’ part of our always on remit?

Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
I have spent over a decade in integrated communications agencies both in Sydney and London. I have also worked briefly in-house at Pacific Magazines which gave me rare insight into what it truly takes to get a journalist’s attention.

Notable campaigns you have worked on:
I have been lucky enough to work with some incredible brands to deliver award winning work. Together with Tourism Australia I helped launch Aussie News Today – a youth news channel broadcasting “good news” from Australia to potential working holiday makers around the world. I helped launched Dundee, the Super Bowl ad that leveraged the much-loved Crocodile Dundee franchise to get the world talking. I have also worked with brands on campaigns that aim to solve some of society’s toughest challenges - from spreading awareness of Sydney’s Drought through striking aerial photography with Aquabumps; live streaming a rocket launch that delivered world-leading nbn broadband to the bush; and helping Nike launch their You Can’t Stop Us campaign that aimed to motivate everyday athletes during the global pandemic.

Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by some incredible leaders throughout my career, but someone who was by my side through some of my critical learning years was the brilliant Claire Salvetti. She taught me to lean into my strengths and always challenge myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable.

Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
The more you listen, see and experience the better it’ll make you at your job. Identifying your personal strengths is the first step to really standing out. Turn the most challenging experiences into opportunities for growth.

If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Travelling the world.

My mantra is:
You only get out what you put in.

My favourite advert is:
Sorry I Spent It On Myself - Harvey Nichols.

Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Netflix, Stan, SBS On Demand, ABC iview, The History Channel, Headspace.

Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I sometimes design my own clothes.

In five years time I’ll be:
Still working on my master plan – to fuse my personal passions with what I do everyday.

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