In this series, AdNews takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. This time it's Starcom Australia Sydney head of investment Rebecca Ho.
Time in current role/time at the company:
Nine years at Starcom and three years in my current role as Sydney head of investment.
How would you describe what Starcom does?
As the ‘People Powered Growth’ agency, we are grounded by our core principle of understanding the people at the centre of everything we do. We uncover what it takes to move people, design experiences, and ultimately deliver business outcomes for our clients.
What do you do day-to-day?
Every day is different. I could be crafting annual negotiation strategies, identifying media partnerships, exploring test and learn opportunities, upskilling talent, overseeing products and solutions, pitching for new business and/or connecting with media partners.
Define your job in one word:
Dynamic.
I got into marketing/advertising/media because:
After university, I was applying for various jobs but somehow fell into the industry when a good friend of mine told me to just give it a go… So, here I am!
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
In the constantly changing media environment, where consumer attention is becoming scarcer, our task is to ensure that we are keeping pace with media fragmentation. It is crucial for us to remain considered when creating investment strategies to drive value for our clients. Our focus should be on striking a balance between investing in established strategies and venturing into new media and technology, to optimise the results.
What’s the biggest industry wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
It is crucial for our industry to unite in attracting new talent and future-proofing our existing talent. By collectively driving change and fostering connections, we can grow this incredible industry.
Notable campaigns/initiatives:
Bringing to life VISA’s support for women in sport across the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Being part of this on home turf was an immensely proud moment.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I've had the privilege of collaborating with exceptional leaders, particularly two remarkable women. Pia Coyle guided me through the fundamentals of media and trading in the earlier days, while inspiring me to be a leader focused on inclusivity and authenticity. More recently, Louise Romeo has been instrumental in propelling my growth at Starcom and constantly providing me with opportunities to succeed.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Craft and refine your own job specification and find ways to include as part of your role tasks outside of your day-to-day that inspire and drive business impact. Don’t settle for the standard job description.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I'd be:
Part-time teacher, part-time (aspiring) Muay Thai fighter.
My philosophy is:
“It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” – thank you, Rocky Balboa.
My favourite advert is:
‘9481 1111’.
Bonus points if you can guess the brand… I’m sure they’ve gotten rid of this number by now.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Ranges from rewatching the Marvel cinematic universe in timeline order (probably my fifth time, now), war films, Muay Thai technique videos, a bit of easy rom-coms and a bit of K-drama.
In five years’ time, I'll be:
Embracing and learning from emerging talent while sharing my experiences with them to foster growth and evolve the investment craft in the industry.
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
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.