As originally published via AdNews.
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.
Marcos Hasiotis: Group business director at oOh!media.
Time in current role/time at the company:
I started my career at oOh! straight out of university and have been with the business for 11 years. I’ve been in my current role for more than six months.
How would you describe what the company does?
It may be the company line, but it rings true. We make public spaces better by building infrastructure such as bus shelters and making brands unmissable across our network.
What do you do day-to-day?
My focus is on growing a genuine passion for Out of Home across the market, strengthening relationships with agencies and brands. Most importantly supporting the growth of the incredibly talented people at oOh!
Define your job in one word:
Jazz. Orchestrating and collaborating in a fun, fast paced controlled chaos.
I got into marketing/advertising/media/tech because:
I’ve always been drawn to advertising. When I finished my studies at the Melbourne Media Factory at RMIT, I typed in “Entry Level, Marketing” into Seek and the rest well as they say – is history.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Media is fast paced and no two days are the same. The biggest challenge is spinning all the plates. This includes working on long term projects while also balancing the urgent, short term demands, all while staying connected with my clients and the team.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
I think the industry can make itself overcomplicated at times. There are more inputs and more people involved now more than ever, yet somehow we’ve ended up with less ownership. I’d love to see us get back to basics, with a focus on fewer short-term tactics and more on genuine brand building and long-term outcomes.
Sometimes less is more. A clear strategy and strong ideas, carried by great people and partnerships still matter and so does backing quality work over time.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
There are two standout campaigns for me, and both came down to the collaboration and the ambition of people who were courageous enough to take a risk and push the boundaries of creativity in Out of Home. The first is the ANZ Scalable 3D Falcon that took flight across over 2,100 digital screens and five different OOH channels. The other is Tourism Tasmania ‘Go Behind The Scenery’ – The GOAT. This campaign ran across our assets in 2017, incorporating multiple DOOH environments, native content amplified on screen and a big bloody story book.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
James Goodwin and Jess Winterburn have been my go-to sounding boards for years. They are both incredibly considered and empathetic but they’re also completely unafraid to hit me between the eyes when I need it.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Feedback is a gift, not just from your manager. The best feedback also comes from those that report into you.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I’d be:
A publican.
My mantra is:
The two that have always guided me through are “keep your shape” and “know what a good week looks like”.
My favourite advert is:
Spotify’s “Thanks 2016, It’s Been Weird” campaign. It used customer data in a way that felt human, humorous and emotionally engaging at a time when data privacy was becoming a major conversation point. Simple, clever and incredibly effective.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Spotify and too many TV subscriptions, I’m one of those people that can’t seem to cancel them.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m an over sharer, so there’s nothing left to hide. If everyone knows your secrets, there’s no secrets.
In five years time I’ll be:
Hopefully I’ll be raising a family with my wonderful wife Mads. And if I’m lucky enough, to still be doing what I’m passionate about – doing great work in OOH alongside passionate, high-performing people, then that’s a massive bonus.
