As originally published in AdNews.
Sarah Cowie: Group sales leader at oOh!media
Time in current role/time at the company:
Seven years at oOh! (including one year at Adshel) and one year in my current role.
How would you describe what the company does?
ANZ’s leading Out of Home media provider, striving to make brands unmissable and public spaces better.
What do you do day-to-day?
Lead a sales team of seven epic individuals, working with large NSW Independent media agencies. Ensuring we are providing top notch service and excellent media solutions for our clients. No day is ever the same and it is incredibly fast paced, but I love the challenge of juggling people’s leadership and building strong market relations.
Define your job in one word:
Energetic.
I got into the media industry because:
Not going to lie, I just fell into it. Fresh out of university with a communications degree, I managed to land an interview at a billboard company in NZ called iSite Media (later to become QMS) as a campaign executive. It was the perfect media introduction, and I learned quickly how the industry is full of great people.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
As mentioned above, ensuring my energy is spread across both leading and supporting my team plus being out in market, building client relationships and providing top-level service. The Independent agency space is growing at a rapid pace which is awesome but with it comes some pretty chaotic days.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Transparency between media providers and media agencies. Whilst this space is improving, I still think there is room for more honest and robust feedback when working on brief responses. This allows providers to put their best foot forward and ensure clients have the most effective campaign in place for their objectives.
What are you most excited about in the next 12 months?
oOh! have had some incredibly exciting tender wins recently including Melbourne Metro, Eastlink, and across our street furniture portfolio with Waverley and Northern Beaches Councils. I cannot wait to talk to our customers about the opportunities these additions will mean for them. Our commercial team are incredible at what they do so hopefully more to come.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I feel incredibly lucky to have had some amazing leaders and mentors throughout my career. This is a tricky question for me to answer. However, the one who stands out is Ben Gibb (currently head of ad sales at Sky TV). Ben hired me as an incredibly green 24-year-old business manager with little sales experience. Ben took a chance on me and was incredibly inspirational as a leader. His passion for OOH and his people is hard to come by and he created one of the most successful sales teams oOh! has seen – winning multiple awards during his tenure. Ben taught me the importance of strong client relationships, having a passion for the product you sell and team culture.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Enthusiasm and energy is key. Never underestimate the importance of strong relationships.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I’d be:
Being a proud Kiwi, I am a huge rugby union fan – I would love to be sideline interviewing players or working for a team, running their PR or social media.
Alternatively, I am a big foodie and love cooking. A food stylist would also be super fun.
My mantra is:
Ask for feedback, it can be hard to receive sometimes but it is a gift and it is how you grow.
My favourite advert is (and why):
I worked on a super cool campaign in NZ where we turned a Street Furniture shelter into a giant pie warmer for McKenzie Pies. It won a couple of awards too which was epic. Love how creative we are getting with our street furniture special builds – as long as it has a roof and a seat, we can pretty much do anything.
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?
Haha, this is embarrassing. My streaming bill each month is hefty to say the least, I love a good TV show. I currently have Netflix, Amazon, Stan (mainly for the rugby), Apple TV, Binge and of course, Spotify. Nobody Wants This with Adam Brody and Kristen Bellis my latest binge.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I rode horses competitively for almost 15 years – the most normal horse girl you will likely meet.
In five years’ time I’ll be:
Hopefully in a group business director position and working my way towards sales director. I love this industry and most importantly the people – we are so lucky to work with a bunch of legends every day!
