How long have you been in your current role/company?
I’ve been with JIN for almost a year, but it feels like it’s only been a few months! After just two weeks, I was handling numerous international projects, all markedly different from one another. This signified a major change from my previous occupation. I used to work at a large media agency, chiefly contributing to a single project as an international coordinator. After two years, I wanted to grow my scope of work, so I looked to join an international agency with ambitious growth plans. JIN was the perfect fit, as it has offices in France, UK, Germany, New York and works on many global projects.
In one sentence, describe your role…
I monitor the performance of each and every performance marketing action, and I help to figure out what the best strategies are to optimise our client work, ensuring that we’re continually improving results. I’m also in charge of the agency’s media buying activities.
How did you get into performance marketing?
As mentioned above, I was previously working for a media agency as an account manager. Although I learned a great deal of things from industry experts, but there came a point when I wanted to jump to the other side and take part in these actions.
What excites you about performance marketing?
Humans! It’s true that our day-to-day job is based on following evolving figures, but human behaviour is always the primary driving force behind figures and datasets. KPIs are just a quantitative reaction to a visual, claim or tone of voice. For example, if an ad isn’t performing equally in Australia and Europe, it’s a challenge to understand the impact of the local cultures and to adapt accordingly. Sometimes, clients are as curious as myself, and A/B testing with a small percentage of the budget is implemented to evaluate placements, new messages, new creatives and to integrate new mechanics.
What’s been your biggest career learning curve?
I understood early on that the most important skill is to be able to quickly learn new skills and to adapt, so I changed the way in which I learn in my career. It’s key to constantly learn and be aware of new technologies, so you can deep dive into them, or decide not to pursue further. This is also a useful way to help me explain to clients the benefits of new performance marketing technologies in a clear and effective manner. I have to identify the key take-outs from everything I absorb, which makes it easier to communicate these new learnings into new work scenarios.
What are your best networking icebreakers?
Asking questions! For instance, when I encounter new people at events, I’m curious to know what brought them there, and what their expectations are. Invariably, we experience similar challenges and issues, so it’s always fascinating to learn how they reacted, and exchange ideas and solutions.
What keeps you awake at night?
Most of the time, I fall asleep quite quickly. Before sleeping, I normally clear my mind with a book or by listening to music, which really helps to set my mind for the next day, and becoming more focused.
If you could meet one famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I would say Oussama Ammar, the founder of The Family. It’s a French start-up created to develop the French start-up ecosystem. I really love to watch his shows, as he’s doing such an amazing job, and seems so passionate about his work, which tremendously inspires me. He’s a sort of pioneer, doing what he thinks is right, and always learning from his mistakes. I even think that it’s because of him, I now like taking risks without the fear of failure.