Taylor arrived at Macleay College to study advertising – wanting to own his own advertising agency one day. After completing the diploma, then continuing with Macleay’s pathway agreement to a B.A. at SCU he seems to be well on his way.

Where are you currently working ?

I work at The Station Agency, a shopper marketing agency in Surry Hills. Shopper marketing involves strategically targeting shoppers at different touch points all the way from remote locations to the at-shelf destination within the store. It involves Point of Sale and experiential sampling activations. Shopper marketing is big in the UK and even bigger in the US. Its only in its infancy in Australia and has only been regarded as it own discipline within the last 5 years. The Station Agency are the number 1 shopper agency in Australia.

What is your current role ?

I am an Account Executive and work within one of two client service teams. My role is to first and foremost be the link between the agency and the client throughout the creative process. My job is to manage time and budgets, as well as strategic and creative input to ensure each element of the shopper campaign is delivered above and beyond what the client expects. Further to these day to day responsibilities I act as the eyes and ears of the agency when it comes to industry knowledge. A decent portion of my time goes toward business development and ensuring that we stay on top.

What have been some of the highlights at your current job?

The challenges of having to master a new marketing discipline, although difficult at times, has been extremely rewarding. I have been given the opportunity to get in early and grow with a rapidly expanding agency. I have worked previously in both media and digital agencies although not in client services. I can honestly say the rate at which I am learning new skills and the critique of already existing skills is phenomenal.

What are your future career goals ?

In terms of career goals and where I’d love to end up, I am always changing my mind as I learn more about the industry and agencies. Right now I would have to say I am aiming at a Head of Client Services role. Ultimately running campaigns that involve large above-the-line experiential activations incorporating both above and below the line elements including digital, social and traditional mediums such as TV would be great.

Why did you decide to study at Macleay ?

To be honest, I left school not knowing what I wanted to do. My careers advisor at school had always spoke highly of Macleay and so I went along to an open day, then shortly after I enrolled in the Diploma of Advertising. I then fell in love with the world of advertising and all its perks. The diploma provided me with the necessary skills and understanding to work in any agency. I then went on to complete the Bachelor of Arts in Media Communications through Southern Cross University, which provided an even broader education as to how the media interacts with the rest of the world and the powerful affect it can have, including the power of advertising.

What are some of your best memories of your time at Macleay?

Idea generation and flesh out sessions with guest lecturer Tom Ragg, where I presented a WD40 Endless Uses concept I had been developing which actually landed me my first job as a Junior Community manager at Soap Creative. Tom was, and still is, Head of Social Media at Soap Creative. 

Click here to find out more about the advertising course at Macleay College.