What keeps me strong in media?

It's the challenge that keeps me coming back and staying strong in media... 

But then it's not only media that I am referring. It's the POWER and INFLUENCE we bring to clients which can make clients re-consider how will the creatives presented to them will work or fail. It's a battle between a nice creative vs creative that will serve its purpose and objective.

It also keeps creative agencies on their toes as we have a better insights of the consumers and how best to use a selected media creatively to reach and appeal to the consumers.

It's a sure win for us when we maximize all these resources to gain more credibility and reputation as the lead agency in any communication strategy to clients.

For worse and worst till the day we retire!

I joined back the media industry in Feb 2010, a year after my last post.

Now 10 months back in the business .... the situation is worse than when I left the industry exactly 2 years ago.

We use to manage everything within the media scope then.

NOW .... it media PLUS beyond media.

YET .... we're still paid ONE media salary only!!!

Media People Burning Out

The evolution of the media industry from being a mere backroom support team for advertising agency always "kau-towing" to accounts management or creative team to now discussing briefs and strategy at the same level with creative agency and our esteemed client.

We are expected to be seen contributing in meetings even though we find the topics discussed absolutely ridiculous and at the same time trying carefully not to offend the client. Otherwise, we are deem redundant.

Areas we are required to know in are not only in traditional media planning but also a little event organisation, strategic planning, PR, creative ideas .... and since we are the last point to ensure that the ad materials reaches the media owners, we are asked to check the ad after clients has approved the final FAs. We are into client servicing also. Worst part of all, we sometimes get sucked into other peoples problems and are forced to resolve the issue.

We are all so, so tired. We are only human with a pair of hands. We just have too much on our plate to do. There's only 24hrs a day and we spent an average 18 hours per day trying to complete our work. We work till one fine day whereby we'd say enough is enough! And I want out! Now, there is one less qualified media specialist in the market.

Other than working in an advertising industry

Enough is enough! It's time to get out!

Measuring the stress level to your salary by index points

Salary : 100
Expectation from
- Employer : 138
- Subordinates : 126
- Suppliers : 118
- Clients : 148

We are superhumans now - going beyond requirements and expectations.

My client turned me into a gangster

When I was in m teens, I was very timid and shy. Will only speak when required. I'm so soft till the other person on the other side of the phone cannot hear me clearly.

After 10 years of working exposure and with the increasing demands from inconsiderate clients to do the impossible, I've now turned to be someone who takes no for an answer and will force my way through to get things done. These days, most of the people I deal with (the suppliers) dread receiving calls from me as I'd get them to do the impossible and last minute tasks for me. Or when my subordinates are not able to solve and get the proper proposal or solution from them. Furthermore, I've got my clients using my name to get things done.

Therefore, I now feel like a gangster in my field.

Is this a good or bad thing for me?

Good Money vs Work Stress - Is it worth it?

I wanted to be an interior designer when I was in Form 4 - mum was against it. After much negotiation, I settled for graphic design course - to be an ad person. But after completing the course, I saw the working hours my fellow mates had to put in ..... it turned me off. After 2 years of working in a non-ad company, I still wanted a taste in the ad agency - but not in the creative department which I was trained in. There was an opening as a media coordinator in a media agency and I took up the offer. After a year, I quit to further my studies and majored in .... guess what - advertising. But, I sweared not to join an ad agency.

Upon completion, it was recession. I took up an offer in an ad agency as a media planner for the interim period while looking for opportunities else where. After 10 years, I'm still in the media industry. What kept me in here was the continuous learning, exposure and excitement gain .... and not forgetting, the money was good. As the years passed ... the work stressed increased. Clients' got more demanding and unreasonable. Management was putting more pressure on individuals to keep clients happy, win awards and ensure that the accounts was profitable.

If you have to choose only one ..... which would you choose?
A. "More money with lots of work stress"
B. "Less money but more time for yourself"