I am a media planner at OMG UK, focusing on multicultural marketing.
After graduating university with a degree in maths, I wanted to learn how businesses work and grow. My first job was in business development, which is at the forefront of business expansion and attracting new clients, so it was a great introduction and real-life exposure into how business really do run.
From there, I joined Omnicom Media Group’s investment team, working on the analytical side of the business and the numbers behind it – using my maths degree. While I was there, I found out about the multicultural marketing arm of OMG UK and knew that is where my passions lay. It took me a whole year to get the job, but here I am, and I love it.
Multicultural marketing is dedicated to understanding multicultural audiences and communities and translating this understanding into media plans. It’s a very human take on data.
Monday
I start my week by going through all the emails received over the weekend and creating a to do list. Tasks that have deadlines coming up get priority, but I aim to reply promptly to all messages and make sure everything is under control as we start a new week.
Most of Monday is spent setting up for the week, coordinating with teams I work with and chasing anything that’s pending from the week before. Of course, I also get started with media plans and content that needs to be done that week.
Tuesday
If there are no emergencies or unforeseen issues, it’s business as usual.
What I really love about my job is that no brief looks the same and no brief has the exact same target audience. This means the research I do varies enormously every time – one day I may be looking into Polish Christmas and the next day studying tropical diseases.
I pray every day at lunch time (we have a prayer room in the building), and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I make time for a run during lunch hour. A leisurely jog along Thames does wonders to your wellbeing. If anyone wants to join me – send me an email!
Wednesday
This is a day for meeting client teams and talking to media owners to make sure everything is on track and everyone’s happy.
It’s also a day when I like to put some time aside for my extra-curricular apprenticeship; I’m spending approximately one day a week learning Python and SQL in order to be able analyse data more efficiently.
Thursday
Towards the end of the week the focus tends to move on to reporting. This means either putting together research reports, or if not responding to briefs, doing post-campaign analysis. Learning about multicultural audiences and communities is an aspect of the job I truly love, and it’s great to see our learnings reflected in the reports. This really makes you understand the power of data. All the recommendations we offer our clients and other teams within OMG UK are fully backed by data.
Friday
Last day of the working week is all about tying up loose ends: responding to emails, finalising documents and projects, and making sure campaigns are running smoothly as we head into the weekend. For me, weekends often start with a sober event, such as meeting friends at a night café over hot beverages and a good DJ.
What advice you’d give to someone starting their career in media?
Lift other people as you rise. It is something I live by. I consider it a social responsibility to support others on their journey and leverage the privileges I have in order to help them get further.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
It came from my sister, who reminded that every time you leave a job, make sure people miss you, as that way there is always a door open for you.
By Saffana Monajed, Planner, OMG UK
