Ad land’s Young Guns: Mitchelle Rozario Jansen, WATConsult

Mitchelle Rozario Jansen is a Senior Account Manager with WATConsult. With over 5 years of experience in the field of Digital Media Marketing, she has worked on various B2C and B2B brands like SAP India & APJ, Open Magazine, Mahindra Motorcycles, Home Centre, Asahi Glass, Piramal and Croma, among others, and has been part of several award-winning campaigns. 

Prior to working with WATConsult, she was an IT journalist for 2 years, writing features, case-studies and blogs for leading online portals. She has a Journalism Degree from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. 

She maintains a personal blog and has recited one of her pieces at the Mumbai Literature Fest in November 2013. She is an avid reader and a Twitter influencer as well. 

What does it takes to climb up the ladder in advertising? Here’s Mitchelle Rozario Jansen in her own words... 

How did you get into the role you are serving?
I’d be lying if I said not many have heard this story. Ask my team and they’d probably recite it verbatim. Digital happened to me because I willed it. Sometimes in life you realise what you want, when you’re given what you don’t need. 

I have a degree in Journalism from St. Xavier’s college, Mumbai and worked as an IT reporter for an online portal for 2 years. I got an offer from a competitor, better pay, better position, the likes and that is when I realised I may have been a decent reporter, but it’s not what I wanted for myself in the long run. 

My best friend at the time was into Social Media and he thought I had the knack for it. So, I took the plunge, I resigned from my job and applied for an executive’s job at WATConsult. Best. Decision. Ever. 

What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table?
It’s not what I have, but what I don’t that makes the difference. I do not have an advertising background, and that has proven to be very rewarding. While most people get caught up in the commercialisation game, I, on the other hand, like any half-decent journalist, love a good story. 

I know the power of words, I know how it can make or break a campaign, and I understand the potential it holds to shape the minds of billions we try to reach out to. 

It’s a huge responsibility we shoulder, every small piece of content that goes up on the internet holds huge significance. It’s all about making it count. 

One campaign that you have worked on that you are particularly proud of? Please take us through the making of the campaign.
From a 140-character tweet to a 360-degree campaign, I’m proud of every single piece of work that I have worked on. It’s the fruit of team effort, all the joys, the laughter, the long nights, the silly fights, all of it put together by a team of awesome people, over the years. 

But there’s one campaign that has been and will always be close to my heart, and it was a WATConsult initiative, which makes me even more proud of being part of this organisation – It’s called: #ThatsMyGirl. 

Why am I proud of it? Because this campaign made a real difference. It was a tweet-to-donate campaign and through its success we could support the education of 363 girls for a year. 

In our fast paced, digital world, as William Henry Davies puts it, “We have no time to stand and stare”. But we do have time to put out that tweet, and if that can make a difference, it’s getting easier by the minute to make this world a better place. 

While working on the creatives how do you prepare yourself? What goes on in your mind?
Over the years, I’ve learnt that not all creatives end up being a replica of what we envisioned. More often than not it is lost in creative translation. 

But the creatives that do come out stunning are the ones where we spend 70 per cent of our time on preparation and planning and research and 30 per cent on execution. The bigger your goals the stronger the foundation will have to be. 

Icons in advertising you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work?
My work has largely been influenced by those I’ve been closely associated with over the last 7 years. My Chief Editor at my previous job taught me the importance of grammar and punctuations (Which can make or break a brand today). 

My mentors here at WATConsult have taught me everything I know about Digital. My team members have taught me that there’s so much to learn from those around us, you’ve just got to be open to it. 

And lastly, I owe a lot to books. I found the love for reading very late in life, but that hasn’t stopped me from learning as much as I can. Books have taught me lessons in personal growth, leadership, or just life in general. 

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?

• I read.
• I pray.
• I listen to music.
• I practice sarcasm.
• I believe in the magical power of To-Do lists.

Do you think a career in advertising is a viable one in the long term?
I would happily go back to the Ex-Journo-Now-A-Digital-Media-Junkie Story, but don’t think that would be necessary. Yes, I risked my career in journalism to be here, and advertising isn’t going anywhere. 

What does it take to succeed in a career like advertising?
Keep the ‘I’ away from the Idea. And put the customer into the picture. Products don’t sell. Emotions/ stories do. 

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry?
To the millennials who are spoilt with instant gratification, this isn’t for you. This is not the job for those who think that it’s all hunky dory. No, my friend. This is business, this is real, and if you’re not ready for the raw deal, then a 9 to 5 should suit you just fine. 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Hopefully, I see myself just as passionate as the 22-year-old who left behind what was given to her, to grab what she really wanted. 

Is there any agency/ organisation that you would like to work with in the future?
It’s not really about an agency or an organisation as much as it is about the people in them. I will always work for a place where there are passionate people, who believe in what they do. And I will always work for a place where I get to learn and grow and teach.