5 Minutes with… Adele Gibb
Adele Gibb, managing director of Carat South Australia, brought a tapestry of experience and a deep passion for the media industry to the role when she rose to the position last year.
With a journey that began in journalism, and led to work in multiple media channels and three countries over 25 years, Adele is poised to lead Carat SA into a dynamic future.
Speaking to LBB, she reflects on her career path, shares her strategic objectives, and discusses her commitment to nurturing new talent and fostering meaningful relationships within the industry. Adele’s vision for Carat SA emphasises innovation, client success, and community engagement.
She aims to foster a dynamic and enjoyable work environment at Carat SA, and is dedicated to technological advancements, client success, and nurturing new industry talent.
LBB> Have you always been a creative person, even as a child?
Adele> Yes, I always loved writing stories. When I was about eight, I ALMOST won a trip to Disneyland in a Ladybird Book writing competition. I came 2nd and won a set of books!
LBB> What inspired you to pursue a career in the media industry, and how has your journey led you to this leadership role?
Adele> I originally wanted to be a journalist. I started my media career at Channel 9 as a coordinator, with a goal to eventually end up in the newsroom. I ultimately ended up in Sales, and a client told me one day what impact the campaign I ran for her had made on her life. I was hooked, and the rest is history. 25 years later, my career has spanned many media channels and three countries. I hope I can share some of my learnings – and passion for the industry with the next generation of media talent.
LBB> As the new managing director, what are your primary objectives for Carat South Australia in terms of driving growth and delivering exceptional results for clients?
Adele> Wading through a complex and ever-changing media landscape. We need to remain at the forefront of new innovations, stay across technological advancements, and understand the implications of government privacy legislation reforms.
But amongst all this, I want our team to experience the fun of our industry. It is unlike any other in that it is incomparably fast-paced, and the speed at which we are required to learn is lightning-fast. We also do great things for our clients, the community, and our media partners and great joy can be found in this.
LBB> Given your extensive sales and client partnerships background, how do you plan to leverage these skills to strengthen Carat's position in the South Australian market?
Adele> I truly believe in strong, mutually beneficial relationships with the media. I have experienced firsthand that by negotiating through understanding and respect, we can deliver better, well-executed, and cultivated results for our clients.
LBB> Given your experience developing cross-platform solutions, how do you envision Carat SA adapting to the changing media consumption habits of South Australian audiences?
Adele> Knowing each channel's role and focusing on where it sits in the marketing funnel is critical to ensuring we maximise results. We know the landscape is changing, and we must stay on top of these changes. We have many clients looking more closely at performance-based media, as naturally, it is seemingly easier to see results through click-through and conversion. But whilst performance media plays an important role in driving action, we cannot lose focus on creating salience through brand.
LBB> How do you plan to foster and maintain strong relationships with clients and media partners to ensure long-term success for Carat SA?
Adele> This is a real passion point for me. I believe in transparency and strong and regular communication. For example, I regularly share dentsu’s thought leadership work, so media partners can better understand how we make decisions around strategy and plan media. We have been doing this for a while and will continue to do so throughout the year.
LBB> As media consumption shifts towards digital platforms, what strategies do you have in place to integrate digital solutions effectively into Carat SA's media planning and buying services?
Adele> Our teams all understand the media mix for each client, and often the best offline solutions come from our online specialists, and vice versa. We educate clients where possible on Digital creative best practices, are often the first adopters of beta tests for our clients, and we aren’t afraid to experiment and optimise accordingly. And we don’t operate in silos. Whilst we have specialists in each area, our teams have a broad generalised knowledge of all media.
LBB> What sets Carat SA apart from other media agencies in South Australia, and how do you plan to differentiate the agency further under your leadership?
Adele> I have great respect for the other agencies within Adelaide, as I am passionate about South Australia, and I believe our local industry delivers gold-standard service. For me, leadership is about ME working for the team – not the other way around. Everyone on our team is encouraged to have a voice – I don’t profess to have all the answers, and I choose to lead with vulnerability and authenticity. I believe in offering a nurturing and flexible workplace that accommodates working patterns that adapt to each of our team on an individual level.
LBB> With your focus on developing new talent for the industry, what initiatives do you plan to implement at Carat SA to nurture and empower the next generation of media professionals?
Adele> I love nothing more than attracting new talent to our industry. In the last year, we have added three brand-new team members.
It's exciting to see their knowledge and passion grow. For us more experienced media professionals, I believe we are responsible for bringing new talent to the industry from a wide range of sources. I’m not a fan of poaching talent from other agencies – I'd rather encourage an environment where the right people come to us at the right time. I'm proud of how we have been the launchpad for many new marketers.
LBB> What excites you most about Carat South Australia's future, and how do you see the agency contributing to the growth and success of both its clients and the local community?
Adele> Last year alone, we raised around $5k for charities such as Hutt Street, SIDS, and Cancer Council SA, among others – these are fundraisers that our own Culture Club initiated. I love that our team has heart – and looks to find ways to give back wherever possible. We also recognise and support our clients in these endeavours. Whilst we love doing great media work, the team are great people, and their energy and passion for delivering excellence shines beyond an Excel spreadsheet.
LBB> What trends in the region do you expect to see take off in the next year?
Adele> It’s always a risk answering these as I don’t have a crystal ball, but we are experiencing a thirst for information around AI – a bit of a buzzword at the moment. At this present moment, I want to ensure our clients are well-positioned for the inevitable demise of cookies.
LBB> If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be and why?
Adele> I'd love to live in a world where we could take a step back from emails, teams, and other channels that can sometimes feel overwhelming. I fondly remember the early days of my career, when so much great work was delivered without a dependence on being online all the time.
I'm not suggesting we bring back the fax machine – but I think so much more of our communication could be verbal or, better yet – face-to-face!
