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Beyond the Desk: Victoria Waite, Associate Media Director of Paid Social

19/10/2022
Media Agency
London, UK
183
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dentsu X sits down with Victoria from the US to chat about her passions, proudest accomplishment and what powers the dentsu X experience

Welcome to Beyond the Desk by dentsu X, a series designed to dive into the people, passions, and talents that make the agency so special.

For October’s edition, we hear from Victoria Waite, an associate media director. Learn more about how Victoria has incorporated a travel lifestyle into her role and her insights on what makes dentsu X unique in the Q&A interview below.


Q> What is your favourite aspect of dentsu X?

Victoria> Honestly, my favourite aspect is the ability to work from anywhere. This is the reason I joined dentsu X in the first place. My husband and I were living in a tiny downtown Chicago apartment during the pandemic and after everything we asked ourselves, do we want our work to dictate our lives, or do we want our work to support the lives we desire? I convinced my partner to quit his job to pursue his own companies, and we travelled in an RV with our dog, Ada, for about a year in efforts to find a new spot to call home. We've since landed in the beautiful land of Raleigh, NC.


Q> How would you describe your job to a child?

Victoria> I love this question because no matter how old someone is, I always need to explain my job in the same way. I start off by saying, you know when you're scrolling through Instagram, and you see something cool that you want? I lead a team that makes those ads for people like you.


Q> What was your first job and what was the most important skill/lesson you learned?

Victoria> My first professional job was working in a telemarketing call centre. I know, very glamorous. My boss was aware that working at a call centre wasn't necessarily my life's goal. She did everything in her power to learn about my aspirations and then craft opportunities for me to practice. She challenged me in two primary ways. First, she pushed me to avoid getting overwhelmed by getting organized. And second, she taught me that no matter the environment, I should find ways to sharpen the skills I’ll need down the road. And, when given the honour, to make opportunities for others to do the same. And because of her, I will never forget to do so. 


Q> Tell us about an accomplishment you're most proud of during your time at dentsu X?

Victoria> I am just wildly proud of my team. Amidst a lot of turnover in 2021, our senior manager and I built a stellar team who harnessed deconstructing agency hierarchy, championing excellence, and practicing radical collaboration in order to take our clients to new heights. To give you a small glimpse, I saw our senior associate help our senior manager write purposeful insights when I had to pull her into a business that she had no experience with. And then at the turn of a dime, when we needed to implement DCM tags for the very first time, our associate spent hours screen sharing with me as we figured out the logistics. We functioned like a dance team, each moving in lockstep, holding each other up high. Thankfully our retention skyrocketed. My second accomplishment that I am proud of is that I was fortunate to partner with stakeholders across all my client's line of businesses to form a joint meta-architecture and launch plan. Nothing makes me happier than taking brands into new innovative spaces where their paid media makes tangible impact on their business goals.


Q> How has your career evolved since you first joined Dentsu X?

Victoria> I started my journey at dentsu X as an associate director of paid social and my role and responsibilities have expanded greatly since then. I’ve been fortunate to have experience across a number of clients and categories and gain unique knowledge from each. 


Q> What makes the company culture at dentsu X unique?

Victoria> One of the unique distinguishing factors of dentsu X, and one that I find strong resonance with, is the company’s commitment to making this world a better place. Folks like Deva Bronson, the EVP of Brand Assurance champion this value. Brand Assurance covers the traditional ad verification safety, but she has absolutely expanded this realm to include fair and equitable investment standards and buying principles. So, not only was dentsu the first in our industry to become powered by 100% renewable energy back in 2020, but we've set the goal of becoming a net zero emissions business by 2030. And it's leaders like Deva who are committed to using dentsu's influence to take authentic, real action, creating a legacy of change makers. Investing in resources and key legacy-altering initiatives like this inspires me to really be a champion for good through media. And I hope as a new member of the Social Innovations Council, I can get my hands dirty, making key diversity equity and inclusion initiatives like this very tangible.


Q> Dentsu X is powered by ____

Victoria> Revolutionaries.

We are a team of Thinkers, Makers and Doers – committed to defying convention and creating unparalleled experiences for brands. Interested in learning more? Check out the denstu X LinkedIn page here.

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