As part of an ongoing series highlighting young talent in the industry, Branding in Asia presents “One Under 30” – a special feature that focuses on up-and-coming talent in the ad world, one person at a time.
This week we talk to Natassa Gunarso, Associate Partner, Planning at Wavemaker in Indonesia.
Over the course of our conversation, she talks about how she got her first break in the industry, what she loves about the work, what she doesn’t like about it, and more.
The Basics
Name: Natassa Gunarso
Age: 29
Agency: Wavemaker Indonesia
Position: Associate Partner, Planning
Hometown: Semarang, Indonesia
Current Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Education: Northumbria University, Bachelor of Arts, 2013
Seven Questions
How did you get your first break in the industry?
My dream, when I was in high school, was to work in a magazine company, it is where all the trends are from and where everyone gets the latest information from. Soon after graduating with a Mass Communication major, I searched for any work related to media, thinking that it will land me in publication houses or media houses, but it landed me in a media agency. I got into one of Indonesia’s top agency’s management trainee programs and it was my first step toward knowing, end to end, how a media agency works.
What is your personal mantra?
“Just keep learning” is my mantra.
Just like Dory in Finding Nemo; pushing through the ocean of challenges by keep swimming.
Often times we feel pressured because of new clients, new challenges or even new positions assigned, but I tried to shift my mind into thinking that this is something new that will enrich my knowledge and decision-making in the future and I believe no harm in knowing more.
Just take the learning one step at a time and before you know it, you passed through all of those challenges with the help of those new learnings.
From what person, place or thing have you drawn your greatest creative inspiration?
My whole team currently is my biggest inspiration, to see a bunch of people working together and all of them have the same drive to become better motivates and inspires me every day.
What do you love about the job?
In a media agency, there is rarely a dull moment. Every day you will get new challenges in this digital era, new social media launches every now and then, new e-commerce platforms emerging every month, new ways of targeting, new product launches.. my life is filled with “new” word every day.
What about your job are you not so crazy about?
While having something new everyday is such an adrenaline driver but it does create exhaustion when everything comes all at once (not rare). Then it becomes another challenge on avoiding burnout in this rapidly changing industry.
What is some work you’ve done that you’re most proud of?
One of the most rewarding projects for me was the launch of Garnier Green Beauty Campaign in Indonesia where it challenges every knowledge that I have as the sole objective is to collect as much waste as possible to be recycled – not awareness not sales, waste.
The campaign ended up receiving national & regional awards across various awarding sessions, and yes we achieved the huge waste goal that we aimed for at 100 Tons in 2021.
It is really rewarding for me not only to be able to crack this campaign’s unique brief, but also I feel like I contributed to the world’s betterment.
If you had to choose another career what would it be?
I would want to be a baker! I always say this whenever I see those cake creation videos, in another life I would want to make beautiful cakes for the rest of my life.
Maybe it has something to do with the inner foodie in me.
