“Back Yourself!” Former 30 Under 30 Winner Helen Hey On Nabbing The Gold

It’s the new year and we’re back with another 30 Under 30 winner from 2013 to shed some light on the wide world of adland!

This time we have Helen Hey, who was the marketing communications manager at Audi Australia when she snagged her gong, and now she’s the managing director for mar-tech start-up Get Cheddar.

Hey’s got quite a wealth of experience and knowledge about the industry so read on for some nuggets of gold.

B&T: What category did you apply for?

Helen Hey: Marketer.

B&T: What inspired you to apply?

HH: B&T are a reputable marketing magazine that I’d been reading as I started my career and the prospect of being recognised by a publication like that felt like a big achievement.

B&T: In the short term, how did winning the award impact your career?

HH: It’s great recognition of your achievements particularly so early in your career. So at the time, it felt like a boost, and now looking back, it feels like a milestone achievement.

B&T: How did it impact your career long-term?

HH: I think the impact was less about the award directly and more about the validation and helping me grow my belief in myself.

B&T: Have you applied for any adland awards since 30 Under 30? If so, how did your experience with 30 Under 30 influence this?

HH: My career has taken a couple of different twists since then and I’m not directly in the Adland industry anymore. But winning 30 under 30 when I did gave me the confidence to search out what I was looking for, which has so far led me to becoming the managing director of a mar-tech start-up.

B&T: What’s something you particularly like about how adland has changed over the past decade?

HH: Slowly, increasingly more inclusivity and diversity, particularly amongst more senior roles

B&T: Where does adland still have room for improvement?

HH: Further evolution of inclusivity and diversity – expanding beyond gender to capture other dimensions of inclusivity and diversity such as socio economic backgrounds.
I have a bias towards data and insights, but I feel like the reliance on research led ads is decoupled from impactful creative inspiration. The type of ads that used to stir the soul and become cultural phenomena aren’t as prevalent as they once were. I think there’s a world where both can exist.

B&T: What message do you have for this year’s entrants?

HH: Back yourself!

Get started on your entry HERE, as the deadline for submissions (Friday, 27 January 2023) will be here before you know it. You can download the criteria for each category HERE.

However, you MUST be under the age of 30 on the day of the event (Wednesday 29 March) to be in the running. So, be sure to include your ID and profile photo with your entry.

Oh, and please save your entry in a Word doc in case so many of you jump onto the awards portal that it crashes. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

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30 under 30 Get Cheddar Helen Hey