Before he could vote, drive or down a pint, Andrew Knowles was working tirelessly to lay the foundations for a fruitful career; one that would see him everywhere, from the music and fashion industries to France and the Cannes Lions festival.
While initially learning the ropes at a music management start-up, and a stint with Network 10 as a communications executive – honing his craft on beloved shows such as Gogglebox and Studio 10 – Knowles would eventually team with industry stalwart, Neil Shoebridge, to co-found communications strategy firm, Shoebridge Knowles Media Group in May 2018.
Since the firm’s inception, Knowles has barely paused for breath, helping his business acquire top clients such as Seven West Media and ARIA. However, that didn’t stop this communications whizz-kid from claiming a coveted 30 Under 30 Award last year for his outstanding work in PR.
With the early-bird entry gates to this year’s B&T 30 Under 30 Awards set to close this Friday 4 February, we caught up with Knowles to see how life’s been since his big win, his take on young people’s role in media communications, and why you have nothing to lose by entering yourself in this year’s competition.
B&T: You’ve obviously achieved so much in such a short amount of time, but how has your career changed since winning a 30 Under 30 award for PR?
AK: There have been plenty of conversations with exciting client leads. And even if they’re not prospective clients, there’s been some fantastic people to talk to and to learn from, just from getting the award.
It was a really pleasant surprise. We’re only three years in and typically we don’t go to many awards. So, going to this one and seeing that recognition for something you built off your own back was really cool and really humbling.
The awards themselves are a great opportunity for any up-and-comer. To be seen by the industry and open up doors to some great conversations with industry leaders [is] always helpful when you’re running your own business
You’ve previously been involved in other youth-oriented industries such as music and fashion. But for the media communications industry, why is it so important to champion young people?
It’s critical. As tacky as it sounds, they’re the future of the industry. You need young people who are given the time to convey their own opinion, who are given the respect and the autonomy to hone their craft from a really young age, as opposed to just working in the mailroom.
I think it’s really important to make young people think about themselves and their career trajectory and what they’re doing early on, [and] how they can bring value to the conversation or bring opinions forward that are gonna make a difference to the business.
We [SKMG] are lucky we’re a small business and everyone in the room with us has their own voice and brings their own opinion to the table. I couldn’t do what I do if we didn’t have that diversity of ideas and opinions.
What motivated you to enter the 30 Under 30 Awards in the first place?
When I was in music – I would have been 19 or 20 – I remember working for a small startup, and we’d just signed our first big act that had a couple of million plays on Soundcloud. Just as it was blowing up, someone we were dealing with in the States got listed on a music ‘30 Under 30’, and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing. I was like, ‘Damn, he’s 24 and he’s getting recognised!’
I remember thinking, ‘I hope that one day I do something that would warrant entering one of these competitions’. It was in the back of my head from then. Obviously, B&T is the only magazine that recognises 30 Under 30 in media in Australia, so it was the obvious choice. It was exciting to finally have something to enter with!
Your professional life is obviously still flourishing, but what are you most proud of so far in your career?
It’s a bit of a general answer, but having this business [SKMG] is the thing I’m most proud of. In three-and-a-half-years we’ve got a business that’s doing really well. We’ve got some fantastic clients and we’ve been able to sign some of the biggest media and entertainment brands in the country.
I’m [also] lucky I’ve managed to go to Cannes Lions twice now and do some great work there. In my first year starting this business, we signed APN Outdoor, and they were the representative of Cannes Lions. So, three weeks after starting the business, I was already in the south of France, interviewing some of the world’s leading CMOs on behalf of APN and the Australian coverage. That was getting thrown in the deep end! My project actually got ranked third-best in the world [by the festival itself]. I’m pretty proud of that.
There have been heaps of left-of-field, unexpected, amazing things that have come across and I’m proud to say we spearheaded what we have. We’re in a really exciting space for the company, we’re getting bigger and better.
Any words of wisdom for those under 30s currently thinking of entering the awards?
Just do it. What have you got to lose? It’s a great opportunity. Find what you can do that matters, at a community level. I saw a lot of entrants that were doing some amazing stuff in this space. It’s [also] a nice chance to reflect on some of the stuff you’ve done. When you fill out those answers you go, ‘I did that! Cool!’
Get started on your entry HERE, as the deadline for submissions (Friday 4 February 2022) 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 (Thursday 31 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!
The 30 Under 30 Awards, presented by Vevo, are widely regarded as the leading showcase for the brightest young talent working across marketing communications.
Three outstanding individuals will be recognised for their achievements in each of the 10 categories, as well as a Grand Prix award for the most influential individual overall.
You can find all the details on the awards right here and, to avoid disappointment, we highly recommend gathering your crew and securing your spots at the 30 Under 30 Awards night by purchasing early bird tickets (your bank account will thank you later).
