On My Radar: Cameron Hulett

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

The film Guardians of the Galaxy is a campaign that has really stood out for me recently. Using a combination of parallax scrolling and high-impact was an impressive combination that did not overwhelm the consumer. Effective audience engagement is critical for great advertising.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

I find myself coming back to the same sites a lot but my most frequented sites/apps are: LinkedIn, Amazon and TED.

Not only are they significant players within my work, but they also unlock inspiration when needed.

Shopping on the likes of Amazon has never been easier too – who doesn’t love their ‘one-click’ service and I’m really interested in the innovative way they are engaging with their consumers.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

We bought Fitbits for everyone at Undertone so we could get a better understanding of wearables. Despite being a fairly early-adopter of most tech, and very interested in the wearable technology development, I just don’t use it.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

For the most part, I find myself drawn to functional apps that simplify my life, rather than complicate it. For instance, I love the practicality of online banking on the go. In fact, my favourite apps are just my favourite websites. I’m a minimalist to the core.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

I tried to de-clutter my life once my two kids came along, so we don’t actually have a television at home. However, we recently started using Connected TV to stream movies once a week as a way to relax.  

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

It is not a mainstream pick, but I have always loved Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful. It will fill you with a passion for life. Every time I come back to it I’m struck by the importance of imagination in our lives.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Earlier this year I was reading about the Internet of Things and I had a light bulb moment thinking about the huge explosion of data we are seeing from smart objects and wearables. Once this technology becomes deeply imbedded in our lives, I predict that literally everything we use will be connected.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

The emergence of real-time bidding (RTB) has come as a bit of a shock to a lot of people in the industry who predicted it wasn’t possible. Interestingly, RTB now dominates the field and has changed the face of digital media and is continuing to so, it’s exiting to think what the future might hold.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

Compared to most industries, I think advertising has always been the Wild West with regards to measurement and performance. The result has been an industry rife with fraud and misselling. Ideally, I would love to see better tools for measurement.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

Working in multiple countries has had a huge impact on my career. I have tried to take the best from every culture I’ve worked in from Europe, to North America, to Asia, to South Africa. Unfortunately, it’s taken me until very recently to pair up with a specific mentor, but I’m really looking forward to seeing its effect on my career. 

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know…

In my 20s I was a qualified ski instructor in Austria.