“I don’t feel like I’ve started yet.”
An induction into a hall of fame usually signals a time for reflection. But for author, ad executive, TV presenter and now 3AW presenter Russel Howcroft, the ‘power of ideas’ is simply driving him on.
Howcroft was yesterday inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame. The 58-year-old has spent decades at the top in advertising and media, and more recently prominent on ABC’s The Gruen Transfer and as one half of 3AW’s number one breakfast show, where he has just re-signed for another four years.
When asked what he attributes his 30 years of advertising and media success to, Howcroft notes two things: a sense of barely having started yet and his mother.
When asked what he attributes his 30 years of advertising and media success to, Howcroft notes two things: a sense of barely having started yet and his mother.
“I don’t feel like I’ve started yet. A sense of I haven’t even started yet maybe contributes to it,” he told 9news.com.au.
“And my mother. She has a generous spirit and she attacks everyday with vigour and vim.”
Howcroft tries to attack every day in the same way.
But the underlying passion for Howcroft and his career is the interest in how society works.
“I’m interested in the power of ideas, having a broad point of view about media, the role of ideas, how the money flow works, how all these things influence how we generally operate as a society,” he said.
“This is the big subject matter I’ve always enjoyed.”
This influenced Howcroft’s enjoyment as a panellist on the Gruen Transfer as it approaches the “good, bad and ugly of advertising and how it impacts us all”.
“The bigger picture and broader analysis is something I’ve always been interested in,” he said.
It is easy to be stumped when asked what your key career highlights or stand-out memories are so Howcroft references the advertising idea of recency where you’re in the market to buy something and the brand you have seen most recently is highly considered.
Therefore the stand out for Howcroft today was clearly being inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame on Thursday night.
”So the thing that has stood out most recently is I was put in the hall of fame,” Howcroft laughs.
Other career highlights Howcroft mentioned include 3AW breakfast winning an AACTA, Gruen Transfer winning a Logie, and winning an agency of the year award.
But it isn’t just winning awards for Howcroft: The Million Dollar Vax campaign he co-headed in 2021 was more than just advertising, it had a greater impact on Australian society.
“We gave away $1 million to someone who was randomly selected who was vaccinated during the October period,” he explained.
“We can prove that we sped up the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Australia.
“For me, that’s advertising working at its best.”
Howcroft said although pride is not an attribute we should aspire to, that campaign he is deeply proud of it.
“We did that very quickly with some amazing philanthropy,” he said.
“We increased first dose vaccination by 9.8 per cent around the country. The promotion rate was bigger than the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion.
“That to me is indicative of what you can do when you get advertising right.”
Over 30 years, Howcroft has seen it all but the most significant change in the advertising and media industry is the complexity.
“When I say it was easy, that’s a little unfair, but it was pretty easy,” he said.
“The simplicity of making a TV commercial and putting it on air and everyone saw it that is no longer the case.
“On the media side, there was a different form of power. All media has been disaggregated and advertising has as well.”
Howcroft said it is far more difficult to find the audience now as it breaks into different groups from video on demand to social media.
“It is far more difficult to find an aggregated audience because in the end that’s the game,” he said.
Now 3AW is his focus where again he feels he “has just started” and a place that fulfils his love of ideas – an “idea factory” he calls the radio station.
“It’s been two-and-a-half years but it has been so interesting and yes I feel I have just started but there is plenty more to do there,” he said.
“There is an incredible legacy to be protected and hopefully plenty of growth to come.”
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