Keitha Oliver's Pepper-fied journey

BAVINA SOOKDEO

Forty-year-old Keitha Oliver, the general manager at Pepper Advertising, has carved a path of success that began with a leap of faith and a bold cover letter.

Eight years ago, Oliver found herself unemployed, scrolling through social media, when an ad from Pepper Advertising caught her eye.

The agency’s quirky style and the memory of an encounter with Dennis Ramdeen (who started Pepper Advertising) and Liliana Ragbir-Sookaran during a presentation at Arthur Lok Jack when Oliver was doing a master's in marketing drew her in.

The cover letter she sent in response to the ad reflected her personality, humour and passion for meaningful work.

Reflecting on the journey on which the cover letter took her, Oliver said, “I knew I didn’t want to waste away in a job that felt like a chore.”

With the support of her mother, she left a job that was detrimental to her mental health and took a risk that would change the trajectory of her career.

Oliver’s initial interview experience at Pepper was a turning point. She felt a sense of comfort, describing it as being "at ease.”

Over the past eight years, Oliver has gone from an account executive at Pepper to senior account executive, team lead – client services and eventually general manager.

In an interview with Business Day, she emphasised the agency’s hands-on approach, thanks to its boutique size and the collective effort by the team to achieve the goal.

“Amidst all the excitement though, one of the key things I’ve learned is to treat people like people,” she added, saying kindness, humility and empathy go a long way.

Fostering a positive team environment is crucial to Oliver. Drawing a parallel with cooking a good callaloo, she highlighted the importance of blending different personalities and talents. Open communication, trust and regular team hangouts contribute to the collaborative culture at Pepper.

Addressing the challenges in the advertising industry, Oliver acknowledged the impact of digital marketing and emphasised Pepper’s commitment to staying ahead.

“Back in 2010, Pepper was one of the first agencies to embrace social media marketing,” she said. “We continue to deepen our digital marketing knowledge and expertise by becoming Google-certified and honing our marketing automation and lead management skills as a SharpSpring Silver Partner – we’re the only agency in TT with this certification.

"This year, we also launched two new digital services – Contest Guys, which digitises the management of entry form contests, and Email Guys, which is solely focused on building long-term relationships with brands’ consumers through e-mail marketing.”

Oliver believes in the power of continuous learning for young professionals entering the advertising industry. She advises them to embrace various resources, from formal courses to blogs and podcasts, to enhance their skills.

Asked about her thoughts on the industry’s future, Oliver emphasised the growing importance of mobile-first strategies.

“Mobile can no longer be an afterthought or a resize of the press ad," she said. “We need to start creating content designed specifically for mobile from the start.”

Does she think there are areas where the advertising industry can improve or innovate?

“Locally, I think we can improve by closer relating advertising goals to overall business objectives and by making decisions based on data. Now, getting some of the data, that’s another challenge on its own…”

On her vision for Pepper, Oliver said, “That we keep doing exactly what we’ve been doing for the past 18 years. That is, continuing to learn, grow, adapt to the market, try new things, fail fast, and, above all, treat our people with dignity and respect.”

She expressed excitement about the agency’s recent launches, which aim to provide specialised services to clients.

“Both services will utilise the SharpSpring marketing automation and CRM platform, with whom Pepper has partnered since 2018. This proprietary software ensures that digital marketing and sales efforts are personalised and synchronised.

"The launch of Email Guys and Contest Guys is our acknowledgement that our agency must be more specialised. We are building deeper capability on things that matter to our clients, by making investments in training and technology, to bring unique value to our clients’ businesses.”

Asked how she maintains a work-life balance and what advice she could offer others in similar roles, Oliver laughed, “Is there such a thing?”

She said sometimes the pendulum swings heavily from one side to the other, but generally she sets targets and boundaries and sticks to them as best as she can.

"I go so far as to put down time in my calendar so it’s blocked off in advance.

"Do I always stick to it? Nope, but at least I’m mindful that it’s time to take a break.

"Sometimes the best ideas come when you're just chilling and not actively thinking about work.

"With all the different ways to contact people now, we definitely feel the pressure to be always on. I try my best not to pass that on to the team. If someone gets a weekend call from me, it has to be, ‘house on fire.’ Although we don’t always feel that way in the heat of the moment,most times, most things can in fact wait until Monday.

"For leaders, it’s also not only important but helpful to delegate. This is something I still struggle with, but I’m getting better at it. It not only frees you up for other tasks, but it gives the person you delegate an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Oliver said one of her most memorable moments at Pepper was winning the Golden Pepper, "which is our version of employee of the year, in my first year. Not so much for the title, but that inner satisfaction of knowing that your efforts aren’t going unnoticed and that the company values you for what you bring to the team.

"Because I didn’t have agency experience coming into the job, I had a lot of learning to do. It felt good to know that I fit into the Pepper puzzle and was adding value to the overall picture."

For those facing economic hardships, Oliver, who has experienced joblessness herself, encourages taking risks and leveraging one’s talents.

“Don’t sit on your talents or give them away for free,” she advises. “I often quote Merle Hodge (her novel, Crick, Crack, Monkey): 'Who don't ask don't want; who don't want don't get.'

"You won’t know whether something will work unless you give it a try. If you could cook, sew, braid – whatever it is, that could be your way to make a living.”