Hi there,
My name is Shaun Thaddeus and I’m pleased to be working with Avion Communications.
Just a month into my role as General Manager and I already feel part of this incredible journey. I’ve joined the Avion team to assist with marketing, sales and strategy, helping build on the superb work Avion has done to date.
Having been lucky in my career so far, I’ve worked with some amazing brands, including Mondelez International (Oreo and Cadbury), Danone, Petronas, KFC, Lotus Cars, Nestle Professional, and World Vision. I’ve also had the privilege of running my own digital agency back in Kuala Lumpur.
I’d love to share with you a few things about myself, as well as a couple of insights I gained in my short time with Avion – I hope you find them as fascinating as I have.
Highlights and key insights
From the moment I started with Avion I’ve been in fifth gear, meeting with prospective clients and existing partners. What’s struck me the most is how Avion always evolves to offer great services to clients, while staying ahead the competition.
I’m really excited to contribute what I’ve learned from my experience working in the industry. Getting mentored by strong and engaged business leaders has taught me best practice and invaluable leadership skills. So, helping to shape Avion’s future is something that I’m very much looking forward to. We’re delivering engaging, comprehensible and results-orientated content. We’re able to scale, while also remaining creative and technically competent as we get the job done. That’s impressive and quite rare!
Through a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, Avion has empowered and upskilled its staff through great internal initiatives, such as running workshops at Academy Xi. This is by no means an easy balance, and speaks volumes about the work we seek to do and how our agency values strongly align with our clients.
Best thing I’ve learnt while at Avion
Where do I begin!
I’m learning so much about AI and conversation design. It’s a steep learning curve to understand the full capability and impact that AI and voice technologies have in the market.
I’m really proud to represent an agency with experience writing for conversation design and chatbots. As conversation designers, it’s interesting to see how Avion is leveraging voice technology, where up to 50% of searches will be carried out by 2020. This creates a demand for sonic strategies, which will become part of every business’ marketing strategy.
A recent example of this type of work is our involvement with Niska Retail Robotics. Our challenge? To give voice to an ice cream-selling robot. If you’re near Federation Square, it’s definitely worth checking out the results!
Fun facts about me
- I was a former TV news presenter and radio host – I’ve interviewed a number of celebrities including Celine Dion! It was for the Drive Show back in KL.
- I love voice-over acting. Actually, it was my first introduction to creative writers. Over 15 years later, who would have thought that I’d be working with a great team of skilled writers. You can watch me on YouTube to get an idea of what I did!
- I was born into a musically inclined family. My late uncle was a gifted guitar virtuoso and was recognized by Marshall World magazine in 1973 when he was featured on its front cover – he was dubbed as the “Jimi Hendrix of the East”. I play several instruments, including keyboard and guitar. Since moving to Melbourne, I’ve played with local rock bands at some cool venues in Hawthorn, Richmond and South Yarra.
Hopefully we meet in person soon, but feel free to reach out on LinkedIn if you’ve got a creative problem that needs an equally inventive solution.
Have an excellent week!
Shaun & the Avion team
CONTENT TIPS & TRICKS
TOP TECH TRENDS DEBATE 2019: A PERSONAL AI SIDEKICK
By Avion Communications
While an artificial intelligence (AI) sidekick that helps with creative tasks and ideation might sound like science fiction – it may only be 3-5 years away. This tech could be instrumental in taking care of your critical thinking and problem-solving tasks. Technologist David King thinks this AI sidekick could help augment our own creative capabilities, and more.
HOW TO SELL TO SMALL BUSINESSES
By Gary Vaynerchuck
Gary’s direct and often in-your-face approach to marketing is the blueprint for his successful business ventures as an entrepreneur. Take note of his sage advice – it could resonate with your business!
ENTERPRISE 4.0 – A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS IN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
By Optus Business
The whole industry is talking about this right now. Digital transformation is rapidly shaking up the industry. Optus has put together this amazing report on Australia’s push towards a new digital transformation.
SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR VIDEO MARKETING CONTENT
By Christine McFetridge, Avion Communications
It’s impossible to ignore the results that video marketing has seen. How do you make sure your business or organisation is doing it, and doing it right? It starts with creating content that people want to watch.
