Women in the Industry: Jureeporn Thaidumrong

Jureeporn ‘Judee’ Thaidumrong is among the industry’s most awarded creatives. She claims to have loved advertising since the age of six, and has since worked her way through Grey, Y&R, Leo Burnett, DDB, Ogilvy’s Results, where she worked alongside Neil French, Saatchi & Saatchi and McCann Erickson to set up one of Thailand’s - and Asia’s - most progressive agencies, JEH United.

The year after founding JEH, Thaidumrong was named Creative of the Year by Media; that same year, her agency was ranked as the 18th most awarded in the world in the Gunn Report. JEH’s first campaign, Smooth E’s ‘Love Story’, won at three major regional awards shows, as well as a gold Cannes Lion.

A graduate of Chulalongkorn University, Thaidumrong does not believe that women in Asia are at a disadvantage in advertising, particularly compared with the US or Europe. Her track record suggests she is living proof.

How did you get into the advertising industry?

I have always liked watching TV commercials. My interest started there and after graduating from university (where I studied marketing and economics), I decided to look for a career in advertising. I entered a lot of student competitions. But at that time, before the tom yang kung crisis, it wasn’t so difficult to get into advertising. Now it is much more competitive in Thailand.

Who was your career inspiration?

I was already inspired before I started by watching TV commercials. But most of them at the time were produced by Leo Burnett, so the creative director was a big inspiration. Since getting into the industry, there have been many people, in particular Neil French and David Droga.

What is your advertising philosophy?

I think that advertising is the art of psychology: how to talk to people, how to convince them. I always have this in mind when I am trying to create something.

Why aren’t there more women at the top in advertising?

Nowadays I see more and more women at the top. But advertising is still very competitive. It takes a lot of dedication, and a large part of your life to do it well. Creative people are creative whether they are men or women. But a lot of women feel at a certain point that it’s not worth it - that it’s just too draining - so they leave advertising to find more balance in life.

Is the industry doing enough to attract female talent?

I get applications everyday from both men and women who want to have a career in advertising, but women tend to go into client service, while men are more attracted to the creative department. Apart from the time investment, one reason is that for someone with no experience, it is easier to get into client service.

What advice would you give to young women looking to advance their careers in advertising?

From both a male and female perspective, you have to want to be very good at what you do; to live your working life to the fullest, and to look for opportunities—not obstacles—as they present themselves. You have to believe there is nothing you can’t do unless you don’t want to do it, and try to do your best work on every brief so that you feel proud when you look back on it.

What was your biggest challenge in 2009?

It’s been five years since I started my little company, and last year was time to move forward by making senior strategic and creative hires. This was one challenge. The other was finding new office space. The whole year I had my eye on a dream space with a swimming pool and lawn; it was hard to find, but we found it and moved in a few weeks ago.

And your biggest achievement?

Having found the new office! It was very important for us because we work every minute of the day. We use our brains a lot so it’s very important to work in a good environment. When a brief is difficult, I look around and if there is a green tree outside and water with wind blowing the surface, it helps. Then I feel relaxed, and good ideas come. I was very happy to move-more than when I win awards. Awards are nice, but then you put it aside and move onto the next job; but a place can inspire people, and a good office space will benefit us for years to come.

What are your expectations for 2010?

It’s time to produce a new batch of creative work. I want to explore more new media and technology. We have a new digital department and are going to expand into interactive media and animation. This is just the beginning.