Career talks: Meet Tramaine Teo, a social media veteran with a bucket list

Tramaine Teo, I am happy to have the first interview with you in this series of interviews about careers. You have an impressive career in the advertisement industry, assuming many roles in different cities around the world. We will get into all of that but first I have to ask you. Is there a reason that you don’t have a profile picture for your LinkedIn profile??

Tramaine: HAH! Good question – well, I do have a profile picture, it’s just… not a portrait picture that is usually expected of other similar professionals. And the main reason for that is – I want to stand out. I like to stand out. I work in social media and by definition, I should be #trending. So, that’s why. ?

Fadi: Let’s start with your current role as a Social Media Strategist for Greenhouse in Amsterdam. You moved to the Netherlands from Singapore last year to assume this role. How did the move go? Are you happy about this transition? What triggered it??

Tramaine: Well, when we packed our bags to leave Singapore, we were still unsure if it was going to be a break for a few months, or something more permanent. I didn’t have my VISA confirmed (yet – yikes!), but all we know was we wanted to get out, to get a breath of fresh air. We spent 2 years in Singapore during the COVID19 pandemic and it was starting to frustrate us. The borders were opening up and we could just take a trip but, I think the pandemic showed us that it was time, time to explore! On top of that, I was showing signs of a potential burnout and so regardless, we decided as a couple, to take a chance!

The move was pretty smooth and this is because of 2 things – (i) my boyfriend is Dutch and so any barriers to understanding the local culture, language and getting things done were easily resolved and (ii) the Dutch government is superbly organised – everything from where to get information, what forms, who to speak to, where to make appointments etc, are all available online or via WhatsApp. They honestly make it straight forward for foreigners! However this is not the same as “easy” or “simple”, because there are still pre-requisites and regulations that you will need to fulfil. I am extremely happy with the transition and I absolutely love the Netherlands! The language can be a challenge but you will be amazed at how easily the Dutch switch between English and Dutch, so communication really isn’t an issue. I could speak for hours on the move and the transition and how things are now, but let’s leave that for another day ;)

As for my role in Greenhouse, I couldn't be happier with the work we do and the company I'm with. They walk the talk and genuinely support the teams in personal and career development. I'm onto my 5th month here at the agency and I am looking forward to what the next 5 months will bring! I guess in Europe we embody the "we work to live" mentality and truly invest in a work/life balance. There are compromises of course and so at the end of the day, with any move, you have to ask yourself, what is it that you want?

Fadi: The Social Media landscape is changing every day. In the past year TikTok emerged as a driving force and Instagram Reels became big. How do you stay up to date with the changes??

Tramaine: Read. I read, a lot. And talk to people around you!?It is still almost impossible to be on top of all the changes because as you rightly put it, it changes everyday. But, read, subscribe to things and make an effort to trawl through the internet, your social platforms because without which, you won’t be able to be updated at the minimum.?Talk to your peers, your team, others around you! People you learn from don’t always have to be within the industry. In fact, I learn a lot about the social media trends today from people who are not in my industry!

People you learn from don’t always have to be within the industry.

Fadi: When you work in Social Media, you understand that there is a big cultural dimension that you have to be aware of. It differs from a country to another, and from a place to another. How is the Social Media landscape different in East Asia than in Western Europe? And how did you overcome the cultural barriers??

Tramaine: The differences in social media landscapes across continents are driven by their cultural norms and behaviour, and also situational context. So for example in APAC/SEA where I was overseeing, using social media to buy things via a live stream is considered a norm. But the same cannot be said for all of Western Europe. The trend is rising but the behaviour of the consumer we have found is that they do prefer the in-store interaction, for now.? Another example in Asia, is we noticed the need for instant gratification/recognition from the user – in responses, getting their deliveries from social media purchases, etc. This led to many countries having an extensive network in online services. This is then reflected in their app usage (e.g. WeChat for China, LINE for Thailand, GoJek for Indonesia, Zalora & PandaMart for Singapore, to name a few).?You could get same day deliveries, engage in live chats with their support team, get your returns picked up from your place of choice, etc. But we won’t be able to do the same in Europe. Resources are much more affordable in Asia – whether its human assets or getting inventory space, whereas in Europe these are probably the highest cost to any business. On top of that, Europe is not as digitally forward as Asia, in the ways that social media is being used. These are some top of mine examples I can think of, but if you give the afternoon, I could write you an entire paper!

So if we look at the general behaviour in Asia versus that of Europe, and apply that to their user behaviour on social, you’ll start to see why certain things work in certain areas and why other things can be generalised.?I think the main way to overcome these differences is to listen, observe, review and then take action. The worst thing for any advertiser on social is to assume general knowledge about your audiences in a different culture/country, and behave as you would in your own country.

Social media has grown from being the last thought in digital campaigns to the forefront of all campaigns.

Fadi: Where do you see the industry heading? What’s the next big thing in Social Media in your opinion??

Tramaine: Social media has grown from being the last thought in digital campaigns to the forefront of all campaigns. The way the industry has grown is truly amazing. I was here before advertising on social was a thing! But, where advertising on social used to be extremely purposeful and creative, in pushing boundaries and being innovative, I am not sure we are using it for “good” anymore.? Advertisers and content creators are getting caught up in wanting to be #trending and the audience are getting blinded by this. Content is often used for pure entertainment or pure debauchery so they can be “the next big thing”. This has then paved the way for “who did it better”, challenging users/content creators to attempt the same pranks but on steroids, and passing it off like it was their original idea. It is truly quite disheartening to see this.?

On flip side however, we do have content creators and advertisers that are still creating meaningful content, but they get buried by what’s #trending – pranks, inflammatory content, etc because this is what the audience rewards. Sometimes I wonder if this need for “shock & awe” on social was nurtured or this was a natural progression from COVID19 and us being in lockdown. Of course I’m generalising a bit, but in recent times, this is my personal experience. Again, this is one of those many topics I could be in a discussion for hours! I do believe that just like many “trends” in fashion (high-waist jeans, bell bottoms), that eventually made a comeback, the same would be for social. The saturation of purposeless advertising and content will hit such a tipping point that we will have no other option but to go back to basics. Or at least that’s what I would hope for!?

As for the next big thing, I honestly have no idea. We’ve already got the #Metaverse and #web3 here, it’s only a matter of time for the adoption from all brands, just like when Facebook first launched. But if I had to predict, I think it would be that social media will finally take over all forms of digital advertising, i.e. you can do all types of digital advertising on social platforms – search, programmatic, SEO, etc.

Fadi: What’s your favourite social media channel? Why?

Tramaine: I will have to take off my “work” hat because I don’t want to be biased! And every channel has their own strengths and uses. But my favourite social media channel as a user is Instagram! IG has everything from connecting with friends, finding new brands, shopping, inspiration, education, entertainment and so on. I spend most of my online time on Instagram, especially since I also use it for my pole dancing training. I am not so good at keeping my channels updated as I would say I’m more of a passive engager. I do speak to a lot of friends from around the world on Instagram and I love that I can see what they’re up to even though they’re thousands of miles away

Aside from my “biggest ambition”, I had a small career bucket list which I am still making my way through.

Fadi: What was your biggest career ambition? Have you achieved it??

Tramaine: My biggest career ambition was to run my own agency, with a team of no more than 30. I guess you could say I’m currently paving the way for that to happen :P. But aside from my “biggest ambition”, I had a small career bucket list which I am still making my way through.

My bucket list consisted of – (i) working with or at Disney, (ii) working with or at Coca Cola, (iii) getting an article published about me, (iv) winning an award and (v) working with or at Johnnie Walker (Diageo).

I’ve done everything but (ii) and to be honest, I am not sure I still have an opportunity! And that’s okay, I am extremely grateful for already having all these opportunities.?

Fadi: Did you have a mentor at any point of your career? Who do you go to seek advise from??

Tramaine: I did have a mentor a few years back and she was also a very good friend of mine. But after a few years, we grew apart and so now I seek advice actually, from my boyfriend, Joeri Schilders. He made a brave decision to leave a stable job to start his own business, became a content creator (still is), started a YT channel AND taught himself all of that. He’s my inspiration and the dreamer to my pragmatism.

Fadi: At one point you worked as a Brand Manager for Disney! What an exciting role. Tell us more about it.?

Tramaine: That was literally a dream come true. I got to witness first-hand how they brought magic to our screens and all the different moving parts that had to come together. Magic is hard to produce and I have even more love than ever, for all the movies I grew up with and the people who continue to create magic. They are not only a great company to work for but also a great company to work with. They were my clients for just over a year and let me tell you, after being in advertising for more than a decade, they are that client many of us dream of, and still do – kind, collaborative, reasonable, generous and inclusive. My client became my colleague and is now one of my closest friend. It was only a contract role and unfortunately I wasn’t able to move within the company after.?

Fadi: You must have managed many campaigns in your career. Which ones are your favorite? And why??

Tramaine: Ooooo this is a tough one. Hmmmm I can’t pick ONE favourite but I can name my top 3 – Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet; Johnnie Walker and Caltex.

Wreck It Ralph because it was such a fun movie and my team literally managed to break the internet. This was the one campaign we managed to get an award for, because we produced a piece of content that went “viral” and even got the attention of the Disney global team who was working on the movie.?

Johnnie Walker because it was a pitch that I invested my heart, soul and tears into. I told myself, nothing was going to stop me from winning this account. I mean I give my best to every pitch I do, but this was personal. It was on my career bucket list and finally within grasp. Just thinking about it now is making me emotional! We did win the pitch and they wre also one of my best and favourite clients. Till this day, the point of contact I worked with is a close business acquaintance, even though he’s moved companies.

Caltex because it was such a unique category of a business to be on social media in those early days (we’re talking 8 years ago). The client was very aware of the state of the business and how they might be “losing” out on their competition by not being digitally present. And versus just putting their brand and content all over social, the client wanted to make sure we did things the right way – having a good audience insight and creating content that served a purpose to solve a business problem. And so we did. We were the original creators behind the Caltex Singapore social media strategy and presence, and on top of that, we helped create their online avatar based off their offline icon – the Caltex Boy.?

Fadi: Mention 3 people who inspired you or helped you during your career?

• My first “teacher” and boss in marketing – Stavros Kariotis
• My second boss – Stephan Koltai
• My ex GM and now friend – Charlie Young

Each of them taught me different aspects of who I’ve become at work today. Stavros for drilling into me the importance of attention to detail, client communication and analytical skills. Stephan for giving me my first global opportunity and my fundamentals in brand strategy and communication. Charlie for reminding me that I don’t always have to be that force of nature in breaking down doors, sometimes the soft approach works better. He’s also taught me a lot of fundamentals in digital marketing strategy, a lot of which is how I stayed in social media marketing.

Fadi: So happy to talk to you Tramiane, that was very insightful and inspiring, especially the concept of career bucket list. I should work on one myself.

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