Young Pros Spotlight

Pooja Ranganathan

What is your role / current company?
Associate, Data and Insights at Posterscope (dentsu)

When did you join the ARF Young Pros? Fall 2019

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
With 2020 being such a crazy year, I am ecstatic that our small yet mighty Data & Insights team exceeded expectations set prior to the onset of the pandemic. Our two-person team successfully completed multiple attribution studies this year, measuring the effectiveness of out-of-home (OOH) advertising, while increasing revenue 24% YOY for our department.

What is your biggest professional challenge?
Learning to focus on the big picture and not getting sidetracked by the small details. As someone early in their career, it’s easy to get distracted by little pieces that don’t affect the final output. I’m learning to utilize my attention as a currency, and mind what matters most.

How has being an ARF Young Pro member impacted your career?
Prior to joining the ARF Young Pros, I thought media research was a monolith. Through the ARF, I’ve been able to learn about different roles and responsibilities and connect with peers who offer career wisdom and a richer depiction of the research community.

What’s your favorite Young Pros event that you’ve been to?
The peer-to-peer mentoring loft was a personal favorite. I really enjoyed getting to know other members of the Young Pros in a laid-back environment, where we could talk freely about both opportunities and challenges we face in the industry.

When researching a topic you know nothing about, how do you get started?
I usually start with Reddit or YouTube comments. I continuously underestimate how funny the internet is, but also how insightful people can be on a variety of different topics and ideas. This approach helps me understand a new topic from a more human-led angle.

What’s an example of a company/ brand that you think is doing a great job?
Nike. They’re willing to delve into social issues and recently joined OneTen, a coalition of companies committed to hiring 1 million Black Americans over the next decade. Additionally, with sneakers being a huge contributor to environmental waste, it’s exciting to see the brand veer into vegan and sustainable options.

What is your favorite show/program?
Anything by Michaela Coel! I also just finished “People Just Do Nothing” and couldn’t stop laughing.

What is your favorite restaurant in your city?
Camellia in NYC. Great ramen, plus a unique selection of Asian inspired gelato and bubble tea.

What’s your dream job? (If money was no object, what would you do?)
I would probably be a film critic. I studied film studies and will constantly chat about the cinematography or symbolism of a movie, if you’re willing to listen!

THE ARF YOUNG Pros WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU!
Share a bit about yourself and your work for a chance to be featured as a Spotlight Young Pro!

Meet other Featured Young Pros.

YP Spotlight Form – Download and complete this form to be considered for a Young Pros Spotlight feature.

Work for an ARF member company? Access your free ARF benefits below.

Featured Event: FEBRUARY 18 @ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST Young Pros: Monthly Meet-Up