Rob Middleton
Vice President, Network Presentation & Content Management Group
Astro
Genius. Dork. Visionary. Drunkard. Rob has been called many things over the past twenty some years while he’s constantly pushed Asian promotion teams to new heights and glory. The legendary creative guy behind the scenes of quite a few Asian channels, networks and broadcast platforms, Rob has molded some of Asia’s leading promo teams without leaving a single enemy in his wake. Rumour has it he kills them all. Sometimes slowly.
From music television to children’s programming, movie channels to business news, Rob’s had a hand in them all and hasn’t lost a finger yet. And along the way, he’s mentored more than a few of Asia’s promo kings and queens. Dirty as it sounds, you’d need three hands to count the Rocket Award winners that have passed through his system. And on top of all that, he’s Asia’s leading voice over…just ask him.
As Asia’s promo ambassador to the world, Rob held a seat on the Int’l PromaxBDA board for five years and was chairman of Promax Asia for seven. While his varied skills are called upon in many other fields of broadcasting. promos are Rob’s first love. He’s presently making people cry at the Astro Entertainment Network in Malaysia.
Session:
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
Cash is king…except in the world of promos. While your marketing department can sometimes infuriatingly spend more than your entire year’s budget hiring an advertising agency to do a spot that you’ll have to fix…(breathe…breathe)…you don’t have the luxury of outside help. You don’t have any money, you don’t have any help and you certainly don’t have any time….but you’ve got plenty of pressure…and imagination. Don’t be bitter, be positive. Use your skills to create greatness out of thin air…that’s what you’re being paid for. For us in promos…it’s the idea that’s king. If your idea’s strong, your execution doesn’t have to cost a bomb. Agencies can stay as style over substance…you have to be the other way around. And if you’ve thought your approach carefully…the results will speak for themselves. Welcome to the world of “Something For Nothing”