Show notes
Jeff van de Zandt is a creative through and through: graphic designer by trade, Co-Owner and Director of Workshop Creative: a company dedicated to advertising theatre and live shows; and viral TikTok content creator.Jeff, having worked in large agencies, was over and overwhelmed by the fast paced, grind-centric environment he had spent much of his twenties in. He would leave and found his own agency in Workshop Creative with Ash, his best mate, tagging along shortly after. Under their Co-Ownership, Workshop Creative has been responsible for promoting various live shows including School of Rock: The Musical, Moulin Rouge, and even Disney’s Hamilton.Jeff fell into the world of social media influencer-ship during one of Melbourne’s lockdowns (who’s counting, amirite?). Jeff originally was posting lip-syncing videos on the now defunct app DubSmash, until a friend of his told him to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. It only took Jeff three videos before his first viral hit featuring him lip-syncing to a remix of the infamous clash between a journalist named Andrew (or Adam according to Jordan) and PM Scott Morrison. Since then Jeff has seen his success on the platform grow leading him to work with the likes of Milo, DoorDash, and more.Get all the links mentioned in the episode here: bit.ly/246-JeffvandeZandtSKIP THROUGH THE EPISODE:00:24 - Guest introduction & The Milo Incident02:04 - Jeff’s parents04:45 - Earliest memory & The Philippines10:53 - Lessons from childhood12:38 - Parental influences14:50 - Why theatre marketing?18:11 - Golden principles at Workshop Creative23:50 - TikTok: why Jeff is on it & what marketers miss30:34 - Why Jeff is a managed influencer32:44 - In-app shopping35:49 - Workshop Creative: how Ash got on board & the goal40:30 - What stays the same in theatre marketing42:23 - Drawbacks of specialisation44:40 - The future of Workshop Creative46:49 - Inspiration from other countries49:57 - Questions: the ideal & not so ideal (SHORT CLIP)52:35 - Book recommendation54:41 - Documentary recommendation56:01 - Guiding quote