Justin Kingsley, BA 96 | Photo credit: Justin Kingsley
A graduate of the Department of Journalism, Kingsley has worked as a reporter, creative strategist and writer.
“People have said I’m a Jack of all trades. I think that can be taken as a compliment,” says the Ottawa native who worked as Prime Minister Paul Martin’s press secretary, from 2003 to 2004, before joining the Cossette advertising agency in Montreal.
From there Kingsley worked for the likes of Bleublancrouge and most recently, Sid Lee, which was named a top five creative agency by Forbes magazine in 2012.
For his work as a creative strategist, Marketing Magazine named Kingsley one of Canada’s 25 most creative people in 2009. He presently divests his energy between the Montreal Canadiens and numerous freelance projects.
“The Canadiens have sold out sponsorship and seats for the past eight years,” says Kingsley. “My job is to expand the brand globally.”
Wondering how it’s done? Kingsley gives the following five tips.
1. Find your pitch. “The most useful skill I learned in journalism school at Concordia was how to write a lead for a story,” says Kingsley. “You have a few words to grab a person’s attention right away.”
Kingsley explains that he uses a similar approach with all of his creative work.
2. Be curious about people. “A lot of what I do is about trying to understand people and what motivates them,” says Kingsley. “I’ll take 15 minutes to have a coffee and talk with just about anyone.”
This curiosity has led Kingsley to lecture at numerous venues, which include his alma mater. Kingsley spoke to Concordia marketing students last February.
3. Don’t wait for inspiration. “I think you make your own luck,” says Kingsley. “People ask me how I’m so productive. I just get up and go to work. I don’t wait for good things to come to me.”
4. Try to say yes. “I worked as a freelance reporter for The Montreal Gazette. I used to take all the assignments no one else wanted,” says Kingsley. “I needed the experience. In the end it helped me develop. ”
5. Take on projects you can learn from. “When I take on projects, I look for ones where I can bring something to the table and also where I can learn something.”
This makes for a win-win situation, explains Kingsley.