As I type this, I’m in the middle of 7 drafted emails, viewing two screens with various pr spreadsheets, eking out half a cup of tea (and a biscuit!) staring at a very plank word document. It is at this moment I realise why I am a Senior Account Manager and not a copywriter, what would I do without the team behind me! Anyway, let me know what you think ….
December 2017, I arrived for my first interview at Fabrick Marketing Agency, four months post-graduation for an Account Executive role. Excited with nerves but very green to the working world, all I could do was be myself and hope that my preparation was enough to be offered the job.
This was my first interview after several experiences interning in London; as with most graduates I had no idea what I wanted to do but I knew, given my recent internships, that PR and marketing was the route for me. During my second year at University, I was keen to explore my marketing module in the working world and was grateful to have secured several opportunities with top retail brands. My initial internships were with global fashion labels where I worked within the head office PR teams; needless to say, after a couple of ‘Devil Wears Prada’ moments I decided that the fashion world wasn’t for me!
However, I didn’t want to give up on PR and marketing and was fortunate enough to have been offered an opportunity to intern at a London PR consultancy which evidently allured me to agency life. This experience served as an insight into the way an agency operated; it oozed a sense of creativity, allowed me to work under my own steam but also acknowledged a sense of team cohesion when a time sensitive deadline ensued.
Fast forward a couple of months, January 2018, I was selected by Fabrick for a second stage interview process. They set the challenge of presenting a 5-minute presentation on a brand that held similar stature to the UK “Cool brands” accreditation but wasn’t part of the current listings. May I add that the “Cool brands” list covers absolutely every conceivable daily brand from events to food to fashion; a mere task within itself – Hurdle 1!
With my dad’s favourite adage, “Failure to prepare, prepare to fail”, in the back of my mind, I wanted to impress and try something a little bit out of the ordinary. Following in the trend of ‘Dry January’, I held a mocktail master class on the brand ‘Seedlip’; now a renowned non-alcoholic alternative to gin. This was a risk but thank goodness I did, given my line manager was pregnant at the time – pushing the boundaries has now become an integral part of my role. Three and a half years later the Fabrick team still talk about it – success!
Over the course of the last three and a half years, I haven’t stopped learning and exploring news ways of marketing for my clients. As a team, we have strengths in many areas and the experiences of my colleagues has been a real help in order to achieve and develop my role at Fabrick. One of my most memorable campaigns to date was leading and organising a road trip up and down the UK and into Ireland. Not only did we launch eight product campaigns by delivering all of the creative, we also worked closely with the client to visit key builders’ merchants across the UK, distributing the best bacon butties you’ve ever tasted! Although there is a slight running joke in the office that I became a travel agent for six months, the challenges of this event led to a fantastic campaign and I would do it all over again!
Anyway, this has been a very small insight into my daily working life. I thoroughly enjoy the challenge of spinning ten plates at a time and spending no two weeks doing the same thing. Fabrick has allowed me to explore my creativity and given me the opportunity to work with a great team of individuals across an array of accounts and campaigns. I have been able to exercise my inquisitiveness to learn, but have also been supported on projects where I have needed guidance. One of the most tear-jerking moments when reading my award entry (that I knew nothing about!) was the reference to my desk mug: “Kind people are my kind of people” which I truly stand by. At Fabrick it really is a supportive family which makes working life far more fun! It goes without saying that the success of receiving Young Marketeer of the Year 2020 has not only been down to my own hard work, it has also been because of the support of a whole team behind the scenes. I’m really excited for what the future holds and will continue to work hard and, with a little luck, this won’t be the last you hear from me!
How did I do, or should I just leave it to the copywriters?!….
Amelia Spence, Senior Account Manager at Fabrick
