Laura is currently Head of Digital and Planning at full service creative agency, Banana Kick. Her journey into digital started in the analogue world of photography management and catalogue production, but after moving to a Manchester advertising agency she transitioned into digital by accident working in a team that managed digital communications for one of the ‘Big Four’ supermarkets. Read her full story below.
I am Laura, Head of Digital at a full-service creative agency, Banana Kick. I manage the digital team to deliver integrated and digital-first campaigns for our existing and new clients. One day we can be doing a social media strategy for an event launch, the next we’ll be working on a new website with our brand team, to bring the client to life online. I love the variety of the role as well as the opportunity to manage and develop a great team.
My pathway into digital started at my first agency, working in a team that worked on creating customer-first digital campaigns for a major supermarket. Seeing how data and creativity came together got me hooked on everything digital. The experience I got working on on and offline marketing campaigns was invaluable as it helps me to think across all customer touch points and make sure that campaigns are as integrated as possible.
If I could give some advice for anyone looking to start a career in digital, I would say… Everyone has had to do something for the first time at some point, and digital is full of firsts. It is constantly changing, developing and the possibilities grow daily. Don’t be fearful of this; be excited.
If I could look back and give my younger self some advice, I would say; be a sponge and learn as much as you can from everyone that you work with. Put your hand up for as much as you can; especially if it’s something you’ve not done before and can learn from it. Work hard but also don’t forget to enjoy it all along the way.
Working in digital is really exciting, there is always something new. Data and tech give us the opportunities to be extremely clever. Today’s consumer is extremely savvy and I like that we have to constantly be on our toes to deliver marketing that works. I love briefing and pitching ideas to clients that have never been done before.
If I could give some advice for anyone looking to start a career in digital, I would say… Everyone has had to do something for the first time at some point, and digital is full of firsts. It is constantly changing, developing and the possibilities grow daily. Don’t be fearful of this; be excited. Experts in this industry don’t stay experts for long unless they are constantly adapting and learning. Be on the front foot to find out what brands and agencies are doing to improve customer experiences digitally and read or listen to as much info as you can.
Have a story to tell that will inspire others to get into digital? Get in touch at [email protected]
