What led you to a career in media?

Before embarking on my media career at MI, I was working in retail at Majestic Wine. It was bittersweet to leave as I loved the company and everything that the brand stood for. Majestic really sparked my love for wine, and I really enjoyed getting into the nuances of it all but in the words of Dolly Parton, I was ready to be ‘working 9 to 5’, as unfortunately retail goes hand-in-hand with shift work. I was eager to move away from these working patterns and media had always been an interest of mine that I was keen to explore a career in.

What is your proudest moment at MI?

This would have to be when I completed my first ‘smash up’, which consist of presenting a client’s post campaign results and analysis to them. Our client Médecins San Frontières (MSF) host these in person (in front of 50 people might I add!!) and for someone who doesn’t enjoy being the centre of attention or particularly thrive off public speaking, this may seem like a recipe for disaster. However, after battling some nerves, I got through it. Now a small part of me can say that I did enjoy presenting to the room on the spring malnutrition campaign.

What advice would you give to someone looking to go into the world of media?

Simply go for it! It’s a highly entertaining industry from the actual day-to-day work to the people you work with, whether it be within your agency or the clients themselves. And of course, the social aspect is a lot of fun too.

I do think that before embarking on a career within the media landscape, get swotting and really research and scope out what area you would like to work in. It’s a hugely wide-ranging industry, so get to know it as best as you can. This can determine whether you want to focus on creative, planning, buying, the list goes on and on!

What mistakes have you learnt from the most?

Whilst it isn’t exactly a mistake, one lesson that I continue to remind myself of is that less is definitely more! I aim to apply this approach when creating and delivering presentations, whether it be client reviews or new business pitches. I am lucky to work with a great bunch, and we know our stuff, so it’s key that we trust ourselves.  We don’t need thousands of words and slide after slide to show that we are knowledgeable, we can let our mouths do the talking. Being at the heart of what we do for clients day-to-day, means we can, and we sure do, know how to talk about our areas of expertise and what’s happening in the industry.

Do you have a dream client?

**without an ounce of hesitation**

Well now you know my love for wine, I guess this won’t come as a surprise. My dream client is definitely The Uncommon. Its creative branding is excellent, its ESG approach is spot on and ITS WINE! For those that are unaware, The Uncommon is a UK canned winery, and  in fact it was the first UK winemaker to achieve this accreditation. The brand, which is hugely distinguishable, has over the years branched out across various Hub spots in both M&S and Waitrose. It is currently getting out and about with various pop ups and stocking in a few extra select supermarkets. Whilst it does a lot of social activity, I do think it’s the right kind of brand to excel at OOH. It would do well by simply advertising on 6 sheets, but where its branding would really shine would be through more experiential OOH. It could spice things up a bit and create an immersive wine sampling pop up with a blind tasting or something to win a coupon, who doesn’t love discounted wine?! This would really create a buzz around both the product and brand.