This month’s day in the life is with digital account director, Rianne Clarey. In our chat, Rianne tells us how a fascination with left and right-brain thinking led her to a career in the media industry and why you should never assume that anyone you encounter at work knows anything or everything!
What led you to a career in media?
Left and right-brain thinking has always interested me, but I never thought that I was either super creative or super analytical. Media & advertising is an industry that allows you to combine the two. Initially, I wanted to be a graphic designer within the advertising industry. Then at school my friend got me a two-week work placement at her uncle’s creative agency and I fell in love with the work. After that, whenever I had any spare time in my college years, I would head back to Regent Street and continue my work experience there.
After completing a degree in advertising, I had the panic realisation that I needed a job, quickly! I applied for everything I could within the industry which is how I came to working in digital teams in agencies. During my first interview they were throwing acronyms at me from every angle. Even though I didn’t know what CPM or CPAs were at the time, I got the job! Having joined the agency’s affiliate team, I started to hear about interesting work going on in the paid social teams. I offered my time to help them out wherever I could until, eventually, I was able to make the move across to paid social.
From there I joined a multi-channel agency where I discovered that I love data. I enjoy being able to analyse the effects that our media decisions have had on a business. Since then, I’ve specialised in search and social across different media agencies.
What does a typical day look like for you?
There’s a real balance in my days throughout the week. Working from home on Mondays and Fridays are really when I get deskwork done, catching up on emails and working through reports. When we get into the office on Tuesday to Thursday, things are much more collaborative where I can catch up with the team and speak to clients.
On the days at home, I get my head down and focus on new strategies and proposals, considering how we can optimise campaigns. Alongside my day-to-day work, I think it’s so important to keep up with market trends and learn something new. It makes it more existing for us as a team, but just as importantly it’s how brands grow and how we grow as an agency.
