What has your journey into Edelman looked like and how did you get into the communications industry?
This takes me back. I joined Edelman all the way back in 2010, after graduating in Media Studies. My journey began with an (unpaid) internship in another UK agency where I got my first taste of what it’s like to work with major clients and big campaigns. A few months in and I was hooked!
When that internship came to an end, I grabbed a (physical!) copy of PR Week and started flicking through their Top 100 Agency list (it really defined the industry at the time) and began targeting my personal Top 5 – learning everything about their work, clients, and ethos. Edelman had no open vacancies at the time, but I sent in a speculative application letter to HR nonetheless.
Fast forward a couple of months, I already had a job in another agency when I got a call back from Edelman for an AAE position in the Technology team. The rest is history – 12 years later and still going strong!
What achievement are you most proud of?
How long have we got? Only joking…I’ve been part of so many defining moments in the agency that it’s very hard to pick one.
Client wise, off the top of my head: reaching and celebrating 1M Facebook fans for Dove, launching HP UK on Social Media, opening a 24/7 pop-up salon for TRESemmé that took NYFW by storm, winning a Cannes Lions with Samsung’s Wildlife Watch, bringing supply chain to life for DP World at EXPO Dubai… I could go on!
But what I’m most proud of is having been able to build a team that shares the same values and vision. The Digital team truly are a community who has each other’s back.
What do you find most rewarding about the job?
Flexibility, trust and freedom. It may seem obvious, but no two days are ever the same: being able to think on my feet and flex our approach keeps it exciting. And the trust bestowed upon me as a leader means I have the freedom to do what’s right for our clients, our business and our people. That’s the best feeling.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced throughout your time at Edelman?
Agency life is like a roller coaster, you gotta ride it!
Jokes aside, the world changes at a fast pace nowadays, and so does our industry. The ability to continuously adapt is fundamental. This might mean leaving old habits behind, embracing new leadership, keeping up to date with up-and-coming technologies and trends. I wouldn’t say it’s a challenge per se, but it surely is demanding.
How do you stay motivated?
This might sound cheesy – but the exceptional level of talent around me is what keeps me inspired and motivated. People say “If you're the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room”, and I couldn’t agree more. It is so important for your growth as an individual, and as a leader, to find others who can help you grow.
What’s your favourite thing about working in Digital at Edelman?
It’s the variety: variety of clients, briefs, projects. In Digital, we support all departments, so it also means getting an insight into very different industries – from freight shipping to skincare. Work never gets dull. And I also love the opportunity to be creative - both in finding solutions for clients and internal problem solving.
How could someone get started if they are looking make a career change to digital?
This is a good question. I really don’t think that digital lives in a silo, or that it’s a vertical on its own.
I would start by finding synergies with whatever you’re doing – if you’re already in marketing or PR, look at what you’re doing through a digital lens already. Find these nuances and focus on how to broaden your current role to include the digital elements.
If you’re coming from a completely different industry, focus on identifying which soft skills you have developed already that you could redeploy in a digital role.
In either case, keeping a close eye on the industry is imperative: who’s doing it well, who’s got it wrong (and why, and what can we learn from it?). Also, digital and culture go hand in hand, so it always helps to keep up with what’s hot or not.
If you could offer one piece advice to someone considering a role at Edelman Digital, what would it be?
Just go for it: think outside the box and don’t be afraid. We welcome creativity and originality. Off the top of my head, I can think of two individuals who did this well.
One added me on LinkedIn cold to ask me out for a professional coffee. At said coffee, she grilled me with questions and months later, when a new relevant opening came up, she used all the knowledge accrued in her interview. I thought that was really smart.
Another way of making a great impression is letting your work speak for you – one candidate chose to present her own Social Media side project in her interview. She was comfortable presenting it as it felt very personal to her, and didn’t have to convince any of us that she understood digital inside out. It was refreshing.
What do you do outside work to relax?
Two words: music and food.
Being Italian, food and dining culture plays a huge part in my life. I love cooking, baking and trying out new restaurants. If I won the lottery, I would probably use the money to open a food-based business of some sort!
I also love live music, and always keep an eye out for when my favourite artists are in town. Living in London, this tends to happen about once a month! 😉
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