The If Agency

We clean up at the Gold Cup!

To celebrate their pitch win with williamhill.com, the if agency team put a few quid on the Gold Cup at their local William Hill LBO.

Geoff the manager was very happy to take their bets but not so happy after the race when they returned to collect their winnings having selected the winner Imperial Commander, (Ian Brennan, Chris McGrath, Janine Pemberton and Christian James), and the third place Mon Mome (Laura Hughes), at 100-1!

Most of the team celebrated with a little buck’s fizz and M&S chocs. Laura got a tattoo. A great way to top off a off a decent week’s trading. Pictures by Ian Patterson, (who backed 2nd placed Denman….but not each way. Ouch!)

Role focus #3

This week we ventured over to the digital team to ask Ian Patterson what he enjoys most about working at The if agency, and why he has to send so many emails!

Head of Digital sounds like a complicated job to those of us who still have trouble sending attachments, so we asked Ian if it's really as challenging as it sounds... "I guess the word 'digital' has become associated with people changing what they're used to, especially with DAB radio and Digital TV, and that's what I find most interesting about my role - embracing new online opportunities so we can challenge and stimulate our clients marketing communications".

That sounds more strategic than technical, so we asked Ian what he enjoys most - the planning and production, or geeking out with the latest gadgets... "It would be hard for anyone to do my job and not get a buzz from knowing about the latest gizmos and widgets before they hit the mainstream, but more importantly I expect my team to understand how these advancements can be of use to our clients before they get too star-struck by technology".

Next up, we asked Ian to share some digital work that stood out as really rewarding… “Delivering regular eNewsletters for First Direct has been really exciting, and a real team effort, I enjoy everyone being involved (Creative, Accounts and Digital production) and we get some great results. 48% of First Direct customers said they were delighted or pleased with the emails we produced (compared with 2% from the previous year when we weren't involved). A further 53% of customers also requested that our emails be sent more regularly!"

Finally, we asked Ian if he had any tips for young online designers, developers, search or production people who wanted to make a career for themselves in the field of digital communications... "It may sound obvious, but make sure you're really good at something, and seek professional training if you can. There are so many careers in digital to choose from, it's better to specialise, rather than try and understand everything". He also said “Working in digital, I come across similar people who enjoy change, and learning new things. So my advice is to start with the basics - train hard and build your confidence because it's too easy to use buzz-words without knowing what they really mean".

Make sure you check back soon for the next insider focus...

Role focus #2

Continuing with our look behind the scenes into the variety of roles that make up a modern and hard working marketing agency, we interviewed our talented designer – Laura to find out what makes her get up and out in the mornings...

We asked Laura what she likes best about her role with The if agency..."As designer I get to work on lots of different client projects, and the variety is something that keeps me switched on and looking forward to my working day". When asked for examples Laura highlighted a typical week that includes a new logo design, typesetting for a marketing handbook, an email template and direct mail design intended for 200 thousand homes (variety - you're not kidding!)

Our next question was about Laura's work, specifically - which piece she was most proud of to date... "I get to work with lots of high-profile brands at The if agency but recently we produced a segmented direct mail piece for Matalan, that included three briefs that needed to be turned around quickly. It was hard work, but really satisfying!"

We also asked Laura to give an example of what she can do to add value and ensure our clients are getting something better then their last project, she said: "Not being afraid to experiment with new designs is one of the things I can do, as well as being flexible". To wrap up we asked Laura if she had any tips for budding young designers looking to launch a design career with an Marketing agency. For those of you who know the industry, you may not be that surprised when she said: "Never expect to work 9-5, it just won't happen! Make sure you take short breaks to keep sharp and finally - be prepared to 'swap hats' on a regular basis, working across clients and projects as fast as needed." Good advice Laura!

Make sure you check back soon for the next insider focus...