One year into working at national PR and communications agency Genesis, based in Ipswich, I reflect on what it’s like working in-house to market a thriving agency, how Genesis has transformed my working processes and attitudes, and what I have learned as a PR professional along the way.
I left university with a business management degree and soon after joined a marketing agency where I quickly realised this was the path for me. Four years later, having also worked as an in-house marketeer for a family run business, the in-house marketing position at Genesis came up which was too good to miss.
It can be easy to focus on your clients and forget about marketing yourself. Genesis understands the importance of having someone dedicated to marketing the agency which is where I come in.
From day one I was trusted to lay the groundwork for and manage the marketing activities, from leading on pro-bono clients to driving Genesis’ own social media activity, blogs, press releases and video.
PR is multi-faceted and as such, working in a fast moving, fully integrated agency means you need to be flexible, responsive and think on your feet! I soon realised pairing these skills with the ability to organise, plan and work hard are essentials for agency life.
Genesis has created a strong culture with a diverse, multi skilled team who all thrive on making an impact for their clients, helping the business continually evolve, and fully support each other along the way. We are encouraged to grow our skills at every opportunity through a Genesis learning programme which benefits the agency and of course the valued clients we work with.
But it’s not all work and no play. The team enjoys spending time together outside the office, whether that’s a team lunch, dinner and drinks, bowling, a panto visit or escape room. We do actually like each other which helps!
Here are my learning points:
- It’s worth putting in the effort to developing the team inside and outside work. We are proof that a team that understands each other and has fun, delivers better results.
- Don’t be afraid of a steep learning curve because the rewards are greater.
- To get results you need to put in the effort, nothing worthwhile comes easy, so stepping outside your job description will get you further.
- Pro-bono work can deliver team satisfaction, agency reputation and involvement in the local community.
- You don’t have to live in London to work for a top quality national PR agency. I live in Suffolk and my commute is fifteen minutes door to door.
When I joined Genesis a year ago, I never imagined how quickly I would feel at home. The opportunities I have are endless and I look forward to more years of learning, growing and helping Genesis thrive.