No two days are ever the same – by Elizabeth Harrison

Opting for a career in marketing ensures you will work in role in which no two days are ever the same. In the world of marketing you have to be willing and able to think outside the box, react quickly and adapt to an ever-changing environment in which key communication channels are constantly evolving.

I have spent nearly 18 years working in marketing and have seen so many changes in this time. The most significant is the speed at which key messages can now be conveyed.

In the early years of my career press releases could take weeks to put together and distribute and brochures would take months to produce. Images from photoshoots would be provided on contact sheets (not all that easy to view and select the best shot from) and finalised press releases would be sent to media contacts via fax and post – buying the office receptionist a few treats would usually help in getting the extra envelopes on the top of the pile to go through the franking machine. I can almost hear the Millennials shouting out ‘what is a fax or franking machine?’

It’s crazy to think about the hours that were spent on getting one press release out, when at Reward only last week we issued two in one week in a matter of minutes! Last week one of these was distributed to media contacts on Wednesday and by the following morning it appeared in the printed copy of the Yorkshire Post and instantly across online titles. This demonstrates the speed at which technological advancements have helped to free up time for more focus to be given to other areas of the marketing mix.

Improvements in technology have significantly changed marketing activities. There has been shift away from printed to online communications. Websites for a company such as Reward have become our shop window, whereby we can promote the products and services we offer. And, that is where the work of a marketer comes in, as we want to drive our target audience to our shop window and work on increasing and maintaining brand awareness – conveying key messages to the right people, via the right channel and at the right time.

At Reward we stay in touch with all of our contacts via eNewsletters, media coverage, advertising campaigns and/or social media channels. Reward is continuing to evolve in the world of hashtags and has recently extended our LinkedIn and Twitter social media campaigns by joining the Insta trend! Now, it’s the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers that I can hear shouting out ‘what on earth is Insta?’

As well as staying in touch with our business contacts via the online world, at Reward we also pride ourselves on meeting our introducers and clients face to face. That’s how the business started and what it continues to be about. We get involved in over 70 events throughout our financial year, whether that be inviting you to a private dining, our summer balcony networking events, industry dinners and even shows at the Arena. If you’re new to Reward, it’s a great way of meeting you to tell you more about what we do and how we can help you and your clients. And, for those of you who already know and work with us it’s a way of us being able to tell you about any new developments and say thank you for the work we have done together to date.

With so many varied marketing activities on our annual plan this is just a brief overview as to why no two days are ever the same. What we also like to remember at Reward is that no two customers are ever the same either and we will work with you as a single unique customer, providing you with bespoke financial solutions to match your requirements.

To finish with I wanted to share a great quote from the Dalai Lama XIV which highlights that whilst no two days are ever the same, it’s what we do today that matters most:

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called Yesterday and the other is called Tomorrow. Today is the right day to Love, Believe, Do and mostly Live”.

 

Generation Definitions:

  • The Silent Generation: Born 1928-1945 (73-90 years old)
  • Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (54-72 years old)
  • Generation X: Born 1965-1980 (38-53 years old)
  • Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (22-37 years old)