As an aspiring marketing professional, earlier this summer I took to searching for an opportunity to widen my professional experience. I came across MacComms. Not just a marketing agency, but a marketing agency focusing on PR. I was aware of the importance of PR to a marketing strategy, yet I had no existing PR experience! I was eager to expand my skill set and see what it’s all about.
Having completed my undergraduate degree, I am about to embark on my postgraduate degree in marketing at The University of Huddersfield. Having excellent connections with The University of Huddersfield, MacComms were happy to have me on board.
From the get go I was encouraged to get stuck into a range of PR activities, providing me with a flavour of each area. Working alongside Ellie and Grace in a young and vibrant team, I gained an understanding of the fundamentals of public relations.
Day to day activities included the management of social media accounts, posting on our clients behalf in a manner which accurately represents their brand to raise awareness, and ultimately increase their enquiries and profit as a business. I learnt that creativity in this area is essential, as the inclusion of interesting and relevant social media content is of paramount importance to the success of a customer’s engagement with the brand.
A major highlight was working on the Bridal Emporium Wedding Showcase, a spectacular event in aid of an amazing cause. Having promoted the event on social media, I was then involved in the setting up of the event on the night. I was then able to write up a post-event press release following the MacComms team attending the event the night before.
This was one example of my time working on press releases and blogs for clients, utilising my writing skills to effectively showcase their brand. I have also been heavily involved with the company newsletter for MacComms this September.
I have been involved in the promotion of further events, notably the Music Showcase Evening, run by MacComms client, the corporate and wedding function band Brand New Vinyls. Their aim is to showcase a number of local musicians, including themselves at an event on 29 September and I was involved in promoting the event through various local and regional What’s On sites, as well as local news sites and social media.
I was also involved in the research of possible places to publish articles for our various clients, often getting involved with contacting magazines in order to request forthcoming content calendars. This was a task which required resilience and persistence and I was able to obtain the information needed.
My time at MacComms has been an enjoyable and rewarding period. Developing my knowledge and experience of PR and marketing as well as learning essential office skills. Working with Ellie and Grace and getting stuck in has given me the chance to learn by a direct, hands-on approach.
The opportunity to gain experience in a new area of marketing is highly valuable to my future career in the field, hence I would like to thank the MacComms team for allowing me to spend these two weeks with the fast-growing firm. They are a fantastic team, and I am sure they will go far in the future.
