On Tuesday 20^th November, my Marketing Manager Jess and I ventured off into London for the RAW Digital Marketing Masterclass, hosted by Fierce Digital. We were excited to learn the latest and most advanced tips from industry professionals, and to feel inspired by the city!

Jess and I were super excited for this event, because everything that we were scheduled to listen to was full of insight and valuable knowledge. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to learn top tips from industry professionals who have mastered their own strategies, and to ultimately learn how to best develop our own Marketing approach. I was particularly eager to learn from the very best, and I was excited to advance my Digital Marketing knowledge, increase my industry awareness, and understand how to refine and enhance our own campaigns. I was already feeling inspired!

The journey into London didn’t take too long, and I soon met Jess at London Euston. We decided to grab some breakfast and re-charge ourselves before we engaged with all things digital! The super sugared vanilla latte set us up for a great day ahead.

We were hoping to have a lovely sunny day that would allow us to take in all the sites, to stroll the streets of the city. But of course, we’re in England, there’s no such thing! The air was thick with fog. The smog blanketed the surrounding streets enveloping us, and the wind caused some serious navigation disruption. But, after a few trickles of rain and an umbrella later, we finally made it to the citizenM Tower of London. Despite getting lost, again, it was a beautiful site to see; we finally made it!

Arriving in the hotel was an experience. The hallway was filled with ambience. Red and gold mood lighting, abstract art and the perfect jumble of decorative elements. Each accessory was perfectly placed in the walls of the building; it was so groovy. Jess cracked on with some work whilst I nosed around, taking in my surroundings and just admiring the interior. The creativity and artistic innovation of the hotel perfectly foreshadowed the talks that were to come later. There was a huge sense of calamity in the building, making it the perfect time to reflect on my placement experience so far.

But enough of the surroundings, it’s now time to get to the real nitty gritty bit! After being welcomed by two friendly faces, we tucked into some lunch, and headed upstairs to take our seats. Views which overlooked London and an interior with fine glamour, we were amazed and ready to get stuck in.

The four talks explored Optimising Marketing Performance, Digital Transformation and Innovation. Full of interaction and engagement, below is a summary of what we learnt from each one!

Optimising Marketing Performance with Jamie Smith

Jamie Smith was full of life and enthusiasm for Digital Marketing, and you could evidently sense his passion for video! Exploring the key elements of B2B and B2C video marketing, Jamie highlighted the Do’s and Don’ts of video campaigns whilst emphasising the importance of understanding the key roles in creative video communications. Jamie was admirable, humorous and engaging, never failing to keep up the energy!

Digital Transformation with Jamie McCoy

We loved Jamie McCoy’s talk. Utilising Digital Transformation, Jamie took his organisation from £0 to £10m in just 5 years! Calm, intellectual and kindly logical, we found Jamie’s analogy of the evolution a perfect way to highlight his amazing work transforming Software Advisory Service’s Digital Marketing strategy. It was clear he is extremely creative, but has outstanding analytical skills, something that is super inspiring.

Optimising Marketing Performance with Michael Graham

It was clear that Michael Graham has great knowledge and determination. Not only in creating success at his own company, Lead Forensics, but also in helping his clients find solutions that empower them with a competitive edge. His consultative approach highlighted that it’s vital to build strong customer relationships with existing clients and prospects, and to also optimise the user journey to thrive in the industry.  

Innovate with Bruce Daisley

Bruce Daisley was certainly motivating, and both Jess and I left the day feeling reflective, encouraged and inspired. Being the Vice President of Twitter, Bruce was bursting with knowledge, and this seamlessly transpired into his masterclass which explored how we can cultivate an innovative work culture that ignites creativity.

Bruce’s top tips on how to create a joyful and productive work culture really made us question the internal infrastructure of businesses, allowing us to re-envision what makes a company and its people, great. The enthusiasm and passion for people positivity that he exhibited was hugely commendable; the various analogies allowed us to understand his message in greater-depth and we will certainly be trying to take on board his tips!

Nonetheless, I recommend checking out his podcast ‘Eat Sleep Work Repeat’ which inspires us to take the step and make our work culture better!

We left the day feeling like we had gained a huge amount of insight and understood the influential, progressive ideas to support our own Digital Marketing strategy. Thank you to all the speakers who were massively motivational, Brian Williamson who hosted, and Fierce Digital for having us!