Purple Riot recently took part in a panel discussion on how to make it in fashion marketing at The Fashion Networks Careers Day in Manchester.
Along with Nikki Kitchen, Marketing Director of Purple Riot Marketing, there were speakers from Elvis Jesus, MMU and JD Williams.
So here are our top tips on making it fashion marketing.
Be prepared to give up your life (to an extent). Marketing is not a 9-5 world and you will work crazy hours. Evenings, weekends, sometimes solidly for 24 hours (yes, I did that once!)
Attention to detail! I cannot stress enough that when applying for jobs. Check your spelling and grammar. Get your friends, parents and dogs to check it. Employers won’t read past the first line if it’s spelt incorrectly!
Be creative. You’re entering a super competitive world; you need to make yourself stand out. Don’t send a generic CV and cover letter; send something that shows your creative side, a blog, a design piece, an article; whatever it is, you need to sell yourself AND always research the company you’re applying to. Know who their clients are; know their style of writing; look for relevant news about the company, anything that enables you to tailor your approach to that company. A creative marketing agency, like Purple Riot, would expect a very different approach to a major corporate brand like JD Williams. Research research research!
Be nice! It’s so simple, but be nice to everyone you meet. It’s a very small world and you will undoubtedly cross paths with that boss that you hated, the supplier you shouted at or the receptionist you were short with. Trust me, you never know when you may have to work with those people again and impressions are everything.
Make yourself known. You may have to start at the bottom but if you have a great idea, tell your boss, if they’re busy, tell their boss! Even if they don’t like it or don’t use it, showing initiative and tenacity in this game will get you ahead.
Keep up to date with new developments. Thanks to digital, things are moving at a faster pace than ever with advancements in technology and social media every week!
Interning is a great way to get more of an understanding about the different areas of marketing and insight into what it’s actually like to work in the environment. These days there is much more crossover with skills and you might be expected to have an understanding of marketing in general even if you want to specialise in specifically social media or PR. Again, it’s a very competitive world so the more strings you can add to your bow the better.
There is no formulaic route to making it. Marketing is about creativity, hard work, drive and passion, so if you have those qualities, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve studied marketing specifically or the level of experience you have, you just need to work hard and be prepared to get stuck in.
Get in touch if you’re a graduate interested in work placements at Purple Riot.
