The St Monica Trust has provides high quality accommodation, care and support services for older and disabled people.
What was your first charity job? And your first communications role?
My first job in the charity sector was Marketing Manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. My first comms role was at a firm of solicitors based in Lincoln and York, where I was mainly involved in marketing services to private clients.
How did you get your current job?
I was looking for the next stage in my career, and the St Monica Trust was in the early stages of a significant period of expansion. I was part of a relatively new management team.
What do you actually do on a daily basis?
It's different from day to day. Part of my job is to contribute to the strategic development of the Trust, such as new product development, corporate identity, and comms strategy. At an operational level I oversee the sale and re-sale of lease purchase accommodation in our retirement villages, which provides the charity with a valuable source of income with which to fund its new developments. That's where a lot of our marketing communications activity is focused. I also take responsibility for coordinating internal marketing to the staff group. Engaging staff in the delivery of our services is really important as they're the people who create a positive experience for our residents on a daily basis. Finally, I also provide a focus on the collection of insights into our markets – gathering information and feedback from service users, prospective service users and relatives.
What's been your biggest achievement in this role so far?
Establishing a team of people in the marketing function and developing a comms strategy that meets the needs of our various audiences. Having said that, we are constantly in touch with changes to the market and what our rivals are up to so that we can stay one step ahead; this isn't always easy when the market and external environment is changing so rapidly.
What are the most challenging parts of your role?
The introduction of a new content management system for our web site, which will go live in the summer of 2011. It involves the development of content that is much more dynamic in nature and this takes a lot of careful thought, concentration and consultation. How we can use email as a means of contact with people and the role of social networking sites is also shifting very quickly. All of these technologies need to be considered in the light of a need to create trusting and valued relationships with our potential customers. Our target audiences are only just beginning to adopt modern technology in their daily lives, so I need to constantly review our digital strategy to ensure that it helps us move forward at the right pace for their needs.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Being part of an organisation that has done so much to help older people has been really rewarding. The strength of the senior management team of which I am a member is really important too.
Anything you don't enjoy?
Five days before Christmas in 2006 we had a fire in one of our services. It had only been open for a couple of months, the damage was extensive and one of our residents died as a result of smoke inhalation. As part of the disaster recovery process, my job was to deal with the media as well as think about how else and to whom the organisation needed to communicate, such as staffing the 24-hour telephone helpline for worried relatives and sharing information with staff and residents on our other sites. Negative publicity is always stressful, but we were able to provide a positive message about the Trust's ability to cope and respond in a crisis, which improved our image in the city.
What kind of personality is best suited to working in a job like yours?
You have to be interested in understanding what makes people 'tick' in order that you can engage them in the right way. Being passionate and believing in what you do is also a great help. Being able to plan is useful – so that you can look ahead and work out what's coming next before it's already upon you!
Any top tips for people wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Don't ever think you'll get to a point in your career where you'll stop learning. I believe it's really important to make sure you're up to date on the latest thinking. Digital media and a shifting focus onto relationship/interactive marketing is a whole new area about which I'm still developing my knowledge and helping my team to get to grips with.