Personality Sells
The afternoon opened with Abigail Williamson, Senior Advertising Sales Executive, Classified, at Vogue.
Abigail energised the students by emphasising the importance of personality and tenacity in advertising sales roles. She shared her enjoyment of building relationships with clients on the phone and highlighted the importance of having personal interests outside of fashion – hers being food.
Creativity Beyond Data
Next, Erin McQuitty and Yana Filippova from the Insights team at Condé Nast explained how Insights goes beyond data, emphasising the need for creativity in their roles. They discussed how the insights team conveys important statistics to the commercial team to effectively target affluent customers that Condé Nast titles reach. For instance, Condé Nast Traveller audiences are six times more likely to belong to the highest income group. Erin also shared how her curious nature makes her well-suited for her role.
Catherine Hayward, a fellow BA student, reflected afterward, “As we move into a world increasingly reliant on data and analytics, gaining exposure from industry professionals within the Insights team is incredibly valuable.”
Harnessing Inquisitiveness in Creative Marketing
Nicole Brixi, CNC BA Graduate, who now works as a Creative Marketing Strategist at Condé Nast, followed. Nicole discussed her journey from executing an outstanding final project for her skincare brand at CNC, followed by a position at the prestigious Karla Otto PR agency, to her current role. She stressed the importance of a curious mindset, cultural awareness, and a diplomatic attitude. Nicole shared that even small insights, such as noticing an emerging internet trend among friends, can inform larger trends. She also provided a useful resource for tackling client marketing briefs, including identifying the main challenges of a brief.
Evolving with Vogue: Insights from Deputy Features Director Olivia Marks
The final speaker was Olivia Marks, Deputy Features Director of Vogue. I had the privilege of asking Olivia how she has seen Vogue’s identity evolve during her eight-year tenure. She attributed changes to shifts in leadership, with Chioma Nandi succeeding Edward Enninful, who championed diversity during his six years at the magazine. Olivia concluded with a powerful message: today anyone can be a Vogue cover star – no dream is too bold.
Reflecting on the event, fellow BA student, Ying Xuan said “It’s an enriching experience hearing from current Condé Nast staff and understanding what really goes on behind the scenes of a publication house and media business,”.
On behalf of the BA Year 2 students, I’d like to thank the various teams at Condé Nast for their time and inspiration as we look forward to our future careers.
Find out more about our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice
By Charlotte Coates, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice student
