How It Works The Streams
Corporate Reputation Management
Rupert Faircliff
BRAND STRATEGY CONSULTANT, Interbrand
What attracted you to Accelerate?
I had done a few work experience placements in journalism, politics and PR. I knew that the marketing world was something I was definitely interested in, but I didn’t know exactly what. Accelerate appealed as I got to try a variety of disciplines across marketing. Plus, I thought the application wouldn’t take 2 weeks to complete!
What stream were you on and what companies did you work for?
As I’d done a few PR placements, I was selected for the Corporate Reputation Management stream. I began at Kreab Gavin Anderson, then went to Interbrand, Fleishman-Hillard, Weapon 7 and Hall & Partners.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learnt through being on the programme?
I think the most important thing I’ve learnt is to have that inner confidence to grab every opportunity that comes my way. Otherwise, you’ll never know if you can do it and you probably won’t get asked again!
What’s the best thing about being on the programme?
Being able to experience different marketing disciplines and then if you impress, being able to choose where you’d like to work is great. Secondly, the training that DAS provide is fantastic and I don’t know of many grad schemes that provide as much. And lastly, a trip to New York to meet some of the top executives at Omnicom and DAS agencies isn’t bad!
What’s the hardest thing about being on the programme?
Having to switch placements every 3 months is tough. Not only are you changing where you work, you change who you’re working with, who mentors you, as well as what you’re doing. You might not have much experience of what you’re doing. So you have to be able to keep up with the pace, but it gets easier as you go through the programme.
Where are you now and how did you get there?
When I finished Accelerate I had a really tough decision to make about where I wanted to work. Even though I wasn’t on the Brand stream, I decided I had enjoyed and got the most from my placement at Interbrand. When they offered me a role as a Brand Strategy Consultant, it was too hard to turn down.
What piece of advice would you give to someone applying to Accelerate?
3 things: have some work experience on your CV, have an (informed) opinion, and be keen.
Please give an example of something you’ve done that you never would have had the opportunity to do if you hadn’t been on the programme?
Picking their brains and then giving a solo presentation to all the CEOs and MDs of all my agencies. I certainly couldn’t have done that until I’d gained all the experience of Accelerate.
What brands have you worked on?
H&M, Investor AB, Mercedez Benz, Smart, New Look, Cadbury, Mondo Visione, Gucci and many more.
Describe yourself in 3 words
Motivated brand man
Describe in 3 words what we look for in an Accelerate graduate
Articulate, enthusiastic, stand-0ut.
In today’s hyper-connected world you don’t need to be told how vital a great reputation is to a brand’s success and you only need to keep abreast of the news to notice how quickly perceptions can change—think BP’s recent Oil Spill as an example of the far reaching damage when it goes wrong.
More than ever big business brands need to be on top of how they’re perceived by their stakeholders, (not just their clients, but the City, the Government, shareholders, employees, the local community, the media and individual people) and the influence they have, in order to most effectively manage the perception of their brand. This stream focuses on how to best engage with these client stakeholders to effectively manage the total reputation of corporate brands.
Kreab Gavin Anderson is a global public relations and communications partnership, advising corporations and other organizations on issues of strategic importance in business, finance and politics. They help clients solve complex communications challenges, maximize opportunities and achieve their strategic goals.
Worldwide, KGA are experts in reputation management, corporate positioning, crises and issues management, M&A and capital market communications, public affairs and government relations.
Interbrand is recognised for being at the forefront of the dialogue on brands as business assets. They’ve worked with clients such as GE, Thomson Reuters, Hays, Pearson and Samsung to define and clarify their brand in a way that drives business growth. Whoever their client, they are concerned with only one thing: creating a measurable and positive effect on their business by building a powerful brand.
Fleishman-Hillard, a global leader in marketing and communications, is one of the industry’s most recognized public relations agencies, bringing together deep strategic thinking and a seamless network to deliver real-world results.
Weapon7 is a digitally-led agency, comprising of 55 enthusiastic individuals from diverse backgrounds who love working collaboratively. They create joined-up communications that inspire people to engage with brands using a tried and tested model called Brand Participation, which is made up of three stages: Tempt, Engage and Build.
First, Tempt with information, intrigue or an incentive. Then Engage by following up with content that delivers something of value. And subsequently Build the relationship to help people make a purchase or share their experience.
It could be that this is all done online. More likely, it will be the ideal mix of digital, direct mail, print, ambient, digital TV, point of sale and maybe something that hasn’t been invented yet. They work with mind, Mercedes-Benz, smart, Kraft, DHL, TV Licensing, Microsoft, Ubisoft and the COI.. Weapon7 has a love of innovation and a strong focus on award winning creative work.
Hall & Partners are a market research company specialising in brand and communication research. They research the impact of the communication a brand gives out on consumers, and offer all types of research (qual, quant, local, international, consumer and healthcare) to help understand brand and advertising issues.