Our profile feature takes a look at some of the global professionals working across performance marketing, shedding light on the varying roles and companies across the flourishing industry. This week we head to London to meet Hannah Pitman.
Name:
Hannah Pitman.
Job title and company:
Head of acquisition at Starcom MediaVest Group.
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
At Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) we bring creativity and data together – the marriage of art and science if you like – to create connected human experiences for consumers on behalf of our clients.
What are the company’s unique selling points?
We make the complex simple, and successful, for our clients. What does that mean? In this era of ongoing disruption we deliver intelligent brand building solutions for our clients. We do this by harnessing tech and dynamic collaborations to lead the market in terms of innovation, content marketing and precision marketing. Above all we understand how to produce the most engaging and relevant campaigns for consumers across multiple touch points, to the benefit of our clients’ brands.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
This year started with real momentum and it hasn’t let up. We launched our NextTECHnow team in January – which acts as a matchmaker between tech startups and clients – and is already proving to be a real hit only four months in. The wider SMG team is also growing and diversifying across our areas of expertise such as precision, data and content.
In 2014 we cleaned up at every major festival culminating in the Media Network of the Year accolade in December, and it continues; last month we won an impressive three golds, one silver and two bronze at the Global Festival of Media.
We’re constantly expanding and improving the service we deliver to our growing number of clients. Recently, we announced a ground-breaking partnership with Storyful and we also launched our CONTENT@SCALE marketing solution across EMEA. This all builds on the group’s acquisitions of MRY and Relevant24.
To put all this in context we’re regularly hitting major milestones and next month our London office is moving to a new building in Farringdon (it was once Turnmills nightclub) which is a more fitting location for our new establishment credentials.
Duration in current role:
10 months.
Where are you based?
Current based in Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, however we are due to move to our shiny new offices in Farringdon imminently.
Previous performance marketing-related companies you have worked at:
I previously spent five years working at the Lowcosttravelgroup Heading up global partner marketing and tourist board activity.
What are your main job responsibilities?
At SMG my main responsibility is to lead the acquisition team in strategy, innovation and growth for our clients, focusing on not only traditional affiliate activity, but also a core focus of lead generation.
Take us through what you get up to on a typical working Monday:
Every day is varied, which is part of the reason I adore my job! Every day starts at 4:30am by walking George, my PUG. I’m in the office by 7:45, sat down, checking the inbox. The rest of the day can be a mixture of publisher and client meetings as well internal team strategy.
What top three websites can you be found browsing during your lunch hour?
- Sky News
- The Londoner
- New Scientist
What are your top three tips for someone looking to get their hands on a job like yours?
- Work hard, nothing is free.
- Make connections, be nice, you never know when your paths will cross again.
- Set goals, helps you focus on what’s important.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years’ time?
I honestly can’t see my future beyond Starcom, so in three years I would like to be expanding our ever increasing acquisition team as well as on-boarding and maintaining interesting clients.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I have a degree in Forensic Biology, specialising in Entomology 😉