Promotional staff: The team leader

April 21, 2011

Promotional and marketing staff are involved in a wide variety of work. No day is the same and many who are employed in this sector say they love their jobs. To find out more about what the work entails we spoke to the staff who provide the link between the marketing project and the public. 

Up first is Oliver, who works in marketing and promotion on a freelance basis and in a range of roles including event manager and team leader. Oliver is 34 and lives in Battersea, London.

Tell us more about the role: I most often manage a team in a promotional marketing activity introducing a product directly to the general public.

Do you enjoy it? It’s a diverse job that brings lot of my own attributes to the table. Every day is different and directly communicating with the public is mostly very rewarding. I enjoy managing a team of people to achieve our goals. It’s a fun, sociable and entertaining style of work. 

Tell us about the range of work that you have done: Demonstrating, sampling, mystery shopping, hosting, presenting, operational management, rigging, and, most recently, photographing promotional activities.

Have there been any recent highlights of your work? I learnt how to make great cocktails using tequila! I’ve also travelled across the UK and managed my team in some really cool bars that I would never have the opportunity to go to. And I’ve made some really close friend through my work, which is a great bonus. 

How did you get into promotional work? I was working in Dubai during the recession and I lost my job. I was then asked to do some work for Mini and then decided to come back to the UK. I haven’t looked back.  

What makes you good at your promotional staff job? I work as hard as the person next to me, which I think is the best way to motivate others. I am loud and a bit of an extrovert so I do not find it difficult getting the key brand messages across to the public in a professional way. I am also good and making work fun for others and getting people to laugh. 

Has it been a good career option? Yes and no. Yes, because I’m my own boss and can accept the work I want to do. I also work all over the country and have fun in the process. But while the money is good there aren’t many opportunities for a career where I will progress and gain bigger salaries. I think that is generally the drawback of freelance work whichever industry you’re in. But flexibility and choosing your work is a huge bonus. So, as I said, it's a "yes and no" answer!

Would you recommend promotional work to others? Yes! It’s flexible, reasonably well paid and massive fun.

Any other great reasons for working in promotion? You get to play, eat, try, read and learn about new products before they are launched to the public.

Top tips for promotional staff success: If you want to climb, do more than what is asked of you.

We'll be speaking to several other promotional staff workers and bringing more blogs about this interesting sector of the industry.