Lauren Archer Etherington - Brand Marketing & PR consultant, Archer&
Did you always envisage a career in the Media Industry?
I sort of fell into Marketing and PR after graduating, it wasn’t necessarily my plan, but then again there wasn’t much of a plan, either. When I was at University I was hoping to get into radio presenting and did lots of extra-curricular work in this space, but it never ended up going anywhere long-term. I’ve had so much fun in my career, though and have worked with and for some brilliant people. I even met my husband!
What has been your career path so far?
After Uni I worked for a couple of professional services firms as an entry-level Marketing Exec, moving into a managerial role after a couple of years with some direct reports. I feel like I found my feet around 10 years ago when I joined a wellrespected digital agency, Silverbean, as their in-house Head of Marketing and PR, where I had a few great years.
I then moved into a bigger role at Visualsoft, before going it alone just over six years ago as a Freelance consultant. I’ve had the privilege of working with a great bunch of clients, largely agencies, but some SaaS scale-ups, too. Agencies are very much my niche, however, and that’s something I went “all in” on this year.
What have been the biggest challenges you have faced so far?
I face a wide range of challenges that keep me on my toes every day. Wrestling the diverse expectations of multiple clients requires skill, empathy and very good planning and organisation skills. Beyond the day-to-day service delivery is the less glamorous side of running a business – the constant stream of administrative tasks and things like chasing invoices.
Who do you respect most in your industry?
I hugely respect and value the opinion of Sarah Waddington CBE, a powerhouse of our profession, who has done outstanding work and driven real change in this industry.
Which fictional media character can you most relate to?
My husband and I always joke that I’m like Bridget Jones in that I “waltz in and fanny on with the press releases” but I don’t think that’s a great advert, to be honest. We laugh about it, anyway!
What is your greatest strength?
I’m a fixer and know innately how to get the job done for agencies.
I realised fairly recently that every single marketing role I’ve had, and every client I’ve ever worked with, has required me to completely overhaul the approach, sort out the confusion and mess made from haphazard campaigns and build marketing functions that deliver on the brand’s mission, objectives, people initiatives and commercial goals. Ultimately, setting them up for success and building agency brands that the people leading them and working for them can be proud of.
What is your biggest weakness?
Trash TV and a good Rioja on an evening!
Professionally? I can be impatient and get frustrated when progress is hampered by delays or procrastination. I’m working on it!
What has been your proudest achievement?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been recognised by the industry in the past, receiving a couple of spots on ‘Top Women in Digital’ and that kind of thing, however, the thing I’m most proud of is that I have run my own business for over 6 years and delivered work I’m proud of.
I know where my expertise lies and thankfully I have the contacts and reputation in my niche that means my ideal clients frequently contact me to work together, and that has happened as a result of hard work and consistency. I’m now my longest employer and that feels fantastic!
What are your future career aspirations?
It’s funny because my objectives now are so different from what they were even five years ago. I simply want to do work I’m great at and minimise the stress in my life so I can be there for the moments that matter with my family.
How do you see your industry evolving in the next 10 years?
A lot of people are scared of AI at the moment and there are so many scaremongering articles out there about AI coming for our jobs. But let’s not be afraid, let’s be real. My view is that we should use AI to help us with processes and simple tasks, leaving our brilliant human brains to do the work that requires creativity and personality.
How do you like to unwind?
I have a two-year-old tornado of a son so I can’t say my life is full of moments to unwind at the moment, but when I get time to myself I like to go on long walks with the dog, listening to my favourite podcasts. I also love to cook and find real joy in making delicious food for my family.
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