“Play Hard, Work Harder!” – Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt
March 24, 2011
Ailsa Brogan-Hewitt graduated from the BA PR course in 2009. She is now an Account Executive at Rising Digital, a social media and word of mouth marketing consultancy specializing in the music industry.
Ailsa was undecided about where to study, however the reputation of PR at Leeds Met coupled with a more than impressive open day swayed her choice.
Ailsa’s fondest memories of LMU include achieving her first ‘first’, finally completely her dissertation, graduation day and of course what every student loves best – excelling in the Leeds club culture.
In her current role at Rising Digital, Ailsa helps both emerging and discovered artists make the most out of new technologies and online platforms. She works to create environments where clients can communicate with fans, look after and maintain their social networks by uploading quality content and enhancing their online presence in an ethical manner.
Mostly, Ailsa manages accounts by promoting new releases, podcasts and competitions. She also updates clients’ websites, blogs and social networks with relevant content.
Working with DJs / Producers the likes of Axwell, Deadmau5, Chris Lake, Michael Woods, Sander van Doorn, Mauro Picotto, Mason, Sasha, Paul Rogers and Simon Patterson, Gorillaz, Ailsa struggles to pick a favourite as they’re all so different and talented in their own way.
“The best thing about my job is that no day is ever the same – it’s one of my favourite things about working in social media. Everyday presents new ways of doing things through the use of evolving technologies and obviously the fact that it’s music means it’s very difficult to get bored. For example, I love the instant satisfaction of posting a blog post on a clients Facebook page and seeing the amazing feedback left by fans… you don’t get that from seeing your press release in a magazine.“
Ailsa’s advice to current students is to “play hard, but work harder, nothing that’s easy is worth having – a great philosophy which I live by!”
“Be Confident, Not Arrogant” – Seb Mysko
January 30, 2011
Sebastian Mysko is the Managing Director of the social media and word of mouth marketing consultancy – Rising Digital, with clients the likes of Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Chris Lake, Gorillaz, Mauro Picotto, Miss Dynamite, Sander van Doorn , Simon Patterson to name a few.
Seb stud
ied Marketing Management at Northumbria Uni. It was at the music festival Sonar when he landed his first Comms Job when one of his uni friends (who’d graduated a year before him) offered him the opportunity to work at Harrison Cowley (now Grayling ).
“I got in early and left late, made the tea, but also developed good relations with the team and three weeks after my graduation, I was offered a position as Account Executive. Looking back, I’m really glad I started near the bottom and worked through all the stages – I feel it’s given me a much greater understanding and sense of compassion for the whole team network.”
Seb’s role as MD at Rising Digital consists mostly of meetings, phone calls and pretty much constantly talking digital strategy. Getting 200 to 400 emails a day, of which about 30% need dealing with there and then, Seb is a big advocate of the phone!
“I’ve worked more campaigns than I can think of, the most obvious being that of the Swedish House Mafia; eighteen months ago they started with no Facebook fans and no online presence. By Q4 of 2010, well… I think you know the rest. But, I have to say, it’s all well and good working on a campaign when you’re a part of it, but it’s much more exciting when you’re actually leading and controlling it.”
Some of his most memorable clients include the Gorillaz, who Rising has supported since they started, Radio One’s In new DJs we trust and Alex Metric - “he continues to educate me in quality and eclectic sounds. But, really I love them all – Axwell’s team is just fantastic… honestly, I could just go on and on.”
Seb admits he wasn’t the most studious student, but he is an excellent people person. When he landed that first PR job, he absorbed so much information about a topic he really had no knowledge of. Coming from an expat background, he didn’t listen to radio, read the UK papers or really ever watch the news. He didn’t read any trade magazines other than music industry stuff, which for the most part, he ‘only bought for the free CDs.’
“At Harrison Cowley I was surrounded by so many personalities that I guess I had real access to, even the MD. I was like a sponge, mopping up every single piece of advise and theory they could throw at me.”
Seb’s advice to current students is to treat the business world like a new client proposal; do your research and set your objectives, the strategy and treat the industry as your target market. Be confident in your approach, not arrogant, but believable.
“ In our first two years of trading, I’m confident we’ve won 99% of our business because people like us. The fact we do the work well is the bread and butter.”
