Interview with Katie Hughes

Katie Hughes is an award-winning communication professional with over 14 years experience gained both agency and client side. She is a former winner of the Marketing Society Rising Star Award in 2012.

Katie has developed highly focused through-the-line strategic campaigns for both private and public-sector clients during her career at best in class agencies in Scotland and Northern Ireland. As an Account Director at leading creative agency, Whitespace, Katie was integral to cross-agency campaigns for her key accounts; Tennent’s Lager, Highland Spring and the Scottish Government. Katie has also spent time client side, heading up a full rebranding process with the creation of all related collateral and new website.

Katie now runs her own successful marketing consultancy business – The Bow Agency, she also trains communication professionals and acts as a mentor. We caught up with Katie ahead of her appearance at Inspiring Briefs on 14 March.

Tell me about yourself! What route did you take to beginning your career in Marketing?

Well at school I wanted to do medicine… so when I didn’t get in (a surprise to nobody but me) I decided on something creative, I’ve always loved design. I got into University through clearing and started a BA (Hons) Communication two weeks later!

When I graduated, Barkers (as was) were looking for account handlers in their Edinburgh office. I didn’t think I stood a chance but they asked for a creative application and boy did I give them one – I had nothing to lose! It obviously did the trick as I was offered an interview and got the job. The pay was terrible but our team had to set our own adverts as well as book the media space, invoice and manage our clients so the learning curve was steep and invaluable. I couldn’t have wished for a better start.

Almost 15 years later, I live in my hometown of St Andrews with my husband, my little boy and our naughty labradoodle in our very own ‘grand design’ project house and I run my own consultancy - The Bow Agency. Life is full and busy.

You’ve worked with some pretty impressive brands during your career. What was the most memorable campaign you worked on?

My career highlight was managing the award winning through-the-line campaign for the new Belfast brand, which encompassed a multi-layered approach, from a 60 second TV commercial to a live outside broadcast of the new brand being unveiled across the city! At this point tourism in Belfast was a relativity new phenomenon. Visit Belfast itself was turning 10 years old.

It was a huge task and involved multiple stakeholders each with their own agenda. I had a fantastic client and we had a very trusting relationship. She pushed the agency hard and made our work even better as a result. It was exhilarating and rewarding. We not only created a fantastic campaign but got right into the nuts and bolts of the way in which the city welcomed tourists – from street dressing to a welcoming party for cruise ship guest quayside, (the number the cruise ships coming to Belfast doubled within 3 years). We attracted large scale events to the city and won considerable business for the agency as an added bonus!

The campaign was an overwhelming success and helped Belfast secure must-see-city status with Conde Nast, National Geographic, The Sunday Times, Guardian, Buzzfeed and many more, not to mention the economic benefits to the city itself helping in its continued regeneration and growth.

Who are your biggest inspirations in the industry?

It would be easy to rhyme off some big names, but its young talent with new skills that inspire me. The industry has changed so much even in the last ten years, it’s thrilling to be a part of this change, and increasingly it is those who are brave enough to do something different or differently that inspires me.

We are all able to work more flexibly and freely than ever before and the removal of previous limitations combined with the ease of sharing information creates a fast-paced industry which is deliciously rich with inspiration. The model I use for The Bow Agency is that I select the most relevant skill sets for each piece of work from a wide bank of freelance talent and as a result I am continually learning.

I don’t have much free time but a passion of mine is reading, I regularly cherry-pick from; Time, The Economist, National Geographic, The New Yorker and whatever else falls in my path. I find I draw on articles I’ve read in my day-to-day work all the time.

What brands are you most impressed by at the moment? Any campaigns which have particularly caught your eye?

Perhaps it’s because I assume I am their target market but I really like the outreach work on social from Isle of Harris Distillers. Stylish content that is interesting and relatable whilst still feeling aspirational – they are really striking a great balance at the moment. 

In contrast, I think it’s difficult time for big brands who appear to be struggling to relate to their audiences on the smaller, more intimate scale we are all becoming accustomed to. They want to be everything to everyone and they simply can’t.

What’s was the drive behind launching your own marketing consultancy? And what have been the highlights so far?

A sequence of events and experiences led me to really question what I wanted to do and how I wanted my life to work. I enjoy the challenge and freedom that working for yourself brings to all aspects of my life.

The highlight so far isn’t a single piece of client work (though I am fiercely proud of the work we have created) but that after almost two years since I started, I feel more passionate and focused than I’ve ever done…and I have the best work / life balance I have ever had.  

What’s the key to a successful client/agency partnership?

Honesty. Be honest about what you think, be honest about what things cost, be honest about how long things will take, be honest about when things go wrong, be honest about what you each expect from the other.

That’s the only way that I have found to create a trusting relationship that will be rewarding for both parties.

I am deeply interested in the development of human relationships and psychology how an agency operates and client/agency relationships – but that’s for another time.

Katie will be speaking at Inspiring Briefs on March 14. 

Katie on Linkedin