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A huge global company and a leader in its field

posted by Caroline Grant
12 November 2014

It was complete luck that I started working for Clarks. I’d just finished my final year at university and while I was searching for a graduate job, I took a part-time role in my local Clarks store where they were recruiting Sales Assistants for the back to school rush. I really enjoyed working in store and quickly realised that Clarks is a fantastic company to work for, so I uploaded my CV to the Clarks Careers site and before I knew it, I was working in Head Office.

I work in Multi-Channel Retail (MCR), which manages everything to do with the Clarks UK website. It’s a fantastic channel for reaching out to existing as well as potential customers. I work in the Digital Marketing Team and focus on retention marketing, which is all about keeping our consumers buying and making sure that Clarks is their first choice for footwear. We manage the planning, building and delivery of all Clarks UK email marketing campaigns.

The office that I work in is fantastic. We’re a great team and that alone is enough to make me want to stay with Clarks. There’s always a lot to do, but together we have a great sense of positivity which allows us to get things done. We have different strengths which mean we always challenge each other from a new angle and it helps us keep the bigger picture in perspective. I didn’t know anyone when I moved here so it’s brilliant to be working in an environment where I can count many of my colleagues as friends. Our office also seems to have a constant supply of cakes which always helps productivity!

At the moment we are working on an exciting project which aims to send our consumers more personalised emails based on their previous purchases, shopping habits and approach to fashion. It’s a really exciting way of engaging with customers by showing them exactly what they want, and making sure we’re promoting the huge range of products we have to the people who are most likely to buy them.

Our email database reached 2 million subscribed contacts this year, so categorising these customers into segmented profiles is no mean feat! It has certainly been challenging so far, but we know it will be worth it so we’ll continue to work at it until we get it right.

I love that Clarks has all the benefits of a large corporation but still feels like a small business. It’s a huge global company and a leader in its field, but at the same time I feel like my voice is still heard and there is always plenty of opportunity to put forward ideas and progress. There are huge benefits to working at Clarks – I have to admit I love the discount as I’m a typical girl who loves shoes and handbags… I spend a lot of time planning what I’m going to buy next!

My first role at Head Office was as a Data Analyst, so I completed a lot of training courses for that. Since moving to my role in Digital Marketing, I have also had bespoke training focusing on the marketing platform we use and how we can best optimise our campaigns. I’ve now found myself training new team members, which is something I really love doing. Our processes are quite specialised, so a lot of training is required regardless of how much experience a new employee has. I started this role with no marketing experience myself, so I find it really rewarding sharing the knowledge I have gained with those who are just starting out.

Outside of work I split my time between my family and friends from my hometown in Worcestershire and my university friends who are all based in London. I am also a keen horse rider and love cycling and Pilates. I have also tried to take up running recently - so far, so good - but whether I keep it up through the winter is another thing!

Hannah - Digital Marketing Executive - Street, Somerset, UK