Amy Priestley works for River Island, as a social media and digital marketing assistant. After doing work experience in the fashion chain’s marketing department at the age of 17, Amy knew a career in the world of fashion marketing was for her.
How did you get started in marketing for a fashion brand?
It all started when I came to do work experience at River Island HO when I was 17. During my three-week internship I was offered a chance to work in the marketing and press teams for a few days and realised how much I loved that side of the industry. I then went on to study Fashion at art college followed by Fashion Marketing at Northumbria University and ended up back at River Island as a Marketing/Press Assistant on my placement year. After I graduated a job came up in the digital team and they couldn’t keep me away!
How would you describe your work?
Fast pace, diverse and ever-changing! The social and digital fields are always growing and changing and you have to make sure you’re always ahead of the game.
Did you want to work in fashion specifically?
Yes, I’ve always been creative and had a love of fashion. When I was 15 I gave up every weekend to work in a luxury independent retailer and never looked back.
What’s a typical day like for you on the job?
Never the same as the last! It involves waking up, checking my emails, and checking all our social channels. As social is very fast paced, we often have very short lead times and I’ve had to learn to react very quickly to what’s trending. We work with our web and graphics team to update the Style Insider blog and throughout the year our team work on the Style Insider Magazine which comes out quarterly. I’m always running down to the studio to shoot something for Instagram, or out & about at festival/ events covering street style etc. We then look to what the key marketing and brand messages are for that week to push across all our social channels – we collaborate with lots of designers and bloggers so there are always something exciting in the pipeline – watch this space…
What’s the best thing about your work?
There is never a dull day in the office and I’m lucky enough to work for a great company with lots of my friends.
And that hardest part?
You can never really switch off. Social Media is 24/7 which can make it very demanding. Sometimes you need to make time for a digital detox!
What inspires you in your work?
As I come from a more creative background I have always been interested in the visual and create side of social. River Island is a fun and fashionable brand so there are lots of areas to be creative and we have a lot of freedom as a team to come up with idea and make it happen.
What’s your advice for anyone considering a career in fashion marketing?
I would say make sure you keep ahead of the industry! Keep interested and keep your eyes out, not just in fashion but to other brands to see what exciting campaigns are out there. Be prepared to put in the hard work and more than anything get experience. Personally, I found work experience gave me the biggest insight into the industry and led me where I am now.
Find out more about working at River Island at www.riverislandcareers.com
