By Lauren.
It’s Wednesday morning and our Head of Creative interrupts my peaceful start with a “Have you seen the news?” I haven’t. Its 8.30am and my mind is caught up in meeting minutes and a bit of an admin backlog. “Earthquake in Haiti,” he informs me, and there it is, the rest of my working week goes into a spin.
Before I know it, it’s Friday night and we’ve produced 27 press ads for the week and weekend broadsheets. We’re not the only ones. In fact, all of the major, and some not so major, international aid charities are in the papers from Thursday onwards. Everyone has been incredibly quick off the mark.
Not since the tsunami has such a large-scale fundraising effort been put into practice. The difference is this time everyone is prepared. The Disasters Emergency Committee – the umbrella organisation which coordinates responses to overseas disasters – received £10 million in just 24 hours. The other notable difference is that this time we have more media at our fingertips. According to The Independent Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have collectively produced $9 million in donations whilst text messages have produced a further $11 million.
As I flick through the papers, I ask myself whether they are saturated with requests for help. Perhaps. Is that a problem? According to the above figures and my experience at TW CAT no. The UK public continues to give generously.
Inevitably the usual NGO backlash will begin over when the money will get there, what it is used for and how it will affect the development of the country. What is clear is that Haiti will need all the help that it can get and as infrastructure delays aid reaching areas most affected, being quick off the mark in raising funds is critical.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
A message from Clare, our brilliant new Account Exec
I’m sure most people would agree the first week at a new job is a daunting prospect, and to be frank, last Monday morning I was more than a little apprehensive. However, I need not have worried, as everyone at TW CAT has welcomed me into the team with open arms. It’s not in every office you are greeted in the morning with a lick to the face and a wag of the tail, but our resident pooches Percy and Bear are an added bonus that makes the third floor in Huntingdon House such a unique and fantastic place to work.
I’ve had a little agency experience, but I’m glad to be starting from the basics. Lots of inductions with staff in different areas of TW CAT have given me a great overview of how the cogs turn. I have been putting together a ‘jargon dictionary’ full of Marketing terms I’ve never heard of, and have been fully assured that within a few months I’ll be picking up the post off of the doormat and poring over the printing and paper quality of the Chinese takeaway menu. That said, although I feel that there is a lot to learn, I have found myself absorbing more information than I had first anticipated. When a friend asked me how it was going, I was able to enthusiastically reel off plenty of information about current projects and clients. I think this is to do with the way Robin and Lily (my Account team) have included me in absolutely everything from the get go. It has been really enlightening to sit in on Creative briefings, pitch meetings, teleconferences, and team catch-ups, and to be honest I think getting your hands dirty so to speak, is the best way to learn.
The tragic earthquake disaster in Haiti has served to prove not only how important fundraising is, but also has reaffirmed (in my mind) the dedication needed to succeed in the charity sector. It is at times like these when the world rallies together in support of one great cause, and the urgency and generosity of donors, aid workers, as well as agencies such as TW CAT striving to get a message across, never ceases to astonish me. To be part of that is a really exciting prospect for me, and I am looking forward to learning and developing within the agency.
If my Monday morning started with a few nerves, Friday evening was the complete antithesis. I was further welcomed to the team with a trip to the pub, a really nice chance for me to get to know everyone a little better. Needless to say, after a gallon of wine the feeling of being the new girl had completely subsided!
I’ve had a little agency experience, but I’m glad to be starting from the basics. Lots of inductions with staff in different areas of TW CAT have given me a great overview of how the cogs turn. I have been putting together a ‘jargon dictionary’ full of Marketing terms I’ve never heard of, and have been fully assured that within a few months I’ll be picking up the post off of the doormat and poring over the printing and paper quality of the Chinese takeaway menu. That said, although I feel that there is a lot to learn, I have found myself absorbing more information than I had first anticipated. When a friend asked me how it was going, I was able to enthusiastically reel off plenty of information about current projects and clients. I think this is to do with the way Robin and Lily (my Account team) have included me in absolutely everything from the get go. It has been really enlightening to sit in on Creative briefings, pitch meetings, teleconferences, and team catch-ups, and to be honest I think getting your hands dirty so to speak, is the best way to learn.
The tragic earthquake disaster in Haiti has served to prove not only how important fundraising is, but also has reaffirmed (in my mind) the dedication needed to succeed in the charity sector. It is at times like these when the world rallies together in support of one great cause, and the urgency and generosity of donors, aid workers, as well as agencies such as TW CAT striving to get a message across, never ceases to astonish me. To be part of that is a really exciting prospect for me, and I am looking forward to learning and developing within the agency.
If my Monday morning started with a few nerves, Friday evening was the complete antithesis. I was further welcomed to the team with a trip to the pub, a really nice chance for me to get to know everyone a little better. Needless to say, after a gallon of wine the feeling of being the new girl had completely subsided!
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