Behind the Headlines with Spider PR’s Jessica Dixon
Jessica Dixon, director, B2B and corporate, at Spider PR, on being a fan of “reactive opportunities”, where she first showed off her persuasive comms skills and why age is just a number.
Before I reach the office in the morning, I’ve already…
I’m an early bird and so mornings are my most productive time. I like to arrive early to get cracking before my team get in. I’ll have scanned the headlines and logged any news of relevance to my clients.
I’m a fan of reactive opportunities and so any significant hook that could possibly be jumped upon, we’ll action. Checked my emails and diary, normally over one of my ten cups of tea a day while listening to a TED talk or two before kick-starting some copy writing.
You’ll mostly find emails about…in my inbox.
It varies hugely. Anything from new business ideas to team targets to new hires and brainstorming how to strengthen client campaigns. We have a coverage guarantee scheme, which means we’re 100% accountable for results and so ensuring all campaigns are on track is of high importance.
I know I’ve had a good day if…
My team are buzzing from the results achieved.
My first job was…
A professional dishwasher in a restaurant in Kent. Not necessarily skills that have benefited my PR career greatly, however useful none-the-less. It was a constant carousel of china, although I once managed to get upgraded to tomato chopping. Perhaps this is where my persuasive comms skills were first flexed.
I can tell a campaign is succeeding when…
Some of my clients decide to replicate our UK-led campaigns on a European or global level. My aim is for our clients’ campaigns and brand awareness to be the benchmark for their competitors and other markets. When even my high targets are exceeded I know we’re on the road to success.
I eat….when nobody is watching.
Minstrels are my weakness but luckily our office Wednesday “sweetie day” always satisfies my cravings. Not dissimilar to a lion’s feeding time, it is a sight to behold but keeps the team going.
The first time I pitched to a journalist…
I somewhat naively thought I’d secured a BBC opportunity. I now drill into my team what ‘placing info on file’ really means.
The worst thing anyone has said to me is…
We have too many creative ideas.
The last book I read was…
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
I’ve never really understood why…
Some brands still don’t understand the benefit and power of PR activity. It’s a mystery to me.
If I could go back and talk to my ten-year-old self, I’d say…
Age is just a number. With hard work, anything can be achieved.
This time next year, I’ll be…
Hopefully managing a larger team, having grown our client base further with some even stronger campaigns in the pipeline.
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