Emilie Hampton is a results-driven performance marketing and social media specialist with a proven track record of driving change to accelerate sales growth and optimise profitability for multi-million-pound organisations.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role
Since it’s conception, I’ve always been fascinated and passionate about social media and the ways in which it can help brands connect with their customers. Throughout my career, I’ve helped businesses from small startups to multi-million pound organisations leverage the power of social media to drive awareness and sales growth. I’m currently the Client Partnerships Director for Redu, the UK’s biggest shopping influencer, and my role is to help brands drive incremental sales by promoting their products and services to a large online audience.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career?
My career evolved organically as I responded to the different opportunities that presented themselves along the way. I think if you have an open mindset, readily make new connections, and invest in yourself, then opportunities will naturally arise. My career started in social media, but over time has evolved into affiliate marketing spaces where I have gained new skills that I never planned from the onset. The digital industry changes so much, that there are job roles now that didn’t even exist five years ago! Of course, I think it sensible to set goals for yourself and to have some kind of planned direction, but I think if you are open-minded to exploring new avenues and making connections, the rest can fall into place.
Have you faced any challenges along the way?
Yes, of course! The digital landscape is evolving at such a fast pace that it’s so important in this industry to keep up with new developments to remain competitive. If you don’t react to technological changes fast, you’ll get left behind. This isn’t an industry to ‘do what you’ve always done’, you need to keep ahead of the game.
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Leading the Redu team and seeing it grow quickly into one of the biggest UK publishers in the affiliate industry is something I’m immensely proud of. Winning an award at the Performance Marketing Awards last year was definitely a highlight for us, and for me personally, being featured in PerformanceIn’s Top 50 Industry Players in 2018 for my contributions to the Performance Marketing industry.
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?
Surrounding myself with the right people. However good you are, you can only get so far on your own! I’m a firm believer that retaining and nurturing talent is the key to success. If you can motivate people, show them that you truly value them, and help them to grow, you will build the solid foundations of a successful team, which in turn will help your business to flourish. And if you’re not yet in a position of leadership, give someone reason to believe in you and help you grow!
If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Parity, what would it be?
A real obstacle for women in the workplace is balancing work life and childcare. I think directors have a serious responsibility to accommodate women with young children and to be open to flexible working arrangements. At Redu, we have a very family-centric approach and help mothers and fathers to meet the demands of both. Whether it’s working from home occasionally in the school holidays, or coming in a bit later everyday to do the school run, we fit this into a fair working arrangement that works for both parties. In doing so, it makes the company a good place to work and respected by our employees. A happy team will always give you more in return and it helps us to retain our talent.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?
Feel the fear and do it anyway. I think if you’re not pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone then you’re not growing, and you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve if you keep pushing those boundaries. When you hit an obstacle in life, don’t immediately see it as a negative. Instead, use it as an opportunity to grow and learn about yourself. In my opinion, pushing through fear is less frightening than looking back and wondering what could have been.
What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?
Having recently moved to London, my next challenge is to grow Redu’s business connections in the capital and expand the Redu team in the south. We have lots of new exciting ideas at Redu, and I’m excited to see them executed!
