Tonkin + Taylor customer experience advisor Briana Millar continuously upskills to put as much as she can into her work. After starting in an administrative role, she’s worked her way up and has already proved herself be a real asset to the industry and was one of this year’s TVNZ-NZ Marketing ‘Rookie Marketer of the Year’ finalists. We chat with her about the journey so far.
What sparked your interest in the marketing industry?
I was initially working in an administrative role at Geotechnics (our subsidiary company) and began providing part-time support for the marketing manager. He used to send me articles to read and spend time chatting through the different techniques and strategies that he was interested in. The more I learnt, the more enthusiastic I became and as I upskilled, my role evolved into a marketing one. At the end of 2016, the marketing manager moved to Tonkin + Taylor to lead the marketing and communications team, and I jumped at the opportunity to be the marketing coordinator for Geotechnics.
How did you come to work at Tonkin +Taylor?
One of the key aspects the marketing manager had established at Geotechnics, was a customer experience programme. This was embraced by the managing director and the wider business, and soon became an area that I was really passionate about; so last year I completed a Chartered Institute of Marketing, Customer Experience Certificate, through the NZ Marketing Association. This provided a fantastic platform for really understanding the CX’s potential to create a sustainable, competitive advantage and we could see there was potential for the customer experience to add real value at Tonkin + Taylor too. At the end of last year, we presented a business case to them which was accepted; and I joined the team at Tonkin + Taylor to manage the project, as the client experience advisor.
Where do you seek inspiration for your work?
I love to keep my learning current, so spend a lot of time reading research articles, case studies, marketing books and blogs. I also get a lot of inspiration from bouncing ideas off my teammates and talking to other people in the industry.
What would you consider to be your favourite part of working in the marketing at Tonkin + Taylor?
The best things about working in the marketing team at Tonkin + Taylor, would be the support I get from my team and the wider business; and being given the opportunity to explore the areas we’re excited about and do something different.
What’s been the most challenging thing to deal with in your role?
Considering how to adapt and implement the CX programme in a much larger organisation, with a different management structure and multiple office locations.
What advice would you give other young marketers out there trying to make their way in the industry?
Find something that really excites you and learn as much as you can about it. Be brave and take on new and unexpected opportunities – you never know where they’ll take you!
