A Very Warm Welcome to Tashan Nicholas, our newest NoTurningBack2020 Ambassador

Welcome Tashan Nicholas, our newest NoTurningBack2020 Ambassador. Tash is currently Analytics Director at the7stars, UK’s largest independent media agency where he combines statistical and analytics experience to help clients develop more effective marketing campaigns. Tash’s role is a great example of the different types of marketing opportunities available, and we love shining a light on these roles to expand young people’s perception of marketing. Additionally, Tash is also currently training as a personal performance/life coach, where he hopes to help empower people to live their most effective life. We are lucky to have his experience and enthusiasm as part of NTB2020. Here is Tash in his own words.

• Tell us a bit about your career to date, your experience and your key skills.  Why did you decide on a career in Marketing / Creative.  How did you break into the sector?

My entry into the marketing sector was rather serendipitous, A fresh economics grad I hadn’t previously considered a role in marketing. Upon graduation my goal was simply to find a role that used my numeric degree skills and was not in finance (no offense). I then landed a role as a graduate econometrician at MediaCom. This was essentially using my statistical experience to understand the key drivers of growth for our clients with a particular emphasis on quantifying the incremental impact of marketing activity. Following my stint at MediaCom I moved to pastures new at the Analytics team at Ebiquity. Here I broadened my pallet of analytical work beyond MMM to include: Long-term Modelling, Test & Learn, Forecasting for Business and Media, Optimising Media Budget and Mix and general marketing effectiveness consultancy. I now find myself loving it at the7stars where I partner with our clients and support them, facilitating a culture of marketing effectiveness through a data & analytics lens.

• What do you most love about your work?  Can you give an example of a project you are currently working on and your role in it?#

I love the combination of evidence-based-analytics and the relationship building aspect. Marketing is an art but it’s also a science, my work covers both but falls mainly into the latter. It’s great to partner with clients to discover where they are on their marketing effectiveness journey and see how I can add value. This could be as a practitioner (running an advanced analytics project) or as an advisor (consulting on a bespoke project/ helping with best practice). I did this recently with some clients where we discussed a test and learn roadmap that would allow marketing to support their wider business ambitions.

• What more do you think needs to be done to level the playing field for people from more diverse backgrounds in Marketing?

I think active engagement at different entry points. Supporting those that are already in field and letting them know what success could look like for them. Beyond that I think there’s an awareness job to be done to get more applicants, and this runs through to all levels of education secondary through to further education.

Additionally, I also think celebrating the intersectionality amongst our diverse groups will empower everyone to speak up, highlighting the nuances. As a Black and Gay man, it’s becoming ever more important to me to scream about both and try to be as visible.

What are your personal ambitions in the sector?

My career is moving towards being a partner/ collaborator with Brand and advertisers. M ambition is to be a marketing effectiveness coach, helping to empower brands to make the best decisions. – coaching then to their solutions. My ambition is even broader than this though, I’m currently training as a personal performance/ life coach I want to empower everyone to live their most effective life. In a sense I will be an effectiveness and empowerment coach for both personal and business matters – for People and for Brands.

• What is your one piece of advice to young people looking at a career in Marketing or Creative Services?

Stay true to your authentic self and work for a company that lives similar values to you, a company that walks their talk.

Here is an additional question if you want to answer: What projects in diversity and inclusion are you currently working on? What success have these projects had so far and why?

I have had the benefit of being a part of D&I project in both my previous and current role. In my previous role I helped create a global black colleague collective. In my current role I have had the pleasure of being an active member in our Equality team celebrating the beauty of diversity and facilitating inclusivity across the agency.