Q&A with guest online editor Sera Miller
Guest online editor for today, Sera Miller, CEO of Material Marketing Group, answers a few questions.
I studied Broadcast Journalism and Communications at Uni and got myself a work experience placement at London based music PR company Coalition during my first year Easter break. I worked there every holiday I got for the rest of my time at Uni and managed any gigs in Leeds/Manchester/Sheffield etc for them on a freelance basis. The plan had always been to work in the media (I wanted to be Kate Adie believe it or not) but my love of music and the lure of free CD’s and gig tickets got me slightly sidetracked. I soon discovered I was not half bad at PR, and from there moved into event marketing at Slice, then into brand marketing at KLP and then left there to start Material with Spence: the rest, as they say, is history.
What was your first role in the industry and what did you enjoy about it most?
When I joined Coalition, it was a really exciting place to be, not just because I was living in London and working in the music industry with all the perks that came with that, but because it was also a really exciting time for music. Yes, it was unbelievably hard trying to live on £100 a week, pay rent, get to work and eat, (I always seemed to be out every night anyway) and all I seemed to do was make tea, run errands and send a lot of faxes. But I was doing it all for some amazing people: The Verve were recording Urban Hymns, Gomez were winning the Mercury Music Prize, Tom Waits popped into the office, The Strokes had their first photo shoot out the back… I also learnt some tough but very valuable lessons, and was honoured to work with some incredible people.
What is your finest achievement so far?
I think my finest achievement continues to be Material itself, and in particular our amazing team. Some days, particularly in the last 12 to 18 months, just keeping us all going has been something to be proud of. But in terms of personal success at work, I’m very proud of a project that we worked on back in 2003 where we used up and coming music photographers to shoot unsigned T Break bands and put them on millions of Tennent’s Lager bottles across the country. This might not seem like that big a deal now everyone’s done it, but Tennent’s were, as they continue to be, true innovators where this seemingly crazy idea was concerned.
What's the best piece of advice you've been given or heard in your career?
There have been many variations on this theme, but I think the best advice I’ve received or given could be summed up in: “It’s PR, not ER.” We could all do with remembering sometimes that at the end of the day, we’re not saving lives.
Who do you admire most and why?
Professionally, I have a huge amount of admiration for my first boss, the late Rob Partridge. Challenging at his best and cantankerous at his worst, Rob was not the easiest person to work for by any means. But I remain inspired by his creative spark, razor black wit and ear for talent to this day. His bravery, whether to start his own business, back an artist he truly believed in or through his years living with cancer was always coupled with a punk sensibility that although won through. Rob’s mercurial talent for words and how to play them to persuade, entice and evoke continues to be a gift I attempt to emulate. My admiration for Rob is furthered through his wife Tina, who ran Coalition by his side and provided the perfect yin to his yang. Throughout my career I have strived to channel both of their approaches.