A Day in the Life of a BV Bean.
It is safe to say, life as a Black Vanilla bean, or Junior Account Executive (JAE), is far from boring.
Often I’m one of the first to get into the Black Vanilla pod all bleary-eyed and frizzy-tailed; ready to tackle the day.
Typically I’ll start by switching on the radio to listen out for client coverage as I pop the kettle on ahead of tackling my inbox.
Firstly, I make sure I cover off anything urgent that may have come in overnight, although I will have already glanced at my emails once or twice over the evening or weekend, just in case – media and social media is live and evolving 24/7.
We monitor online coverage as it happens and as soon as the newspapers are in, I’ll have a read, keeping an eye out for any client coverage or pieces of interest. I log all client articles and send an email to them to keep them informed. Depending on the month, the team will check over ten different local publications, and we are continually checking industry-specific and international websites as well.
A quick look at my Todoist (one of the tools we use to keep track of tasks) will tell me what jobs need to be done, in between monitoring and responding to emails. Often, I will have a blog post or press release to write, and it’s easier to focus on this kind of job first thing before the flood of emails and phone calls start.
Every day poses a new set of challenges as the needs of clients vary daily. Tasks can include anything from writing copy to brainstorming ideas for a new campaign and researching promotion items to scripting video content.
Multitasking is the name of the game when it comes to the world of PR. I often find myself juggling numerous press releases in any given week for different clients, all at various stages of the process.
You can’t take your eye off the ball for a second; I am often thrown a curveball – usually just as you have got that press release, event or campaign sussed and approved; so working well under pressure and to deadlines is critical.
Naturally, in amongst all this task management, there is the odd tea round or emergency chocolate run thrown in to keep our energy levels high.
If I am not at my desk, I could be at a client meeting, meeting a journalist, attending an industry event or simply running an errand for the team.
Often I need to accompany a client at a press event, juggling the needs of different media or helping the photographer get the perfect shot. It’s usual that will also include generating our own content for social media as well – that could be a simple post and picture, or capturing video or running a live film.
Honestly, there isn’t much a Black Vanilla bean doesn’t do when it comes to fulfilling our clients’ needs, all the while managing their expectations.
If I had to sum up, I would say that you have to be prepared for and expect the unexpected, if that is possible, as you never know what you’ll be asked to do next.
The Unexpected: Accompanying a Lobster mascot on a yacht trip around the Little Russel, to visit the sailing club and buying a summer-time ice cream to get photos for a client’s social media.
Highlight: Island-hopping over to Jersey to accompany a client for a photo-call.
Favourite Snack: Chocolate Mini Bites, well chocolate in general.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]