Designing your future – a creative designer’s move into marketing
Oak Creative designer Millie Grove-Quinn has been navigating her move from creative designer to marketeer. Millie joined Oak Creative at the end of 2022 after working with Holiday Extras Short Breaks as a Junior Designer. As Millie dove into new Oak Creative projects, where the focus was on brand growth and strategic positioning, she discovered a passion for the marketing world. Using her design background as a strong foundation, she has now transitioned her skills into a marketing role. At Oak, we believe this kind of continued professional development is not only essential to build a strong team, but it also gives team members new challenges and goals. Here, Millie shares her personal experience;
“When I first joined Oak Creative as a designer I was encouraged to explore creative boundaries which was really enjoyable. I gained valuable insights and developed a mindset of growth and exploration.
By pushing creative boundaries, I honed my skills and developed a mindset that has proven to be a cornerstone in my professional journey. However, I found a natural interest in marketing, something which would develop my skill set and broaden my horizons. The world of marketing always intrigued me, with its strategic thinking, market analysis, and the art of storytelling – it felt like the perfect blend of creativity and business, seeing how a brand can be built.
After expressing my interest to learn more about the marketing world, Laura, our Studio Director, agreed that it would be a great opportunity and actively involved me in marketing-led projects which allowed me to apply my creativity in different contexts. These included shadowing in client meetings, going to networking events, and taking the lead on analytics reporting. More recently this has involved working with some of our Creative Partnership clients, leading their social media strategy.
Oak Creative not only believed in my potential but also invested in my growth. Laura enrolled me on a Mini MBA course, which was a transformative experience that honed my marketing skills and equipped me with the knowledge needed to thrive in this field. Initially I found the course quite difficult as it was mostly theoretical, but with the assistance and mentoring from Jess Banks, our Marketing Manager, I have started to see how these learnings can translate into real life projects.
The course covered key areas such as brand management, digital marketing, and customer segmentation; emphasising the importance of data-driven decision-making. The Mini MBA reinforces evidence-based strategies and a no-nonsense approach to marketing which debunked common myths and equipped me with a solid foundation for developing effective marketing campaigns. Overall the Mini MBA course not only enhanced my strategic thinking but also instilled a newfound confidence in my ability to drive results in the dynamic world of marketing. I have learned to appreciate the power of a well-executed marketing strategy and the joy of seeing ideas come to life in the digital landscape”.
