The power of mentoring in the creative industry
At Oak Creative, we’re proud to champion mentoring in the creative industry. In a fast-moving, idea-driven world, mentoring helps nurture new talent and share valuable knowledge. It shapes the future of creative work.
Mentoring is more than giving advice. It’s about creating opportunities, building confidence and unlocking potential. Here’s how mentoring is part of our culture:
Empowering Local Businesses Through Webinars
Our Brand Manager, Jessica, has hosted branding webinars in partnership with Produced in Kent and WineGB. These sessions help businesses improve their branding, marketing and creative communications.
Webinar topics include defining your audience, why branding matters and how to express your values visually. Each session includes case studies, practical examples and live Q&A. These webinars are especially useful for small businesses. Many don’t have regular access to creative advice. We break down big ideas into useful takeaways. It’s mentoring, but from afar!
Each attendee can also then book a 30-minute one-to-one session. This helps them apply ideas directly to their own business.
Inspiring Students Through Work Experience and Careers Events
Creative Designer, Jenni, has led several initiatives through her work at Holiday Extras to introduce students to careers in the creative industry. She developed structured work experience placements that simulate a day or a week in the life within a design team.
Students were given creative briefs such as designing a social media post or creating a marketing plan for brand collaborations. Jenni guided them through idea generation techniques, overviews of design tools, and assisting them to make final presentations, offering encouragement and constructive critique along the way.
Beyond the workplace, Jenni also represents Oak and Holiday Extras at local careers fairs, where she speaks to students about the range of opportunities in creative industries. Her aim is to break down the perception that creative careers are inaccessible and to show that with passion and guidance, they are open to all.
Strategic Mentoring via Growing Kent & Medway
Laura played an active role in the Growing Kent & Medway (GKM) programme, where she supported food and drink businesses with their branding and communication strategies.
Her mentoring involved one-on-one consultations with business owners, reviewing their visual identity, tone of voice, and customer engagement strategy. She offered tailored advice based on each brand’s goals, helping participants refine their messaging and visual presence.
The Growing Kent & Medway (GKM) programme channelled over £17million into the region, enabling food and drink businesses to access this valuable mentoring and business development support. Laura’s contributions played a key role in this as a mentor.
Our Conclusion:
Mentorship takes many forms, from one-to-one student support to strategic business coaching. At Oak Creative, we believe mentoring is not just a side project; it’s a vital part of our responsibility as creatives.
Mentorship is how we invest in people, grow our sector, and ensure a diverse, thriving future for the industry.
