A new marketing network has been launched with the aim of bringing together the region’s marketers, businesses and students to promote best practice and share ideas, career opportunities and experiences.
The aim of HEY Marketing Network is to provide an alternative, ‘down to earth’ professional forum specifically for marketers, businesses and marketing students with connections to Hull and East Yorkshire.
HEY Marketing Network is a group of experienced marketers with links to Hull University Business School, local and national businesses that previously organised and hosted local events on behalf of CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing).
The group’s strong links to Hull University Business School enable them to have access to meeting and booking facilities, as well as providing them with a direct link to local marketing students. They represent a broad range of marketing disciplines and organisations.
The group was born out of the fact that Hull is not a big focus for professional organisations that are nationally and regionally based. Bodies such as the CIM, IDM CMA tend to have large membership fees, yet focus their presence in the bigger cities.
Opportunities to meet physically, network with peers, make friends, share ideas and real-life experiences, as well as learning about marketing practice in the Hull area have therefore reduced significantly.
This has been exacerbated by the Covid crisis, as organisations have moved their focus to virtual events and learning. The increase in remote working has also reduced the opportunities to meet and share ideas with colleagues nearby.
Added to this, retaining marketing students in Hull is becoming increasingly difficult as students look elsewhere for jobs, due to lack of (and potentially awareness of) marketing opportunities in the local area.
Emma Shaw, founding member and chairman, who works for Royal Mail as head of account campaigns, said: “There are a lot of passionate marketers who live, work and/or study in the area. We wanted to develop a fresh approach to professional groups, and have the freedom and flexibility to host free local events to bring them together.
“We’re delighted our first event on October 4 is fully subscribed and look forward to organising more in the future.”
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