Alice Crofts is a Marketing Manager at BIG little LDN. A proud Northamptonian, Alice is new to the hustle and bustle of working in the city. When she isn’t giving brands more bang for their buck, you can most likely find Alice perusing Facebook Marketplace or local second hand shops looking for characterful furniture or her next fashion bargain. Just don’t get her started on that brand new Sweaty Betty coat she found in a charity shop for £30 - she’s very proud of it.

Tell us a bit about your background

When I was younger I wasn’t sure at all about what career path I wanted to trek down. I’d always been a creative kid, I was really into art, writing, make-up and fashion so wanted to try and get some experience in those fields. Whilst I was considering my options I was working full-time in retail. I would try and get involved with any Visual Merchandising and would put myself forward to give the VM’s a helping hand whenever I could. I enjoyed designing outfits on the mannequins and window displays by analysing sales data and promoting best-sellers. That’s when I decided I would perhaps be best suited to something creative, analytical and data-driven. An easy combo, right?

Keeping my retail job part-time, I ventured off to college to study make-up artistry. I loved editorial makeup and was so inspired by the work of fellow Northamptonian, Pat McGrath. Whilst at college I visited universities in the city and across the coast before realising I didn’t want to stay in education. I wanted a new experience. At 18, I was bored of the same Monday to Friday studying and Saturday, Sunday working. I was itching to get out there and feel as if I was making the most of my time, learning from others and having new experiences.

That’s when I decided to find an apprenticeship instead. I kickstarted my career in marketing at a global manufacturing company. After three years, four qualifications and a few trips across the globe, I joined a full-service marketing agency. I instantly fell in love with the fast-paced environment and working with multiple clients from a range of sectors. The best thing about agency life is that everyone’s experience is so varied. You never stop learning!

What do you love most about your job?

This is a tough question, because I want to say everything. I know that could maybe be a bit of a boring answer, but that’s the truth! I really do love my job. One of the most rewarding things about being a marketer is that you often will oversee projects from the initial lightbulb, “I’ve got an idea” moment, all the way through to the campaign going live.

That light bulb moment is always SO exciting as a marketer. Just one small idea can turn into something brilliant and huge. When you’re surrounded by the right people, or work with an award-winning agency 😉, the creativity, knowledge and experience of those individuals all come together and produce amazing work.

What is your pet peeve? 

When people think that marketing is easy. I’ve often experienced people assume that marketing campaigns are just copy and paste jobs from one client to another. That’s not the case at all. There’s so much groundwork that goes into marketing campaigns that aren’t visible to an untrained eye. 

What makes a good marketer? 

The great thing about marketing is that there’s so many roles within the field. Whether you’re super creative, love all things websites or get off on stats and numbers, there’s something for everyone. 

As long as you like a role that keeps you on your feet and is ever-evolving, you’ll love marketing. A good marketer is anyone who likes a challenge, welcomes innovation and likes getting stuck into a range of projects.

You definitely have to have passion for it too. Passion is energy! Who wants to work with anyone who has no passion for what they do?

What is the one thing you want business owners or brand managers to know?

Trust your TikTok marketers. Yes, they may be presenting ideas that sound a little… creative, but they know what they’re doing. TikTok is a trend-heavy platform which means you have to be on the ball with getting content out and getting it right. 

If you weren’t a marketer what would have been your Plan B?

Plan B would be a goldsmith, for sure. I LOVE gold jewellery and especially gold jewellery that features a precious stone or two. I really love the idea of jewellery lasting across so many lifetimes, being handed down through generations and having their own stories. I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic and love anything cringe - don’t worry guys, I’m getting the ick too. However, if I was a goldsmith I would certainly be out of business very quickly. I’d never be able to part ways with my jewellery, not even for money.