This Spotlight Interview is with our fab Account Director – Kirsty Rome
How did your career start in Partnerships & Marketing?
My first role post university was an internship in the luxury Events team at The Telegraph. I moved from managing the events to marketing them, and then landed on Partnerships as the specialism I most enjoyed. From there I stayed within the world of media with a Partnerships role at The Times and The Sunday Times before starting at Mando.
Who would be your dream brand to work with?
If it ever happens, I would absolutely love to work with Mattel/Warner Bros on a Barbie movie sequel. I think the breadth and creativity of the partnerships that were created to promote the 2023 film were incredible. There were over 65 different brand collaborations created across a huge range of industries from Crocs to Uno and Airbnb. They really did paint the world pink!
What has been your favourite Partnership you have worked on whilst at Mando?
One of the most memorable partnerships I’ve worked on was between Ninja and Vodafone last year. The Airfryer was one of the most popular products on the market and we saw fantastic results from the partnership. Additionally, the partnership between Lidl and Build-a-Bear over Christmas 2022 was one of my favourites that has run across the agency. It was the perfect brand collaboration to tie in with Lidl’s brilliant ‘Lidl Bear’ Christmas advert.
If you could do any job for just one day, what would it be?
It’s no secret that I’m a keen theatre goer and performer outside of work so it would have to be a day spent treading the boards on the West End.
How did your hobby in theatre begin, and can you tell us about what goes into being on the stage?
I started dance lessons at the age of 3 and absolutely loved being on the stage. From there I began musical theatre classes and appeared in many shows whilst growing up (some good and some I’m still trying to forget about!). I still do amateur theatre outside of work which involves auditions, rehearsals, memorising lines, getting costumes fitted and collaborating with the cast and crew. It’s a huge effort to put on a performance and I’m lucky to have been a part of some wonderful productions with very talented people.
What piece of advice would you want to share with your younger self?
Trust your intuition and know that making a mistake isn’t the end of the world. Learn from it, remember it and don’t do it again!
If you could have a new skill overnight, what would it be?
I would love to be able to speak another language. It’s always my new year’s resolution to try and get back to learning Spanish so if it could happen overnight that would be great.
Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?
Definitely my Dad. He always taught me how important it is to build strong relationships at work with management, co-workers and clients. Also, he has the biggest thirst for knowledge out of anyone I know so he also always tells me to never stop reading or learning.
If you could do anyone else’s job in this company for a day, whose would you do?
I’d love to try and do Lauryn’s job as a graphic designer. It’s very different to my usual day to day and I really admire her creativity.
If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would love to go to South Africa to go on a safari. I was lucky enough to do a river safari in Borneo when I was travelling around South East Asia in 2018 and it was so much fun. I can only imagine how amazing an African safari would be.
