Ten Questions with Lauren Thacker

Cravens Client Service Director Lauren Thacker was recently appointed as IPA City Head for Newcastle and the North East. Here she answers ten questions about her career, what has inspired her and the future of the industry.

What are you most looking forward to about your IPA role?

Having the opportunity to champion the North East members, work with other City heads and advocate for the creative community is super exciting! I’m looking forward to organising some events in the North East that really reflect what is needed and wanted, as well as highlighting worthwhile training opportunities that the IPA offer.

How did you get into the industry?

As I suspect many people did, I “fell” into advertising. After leaving Edinburgh University with an MA in Geography and not a clue what to do with it, I tried my hand at PR before landing a ‘team assistant’ role at BBH. I didn’t really know how lucky I was at the time or fully appreciate the opportunity I’d been given but it was a fantastic learning experience and environment.

What advice would you give someone trying to get into the industry now?

Attitude is everything. Yes, you need to work hard, listen, learn and be a team player. But ultimately a positive can-do ‘yes and’ attitude will get you a long way. Be interested in the world around you, be passionate about something (anything!) and bring enthusiasm to work.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

Run towards the fire! Leaning into the problem will get you answers much more quickly than running away or passing responsibility. Problem-solving is half the fun.

Who/what has been the biggest influence on your career?

The work. And the process in getting to that final piece of work is really what drives me forward. That plus the fact that being an ‘account man’ is ultimately about people, and I really like people.

What is your career highlight so far?

Becoming head of the account management department at Cravens has been a pleasure and a privilege. It has brought a whole new perspective to the way I work and has helped me grow both personally and professionally. I am very proud of the department and to have the responsibility to manage them.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

I was really proud to work on our pro bono accounts when I first started at BBH early in my career. The Chokeables for St John Ambulance was a campaign that aimed to teach parents what to do if their baby starts choking. When you see results that actually save lives it makes you very proud. I also worked on some powerful Refuge campaigns (Frances - Grow); that was humbling.

What is your favourite ad (that you haven’t worked on)?

So many - but I loved Nike ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ and Channel 4’s ‘Meet the Superhumans’.

What does the future of advertising look like to you?

Scary but exciting at the same time. To me we will see a more immersive approach to advertising; so a rise in VR and experiential work. The big one is obviously AI as it continues to shape and influence the world around us, and indeed our industry. We will all have to keep up with the fast paced evolution of AI especially as marketing is a key area of predicted change, and it will no doubt have its challenges as well as benefits.

Advertising can...

... Shift culture. I know we all know this but it’s good to be reminded that the very best and most powerful campaigns really can shape culture. Advertising has influenced so much, from coining the term ‘coffee break’ (Pan-American Coffee Bureau) to tackling gender inequalities and empowering women (Nike ‘If you let me play’, Dove ‘Real beauty’ to name a few) to  breaking the sound barrier with the Red Bull skydive 24 miles into space!

Lauren Thacker is Client Service Director at Cravens and IPA City Head for Newcastle and the North East