Meet the Chairman

As well as providing expertise and insight through our regular blog articles, as a people business we feel it’s also important to introduce you to some of the people behind our news and views. And what better place to start than to meet Fizz Experience Chairman, Founder and all-round inspiration, Jill Pinner.  We sat down for coffee and a sandwich and chatted experiential marketing, advice for clients and what makes Fizz Experience special.

We hope you enjoy.

When did you first begin your career in Experiential Marketing?

I first joined WDS as an invoice clerk (1998). Before this I had a range of jobs including as a Director of Communications within the wine trade, a beautician, an area manager for a cosmetics brand and a chef!

What first attracted you to the industry? Why did you get into experiential?

Two things really. Firstly was as a consumer, I just really loved the whole concept of ‘try before you buy’. To have this knowledge and experience before you commit to a purchase just seemed to make perfect sense to me. Secondly, it was a ‘eureka’ moment of finding an industry that combined all the skills gained from my previous roles into one. Being able to take my sales, culinary, presentation and people management skills into one industry was amazing. It needed everything I’d learnt up until that point.

How and why did you start/buy the business?

Because of my experience and previous roles I progressed quite rapidly within the company until I was eventually invited to become a director of the business. Then, in 2006 the opportunity to buy the business from the previous owner presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands!

Why is experiential marketing so important for brands and retailers?

Essentially it means the public know what they’re getting. It removes all of the guesswork and risk because it’s transparent and honest. There’s an old saying that “people buy from people” and I believe this is 100% true. Experiential marketing provides the opportunity for any brand and product to make that direct, human connection with consumers and this is a powerful thing. Ultimately, this makes for a more trustworthy relationship between brand and consumer.

What’s your top tip(s) for successful campaigns?

• Be realistic. Experiential marketing is a people business dealing with human beings. Things won’t always go as you expect!
• Make it fun – both for the consumer and the person delivering the experience.
• Choose the right people. It’s important to be honest about the product/brand and the audience you are trying to target. This should be reflected in the skills, personality etc. of the brand ambassador. It has to be plausible to be successful.

What’s your favourite memory from your time in experiential marketing?

It’s the people elements. Specifically, watching people who have worked for us make choices to fulfil personal goals and ambitions. Usually we’ve enabled and empowered them to make those choices. Sadly for Fizz, this sometimes results in a member of the team leaving to pursue another path but I still take huge pride in watching them move on to bigger and better things. Aside from this, another favourite memory was winning our first Gold Field Marketing & Brand Experience Award (2012). It was the perfect recognition for all the hard work.

What do you think makes Fizz special?

We are a realistic, honest company…if we don’t think something’s possible, we’ll say. Importantly, we look after our people because they are the frontline of what we do. There’s a phrase that we use internally which I think sums it up perfectly: “Fun Company, Serious Business.”

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Optimistic. Daft. Kind.

Describe the team of people working at Fizz?

Loyal, funny, hardworking. Family!

Proudest moment during your time for Fizz?

It has to be our annual achievement awards event (photo opposite: Jill presenting the 2017 award for Brand Ambassador of the Year to Joanne Blythe) to recognise and celebrate the best people across our business. Being able to reward and acknowledge the finest performances across Fizz just makes me so proud of the people we have.

What are the biggest challenges in the industry at the moment?

Keeping up with technology has to be one of the biggest – especially finding clever ways to combine technology with our services to provide a better return for our clients. Other than this, it’s important to keep it fresh and new. Never get complacent.

Outside of work, what else do you get up to?

Spending time with my grand children and family – laughing and eating, usually! In addition I like to travel, be happy and get scared every now and again.

Talk to us about how we can create great customer experiences for your brand in 2018.

Email: fizz@fizzexperience.co.uk or call 01306 644630.