Unexpected Experts | Part 4 | Group Brand Manager

Through the course of this 4-part blog series, you’ve met some of hospitalities most peculiar careers. The industry is one with many a twist and turn. It is constantly growing and shifting, with new challenges to solve and concepts to design.

Hospitality is more than servers, chefs and bartenders; it is a collective group of people that all play a part in creating a vision of brands that stands out against the rest. This includes unexpected roles, highlighted in earlier series, leading to experts in people, beer, design and now brand. Meet Lauren, our Group Brand Manager who, with her team, creates the platforms available for you to discover, explore and experience each of The New World Trading Company's brands.

What is it you do?

"My role is Group Brand Manager. I currently lead the Brand team and oversee the marketing activity for the group of exciting restaurants and bars we have at NWTC. In short this involves all branding, advertising, print, campaigns, strategy and overall tone of voice/image.

My role is really diverse, spanning across 7 venue brands (The Botanist, The Smugglers Cove, The Florist, The Canal House, The Oast House, The Club House and The Trading House), alongside our exciting loyalty app My New World and our mobile bar The Wanderer. Though I couldn’t possibly do that without my team - I manage an amazing team of Brand Managers and the workflow of our in-house Creative Designers. Together we develop and deliver each of the brand marketing strategies and brand identities, collaborating closely with the Sales and Digital teams."

How did you come into being an expert in this field?

"I’ve always been creative and studied in branding and design, first in Graphic Design and then in Advertising & Brand Management at Staffordshire University, so naturally I pursued a career in this field. It’s definitely possible to get a career doing what you love!

The opportunity and growth at NWTC really is incredible – it’s a company that recognises hard work.

I joined NWTC 3 years ago as a bright-eyed Assistant Brand Manager, progressing to Brand Manager and then more recently to Group Brand Manager in 2018. When I joined, we were a team of just 2! So from Day 1 my role has always been very rounded, marketing multiple brands simultaneously and getting to understand each one inside and out. I also had the amazing opportunity to develop and launch two new award-winning brands to the market (The Canal House in 2017 and The Florist in 2018), as well as a number of new venues under The Botanist brand. All of this has been invaluable experience for my career, but I’m always learning from new experiences and my team; truth be told, I’m still winging it."

How did you come into hospitality?

"It was a happy accident… I’ve had part-time jobs in the hospitality industry when I was younger (which I loved and can proudly pull a perfect pint!) but I never imagined the hospitality industry could offer me a permanent role suited to my career choice. How wrong I was! I applied for the role because it was everything I wanted in a career. I didn’t have a wealth of experience at the time of applying but hospitality is such an accessible and familiar industry (we all eat and drink out!). So armed with my passion for brand management and experiences of dining/drinking out (Prosecco, thanks)…I went for it. I now can’t imagine working in any other industry; the hospitality industry is so current, fast-paced and more importantly creative." 

What is the most amazing thing you have achieved through your unusual career?

"The Florist has recently been nominated for a Best Brand award in the 2019 Publican Awards which is pretty amazing – to win would be the cherry on top!"