Meet a Peregrine: Alexander Layzell-Payne, Digital Account Manager

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“The content is really engaging in digital because we are not promoting financial services as a product: it is winning new audiences through engaging thought leadership content and culture”

 

Q: What is the most valuable skill you have learned here?

A: The most valuable skill is how to present to people, which is essential because there is no sitting quietly in the background here. You have to present your skill set on a semi-regular basis to the company at first and then to clients and prospects. Public speaking has never been something I enjoyed before Peregrine; I remember at school reading presentations and shaking, but now I’ve even grown to enjoy it. Honestly, I enjoy the sense of relief afterwards! But seriously, there is a wonderful sense of achievement after aceing something you used to struggle with. Putting humour into presentations is a real trick I’ve learned because it makes you more relaxed. It relaxes you when you see people smile.
There’s nothing more daunting than a stony-faced audience!

 

Q: What is the best part of your job?

A: Definitely content creation. I like designing banners for different clients based on their colour scheme and branding parameters. Also running our own social media is amazing, because I have the most license to do what I want. On clients, it’s probably translating the brand narrative into something that is visually engaging and attention-grabbing, which is what social media is all about.

 

Q: How would you describe the culture at peregrine?

A: It’s supportive, in the sense that you will be allowed to make your own choices. There’s not a real rigid hierarchy here. You talk to whoever you need to talk to. It’s not like you have to go through people in order to talk to the CEO or a director. You can call on anyone you need whenever you need them. Obviously, the integrated aspect is great too. I work with our designers and comms team on a daily basis, in London and in New York.

 

Q: Tell us about a challenging project you worked on and how you surmounted it?

A: I had a financial advisory client that was a challenging project because it was the first time I put together all the different elements of digital. We were doing email marketing, with a design and content element, linking it to a LinkedIn campaign and following with a Google Adwords campaign. They wanted leads, essentially, so we have to make sure the tracking was linked up through Google Ads and Google Analytics. Also, we had to create a consultation box and show the leads coming in from our campaigns. Finally, I had to write content for blogs on tax reliefs and allowances, which is now some of their most popular material.