Kittens, owls and the humble Brussels sprout have all helped a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) business graduate be named one of the most influential social media users in the country.
Just four years after graduating from his Human Resource Management course, Craig Neale has taken 21st position on the 2015 Social Buzz Top 50 list.
This celebration of the most influential movers and shakers in social media marketing has been curated by a panel of judges for industry specialists The Drum, and includes global directors and vice-presidents from the likes of Microsoft, Twitter and Facebook.
Craig’s career has taken him from South Leicestershire College to Warner Brothers and now Sky, working on some of the UK’s and even the world’s biggest marketing campaigns. He said: “It’s incredible. Social media is a dynamic and changing area and a really fun career. It’s amazing to be recognised within my peer group and the industry itself, which I didn’t expect so early on.”
He credits the skills he gained from his course as giving him the foundation for his success. Craig said: “I learned how to work with others and get the best out of them. I was taught how the business world worked and to understand the strategic side and the fundamentals that drive business. It was a great base to work from and allowed me to specialise.”
After a placement at South Leicestershire College as a marketing assistant, he was offered a part-time position during his last year at DMU and went full-time after graduating, with a promotion to look after new media marketing. He then landed a role looking after the web and social media for Warner Brothers, with a little help from a friend and fellow former DMU graduate in the recruitment department who worked with him to get his CV right.
This is where he became immersed in the magical world of Harry Potter, working on social media marketing campaigns for the last film in the franchise and the launch of the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, before gaining a promotion heading up digital marketing for them.
The 27-year-old said: “When I started, digital was a small element of marketing but it’s evolved. It started with setting up a web and social media page and grew into the full digital world.”
Now a senior social media and digital innovation manager at Sky, he advises on social media strategy and gets involved in every big campaign from Christmas to the start of the Premier League. No two days are the same. “At Harry Potter I got to film kittens and owls and at Sky people are so passionate about films and Game of Thrones and the reaction from fans is amazing. It’s really rewarding. At the moment I am making movies using Brussels sprouts!”
But Craig hasn’t taken the support he’s received along the way for granted, which is why he’s involved in the work experience programme and graduate recruitment for Sky – and is keen to help current DMU students achieve their dreams. He added: “People invested in me and kept me on the right track and I want to do the same for others.”
Posted on Tuesday 22 December 2015