Susan Heron, Senior Marketing Executive, and Sylwia Jackowska, Product Manager, work in the DCT Enterprise Department.
Here they share a little bit about what they do in relation to promoting the “Friend”.
Susan
I look after the reader offers for “The People’s Friend” to see which products would appeal most to the readers. This means that I get to look at all sorts of lovely things including plants, kitchenware, craft kits, jewellery and, of course, books.
Working together with lots of different suppliers, I create offers throughout the year, ensuring that the products we feature provide the best value for money and that the suppliers can offer a reliable delivery service.
My favourite season for products is Christmas when I get to organise many brilliant gift ideas, including beautiful Christmas hampers; I make sure there is something to suit everyone, whether it’s a small gift for a neighbour or a luxury hamper for the whole family.
I also particularly like creating the gardening offers, which provide a huge range of stunning plants and bulbs, providing rainbows of colour for your gardens throughout spring and summer.
Sylwia
We sell all kinds of products and subscriptions to readers of our publications. In our team, I look after branded products, including “The People’s Friend” gifts – books, calendars, tea towels and other merchandise.
The range has grown significantly in the last few years. Publishing the first volume of “The Farmer And His Wife” book a few years ago was certainly a turning point – we couldn’t keep up with demand and had to reprint the book several times! We’ve published two more volumes since, continuing to sell them on our website and in the magazine.
I work very closely with the “Friend” team; they create product designs and book content, and my role is to make things happen in terms of production, logistics and marketing.
The latest products in our range have been created to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the “The People’s Friend”, and it’s been a pleasure to produce gifts for such a special occasion.
Alan Spink I am a member of the “Friend” Fiction Team. I enjoy working closely with writers and being part of the creative process, which sees storytelling ideas come to fruition. A keen reader, I also write fiction and enjoy watching football and movies in my spare time. My one tip to new writers is “write from your imagination”.
