ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

I'm Rachel Ayeh-Datey. I'm a Black British-Ghanaian queer woman. I'm 26. My day-job is as a Senior Analyst at VMLY&R. I've been in the advertising industry for almost 5 years now. I'm also a freelance writer & researcher.

So what do you actually do?

I work with brands and organisations to make their brand better through analysing their digital performance and giving them data-driven recommendations. I research different consumer groups and give insight into the way people are thinking and feeling. This colours how people engage with brands and with the world. I also write articles on Black British history and queer identities.

What has your career path been?

My career path has consisted of me having to really believe in myself and my skills in order to get ahead. I honestly don't feel like my talent has been nurtured very well in most agencies I've been in.

One thing that really stands out to me is that I have never been promoted at an agency before. In order to climb up the career ladder, I've always had to leave. In order to get the salaries I've deserved, I have had to switch jobs. This has been good and bad. Good because I know that I definitely would not be on the salary I am on right now, if I stayed and waited "my turn" at a few of the agencies I have been at.

I think being a Black woman has played a massive role in why I've never been promoted. I also think that data strategists/analysts are not praised and uplifted enough in the advertising industry. We aren't in the limelight like creatives are. We aren't super client facing like account people are. So I won't lie, there have been a lot of moments were I've felt that my work as an analyst/researcher/strategist has not been appreciated enough.

My career path has really taught me to vouch for myself, stick up for myself and bet on myself - because no one else is going to do it for me.

What is the best part of your job?

Right now I'm really enjoying the breadth of clients I work on. Every week is different. One week I could be working on a research project looking into podcast topics for a brand. The next week, I could be collaborating on a digital strategy and digging into the way the pandemic has affected drinking occasions. It all depends and I appreciate the variety that my job brings me.

What inspired you to do your job?

At first, what inspired me to do my job was getting to work around really creative and fun people. That was what drew me into advertising and marketing.

What has made me stay has been the opportunities I've created for self development. Being able to write thought leadership pieces and work on incredibly interesting research has made me want to continue on in this industry.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

A practical piece of advice would be to attend as many training sessions for the different social and analytics tools that you will need as a Social Analyst. Make good contacts with different representatives who are experts at these tools and they will be invaluable if you have any issues.

A more personal piece of advice would be that it is okay to ask questions. It is more than okay. It's important to know how clients like things presented and what the work processes are in your agency/company. When you first start, ask all the questions - even the ones you think might be silly.

Check out Rachel’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

Okay so a typical day:

Now that the gyms are open again, I go to the gym in the morning before work. We are all still working from home so by 9am, I'm sitting in my favourite armchair ready to crack on with the day.

I usually have meetings scattered throughout the day. These meetings are normally catch-ups with different client teams and briefings about particular projects. When I've been briefed on a social research project, I normally don't have a lot of time to do it haha. I typically have a day or two to do the work depending on the ask. While I work on these projects, I'm normally listening to a podcast (The Read, Two Twos Podcast and Say Your Mind are my favourite!).

If I'm actively working with other people on a project, we normally message each other through the day to see how the project is progressing. When the project is done, we present the findings externally to the client or internally to the wider team. Then we get feedback and may need to add a few more things.

I typically finish my work day at 6pm. In the evenings, I may have some writing to do. I'm currently working as an editorial consultant on a history book so that is taking up a lot of my evenings right now. I'm normally asleep by 11pm. Rest is important.