Agency Spotlight Series: Rob Anderton
In this Orientation Marketing agency spotlight series, we speak to Business Development Manager, Rob Anderton.
Occasionally, we speak to a member of the Orientation Marketing team to learn more about their roles at Orientation Marketing, as well as what makes them tick.
Today we speak to Rob.
Tell Us a Little Bit About Your Role At Orientation Marketing.
My role as Business Development Manager is to help build the brand for The Pharma Navigator, while also identifying opportunities to cross-sell the wider services offered by Orientation Marketing. This includes panel events, industry events and other opportunities that The Pharma Navigator and Orientation Marketing partner with throughout the year.
A big part of my role is understanding what companies within the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries are looking for from their marketing, and then identifying where we can add value, whether that's through The Pharma Navigator or the wider agency.
What does your average day look like?
A typical day for me involves researching companies that would be a good fit for The Pharma Navigator and Orientation Marketing, as well as cross-referencing these against relevant event websites and industry activity.
I also use LinkedIn to connect with senior marketing professionals and decision-makers before carrying out outreach to start conversations and see whether there are opportunities for us to support their marketing needs.
Once we've had that initial conversation, I'll prepare proposals for review, arrange follow-up meetings and work with potential clients to develop the right approach for them. Alongside the business development side of the role, I also make sure we're maintaining a consistent presence for The Pharma Navigator across our social channels and continuing to build awareness of the brand.
How did you come about working in this industry?
I joined Rapid News around 15 years ago, which is actually where I first met our Directors, Chris and Gareth. At the time, I worked on a pharmaceutical publication called European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer (EPM), which was available as both a digital and print publication.
That was really where I started building my experience within the pharmaceutical industry, and I've now been working with pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies for around 15 years. Last year, I joined Orientation Marketing in a slightly different role, with the aim of helping to build The Pharma Navigator brand while also bringing new business into the wider marketing agency.
Tell us about your best day at the agency so far...
Having started in the role in December, I booked a large client at the end of January. It's always a slightly worrying time when you're new to a sales role because getting that first client is probably the hardest part, so it was definitely a huge weight off my shoulders!
It was also a great way to start the year and gave me a real confidence boost going forward. It showed that the conversations I'd been having and the relationships I'd been building were starting to turn into genuine opportunities for the business.
What inspires you?
The industry I work in is a big inspiration for me. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies are constantly looking for new ways to improve people's lives and their health, whether that's through developing new treatments, improving processes or bringing innovative technologies to market.
Being able to play a small part in that by helping companies amplify their message, reach the right audiences and bring greater visibility to the work they're doing is really rewarding. There's a lot of important work happening across the industry, and it's great to know that what we do can help make sure those stories and innovations are seen by the right people.
Recommend a TV series/film you recently watched.
The Odyssey. I'm a big Christopher Nolan fan, and after seeing the trailers over the last six months, I thought it looked absolutely amazing. I did see a few comments online from people being quite critical of the film before I'd watched it, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.
After sitting there for three hours watching it, my wife and I both absolutely loved it! We enjoyed it so much that we actually wanted to go and see it again the next day, but annoyingly, it was completely sold out. So I'd definitely recommend giving it a watch.
What’s your secret talent that no one knows about?
I'm very good at reading words backwards! It's become a bit of a running joke at home because we actually have a game called Backwards, where every word is spelt backwards. Unfortunately for everyone else, I'm so good at it that the game has now been banned from the house!
I'm also strangely good at remembering phone numbers. If someone says, "Jot this number down," there's a good chance I'll already have remembered it before I've even found a pen. It's not necessarily the most useful talent, but it does come in handy occasionally!
What’s your favourite music genre?
I'm a bit of a rave head at heart! If I had to put a piece of music on right now, I'd probably go straight for dance music. That's always my go-to.
I do like a bit of hip hop and UK grime as well, so my music taste isn't completely limited to dance, but if you gave me the choice, I'd probably always end up going back to electronic music.
What skill do you think everyone should learn?
I'd say learning to play a musical instrument. I think it's a great skill to have, whether you become really good at it or simply learn enough to play a few songs.
It's something you can enjoy as a hobby, it's a great way to switch off, and I think being able to pick up an instrument and play is an impressive talent. Everyone should at least give it a go!
Rob worked for 14 years with an independent specialist media and events company on their B2B pharma publication - European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer. His experience includes media strategy, print, digital and online media campaign planning, research and business development for pharma, biopharma and life science companies. Rob is currently Business Development Manager for Orientation Marketing helping to promote the full range of agency services to international pharmaceutical companies.
For more, find Rob on LinkedIn.
