5 Minutes with… Jim Coleman
Jim Coleman has spent almost 15 years at We Are Social. Now regional lead for the UK and North America, and senior vice president, Plus Company, alongside his existing responsibilities as CEO of the agency’s UK operations, he’s seen a lot change in the social marketing universe since he began at the agency.
When he joined, We Are Social was just a start up. He’s seen it grow from only 20 people to over 1,200 staff globally. Under Jim’s leadership, We Are Social has become one of the world’s most respected agencies for creativity and strategy in social. Its clients include the biggest household names, from adidas to Meta, Bose to Pepsi.
LBB’s Alex Reeves caught up with Jim.
LBB> What are some formative experiences for you in discovering that you wanted to work around creativity?
Jim> Creativity in various forms was always part of my life from a young age – playing and making music, editing tapes (!), filming, singing, photography – so I always knew that I’d end up in an area where creative thinking was central. By a process of elimination (I knew what I didn’t want to do!) I ended up in this industry.
LBB> And seeing as you've worked for the past 14 years in an agency with social at its heart, what are some formative experiences around social media that you still think of?
Jim> The reason why social is still as engaging and exciting as ever is that it’s changing constantly, providing endless opportunities for innovation and new creativity. I still remember those moments years ago when you suddenly saw brands start directly responding to people on social – often in an unexpected way. It was just surreal after so many years of one way communication. Social has given new voices and expression to so many brands to help them connect on a deeper level.
LBB> Early in your career, were there any lessons in how a great agency functions that you've held onto?
Jim> The key thing I’ve taken with me is the importance of being connected to every layer of the agency. This is crucial to understand the cultural temperature, which then helps to make the right decisions. I had great senior leaders in my early career who reached out and connected with people from all levels and sought their views and opinions, which helped us feel part of something bigger than just a business. When I lead now, I try to connect with as many people as possible, and ask myself what leaders I’ve admired in the past would do in my position in new situations.
LBB> What drew you to We Are Social back when it was just 26 people?
Jim> It felt really fresh and exciting with a compelling energy. A bunch of internet rebels discovering how to activate stuff on a new part of the web. I was drawn in by the people I met and the vision of the business which at the time was simply to be the best, the biggest and have fun doing it.
LBB> How big is the agency today and what have been the biggest catalysts for your growth over the years?
Jim> Globally we are now 1,200 people. I sit on our global exec team of eight people whose role is to guide and direct the business across the world. One of the biggest catalysts for growth has really been the entrepreneurial spirit imbued into each office lead; we were given the freedom to grow and run their office like it’s our own business, with unwavering global support to help us. The other catalyst has been our work and the clients who have taken big steps to put their trust in us and stuck with us for very long term partnerships. This signal has been a beacon to other brands who come and talk to us about how we can do the same for them.
LBB> How do you choose the right kind of business to pitch on? And what have you learned from pitching on the wrong kind?
Jim> As a headline the right kind of business for us is when the client has already made the decision that social can play a key role in their marketing mix and it’s not a tickbox or afterthought. We work best when we have something to fix or solve, so clients with complex problems and businesses are really appealing to us.
However, we look for natural chemistry with the client team and the appetite for a real partnership – we want to feel like we’re on a mission together. This is when we do our best work!
LBB> You try not to work like a traditional agency. But on the day-to-day, how might clients experience that difference with you?
Jim> We’re a very open agency. What I mean by that is that client contact isn’t limited to the most senior people in the agency. Some of the people best connected to what’s happening culturally are the most junior people, so to make the best work, those people are often front and centre.
LBB> What have you recently been most proud of and why?
Jim> The work and set up we have with Amazon Music across five markets plays to all the strengths of We Are Social. Deep local cultural knowledge played back in content linked to music, an operational model that sings, a passionate team across different locations working together – this is our key differentiator – we’re great at making global social marketing at scale.
LBB> And what gives you the most joy, personally, when you're on social media? Please tell the truth, we're all embarrassed about certain parts of our algorithm!
Jim> Comedy clips from the ‘90s, surfing and skateboarding slams, behind the scenes music production, Mob Kitchen…
