Trailblazers and leaders: Chloé Ameh
Chloé Ameh | Head of Label Management | Since’93 (Sony Music)
How did you get into Marketing & Comms?
I studied Digital Media at University and always had a career mindset to work in the marketing field. My first job was at an ad agency as a Marketing Executive. Music has always been my passion but on more of a personal level. After a few years, I made the decision to move purely into digital marketing as I could see the landscape was really shifting. That shift introduced me to more music and entertainment clients. It was at that point I realised I wanted to explore that vertical more.
What does an average day look like?
Each day can be very different. Some days are intensively led by meetings that focus on strategy, understanding data around campaigns, assessing where we are and ascertaining where we want and need to be. Other days can be focused on creative brainstorms, pitching for new opportunities, speaking to partners about releases, planning events and attending photo/video shoots. Each and every day is (and should be) centred around listening to music that moves me and keeps me inspired. That’s where the passion kicks in. It’s a very dynamic environment so being organised and excited about what you’re working on definitely helps!
What advice keeps you going in challenging times?
You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think! I believe in doing what’s best, not what’s easiest. As the saying goes, nothing worth having comes easily. The game changers are things you have to really fight for sometimes.
What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started working in comms?
I’ve always worked hard believing that in itself, that will pay off and create more exciting opportunities. That is true to an extent but I wish I’d understood earlier how important self-promotion and networking is. It’s ok to blow your own trumpet. You should be your own biggest champion because only you truly know how hard you’re working and what great things you’re achieving. How will others be aware if you don’t shout loudly enough for them to hear? Representation is important.
As a Black female it’s on my agenda to have more visibility around my achievements. I definitely also would have benefitted more from knowing how integral it is to network, even if it feels like it’s way beyond who you believe should be in your circle.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
My two greatest achievements are my babies. I had the preconceived idea that I wouldn’t be able to advance my career after having children. It’s not an image that I’d been widely exposed to so it was a challenge to align myself with someone who was following the same path that I wanted to take. I’m not saying it’s easy at all – the juggle is real, but I’m proud that I’ve been able to keep going.
Purely from a work perspective, of course, landing a number 1 album or single is up there on the list that goes without saying! My greatest marketing achievement generally would be the ‘firsts’ that I’ve secured across campaigns. I approach projects with the mindset of being disruptive and aim to run initiatives that others haven’t before. Hitting this objective consistently motivates me. The latest example would be an industry-first which showcased the entire official music video for Cat Burns’ single ’Go’ on TikTok live.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
Yes there are many! The most recent campaign would be Stormzy’s ‘Mel Made Me Do It’. The fact that the song is over 7 minutes long goes against already goes against the norms of a traditional release. The 10-minute+ visual is an exciting, inspiring and proud celebration of black British culture. Brilliantly executed. Unapologetic. Black excellence at its finest. Amazing.
What’s the key skill you think a successful PR/comms/marketing pro requires?
A key skill or trait to possess is resilience. Marketing doesn’t mean that you have the formula spot on each and every time. Sometimes you get it right and other times it won’t work. It’s all about learning and taking that forward. The landscape is always changing. It’s ok not to get it right. That doesn’t define anyone and it doesn’t equal failure. The real fail would be giving up. That being said, it’s important to know when to stop too. It’s about balance.
