Trailblazers and leaders: Ella Darlington

Ella Darlington | Head of Comms & Marketing | Creative Access

How did you get into Marketing & Comms?

I actually got inspired by my politics teacher at A-level, he was an ex-speechwriter for Tony Blair and wrote columns for The Observer, to me it was the epitome of cool. I loved writing, media, current affairs, so I originally trained as a journalist and worked in magazines for a bit. I also scored a competitive comms internship around that time in the press office at The Wall Street Journal Europe. It was such an exciting and controversial time for the media industry, particularly News Corp.

I went on to apply for a permanent position and spent a year there. We were a small team and I learned a LOT. In the decade that followed I've gone from boutique, to large to medium marcomms agencies leading the charge for amazing blue chip brands: P&G, Booking.com, Philips, Adobe, BT, Logitech. And I'm now the Head of Comms and Marketing at Creative Access, a social enterprise that's diversifying creative industries.

What does an average day look like?

My role's primarily about driving engagement with our underrepresented community of talent and partners in the creative space (BBC, ITV, BAFTA, Penguin Random House, National Theatre, Warner Music to name a few), and amplifying awareness of our brand and services. So it can really vary, from using our huge network to generate important data stories, to constructing joint events with our partners and driving bums on seats, to strategic planning across all our comms touch points.

I'm also really lucky that I get access to the awesome training Creative Access offers employer partners, in the last week I've had inclusive recruitment training, and training on how to be an inclusive line manager, it's a treasure trove of knowledge delivered by the best in the business. My team are all passionate and talented too which helps.

What advice keeps you going in challenging times?

There are no mistakes, just learning experiences. Try to avoid f*cking up the same way more than once. Be visible, and advocate for yourself and your team.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started working in comms?

You probably won't see men or women that look like you in your organisation for a long time, if at all, and especially not in senior positions to look up to. You'll have to become a chameleon that reflects those around you, you'll work twice as hard to get your colleagues and bosses onside, but you'll still wear the label "sassy and aggressive" even if you really don't want to. All this aside, you'll still shine and grow in experience, and you'll plug those gaps in your external network.

What’s your greatest achievement to date?

Acceptance on to the PR Week x BME PR Pros mentee programme, not only did it broaden my network and boost my confidence and knowledge, it gave reference points of senior successful people of colour - in fact, this final point matters more than people might think.

I'm also really proud of an award nomination for a roundtable series I produced remotely in the pandemic for Adobe called Adobe Chats. I surprised myself with how creative, resilient, resourceful and collaborative I really am.

Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?

The Bodyform #wombstories campaign which de-stigmatised periods and painted women as badasses. It felt like a turning point in marketing and advertising.

What’s the key skill you think a successful PR/comms/marketing pro requires?

Agility, and by that I mean you have to be adaptable and think on your feet. People rely on you to connect the dots and find solutions to messy problems. If you thrive in those kinds of situations, you'll go far.