Name: John Currey
Job Title: Advertising and Marketing Coordinator
Responsibilities:
• Sourcing advertising for The Big Issue magazine
• Branding and marketing coordination for The Big Issue
How long have you been at The Big Issue?
It’s coming up to 5 years.
How did you find yourself working at The Big Issue?
I was going through a period where I was working in a corporate finance environment and it was not fulfilling me in any way shape or form. I decided I needed a change … and started volunteering at The Big Issue, one thing lead to another and I fortunately picked up a full time position.
What has surprised you most about working for a not-for-profit coming across from a corporate environment?
I suppose pleasantly surprise in the level of autonomy that I can work with. In a corporate environment you can get pigeon holed into doing one thing whereas here I multi task working on things across the board and to me that’s uplifting, and really important.
Favourite moment had working at The Big Issue?
There are many. The interaction with the vendors, the Street Soccer guys, any of the programs we run ... it’s those interactions that are my favourite. We are fortunate in the sense that we get to deal with the people that we support and help on a day to basis. And whether it’s a simple hello or asking about their day, they are the interactions that I love.
Common misconceptions about your role or The Big Issue?
We are constantly educating and creating awareness … Most of the time people just think it’s the magazine and that’s it. So it’s that educating process that The Big Issue is more than just the magazine, and that I don’t work in editorial as a writer.
Which specific project or campaign have you worked on at The Big Issue that has made the biggest impact on you and why?
Last year’s ad campaign was amazing because you could see the reach it had to the larger community and people understood the message we were trying to get across. But then there are those little things we do things like the vendor meetings and writers’ workshops and seeing what the vendors get out of those. To me, they are huge moments. The Homeless World Cup – logistically it was a massive event and the positive impact that it had on those involved was immense.
What sort of advertisers do you try and attract to the magazine?
Any organisation that is socially aware and can match our readership base. At the moment we are attracting film and book distributors, NFP’s, and a key number of large companies who understand the importance of community involvement. We have guidelines around not accepting organisations that deal with gambling, tobacco, political parties, and alcohol and also to try and make sure that we include organisations who are good social citizens.
If you could have any company in the world advertise in The Big Issue magazine who would it be and why?
Basically any company that’s business model is underpinned by a long term sustainability and that can recognise the potential and value of our readers and the wants to support our magazine/vendor model.
What is your favourite advertising campaign at the moment?
The one that have caught my eye lately in terms of an outdoor advertising campaign are the Financial Review ads. They are always use play on words, are quite witty and always put a smile on my face.
What has been your biggest achievement while work at The Big Issue?
Being able to grow the advertising and help raise the brand awareness of the organisation. This directly links into supporting our vendors and the income they earn … since I have been looking after the advertising the revenue income has doubled and it is still growing. This is an indicator of the potential that the magazine has to reach all sectors of our community. I still feel there is so much for us to work on and to continue making it even more successful. There is still so much room for growth.
Describe working for The Big Issue in three words….
• Rewarding
• Fun
• Challenging
Job Title: Advertising and Marketing Coordinator
Responsibilities:
• Sourcing advertising for The Big Issue magazine
• Branding and marketing coordination for The Big Issue
How long have you been at The Big Issue?
It’s coming up to 5 years.
How did you find yourself working at The Big Issue?
I was going through a period where I was working in a corporate finance environment and it was not fulfilling me in any way shape or form. I decided I needed a change … and started volunteering at The Big Issue, one thing lead to another and I fortunately picked up a full time position.
What has surprised you most about working for a not-for-profit coming across from a corporate environment?
I suppose pleasantly surprise in the level of autonomy that I can work with. In a corporate environment you can get pigeon holed into doing one thing whereas here I multi task working on things across the board and to me that’s uplifting, and really important.
Favourite moment had working at The Big Issue?
There are many. The interaction with the vendors, the Street Soccer guys, any of the programs we run ... it’s those interactions that are my favourite. We are fortunate in the sense that we get to deal with the people that we support and help on a day to basis. And whether it’s a simple hello or asking about their day, they are the interactions that I love.
Common misconceptions about your role or The Big Issue?
We are constantly educating and creating awareness … Most of the time people just think it’s the magazine and that’s it. So it’s that educating process that The Big Issue is more than just the magazine, and that I don’t work in editorial as a writer.
Which specific project or campaign have you worked on at The Big Issue that has made the biggest impact on you and why?
Last year’s ad campaign was amazing because you could see the reach it had to the larger community and people understood the message we were trying to get across. But then there are those little things we do things like the vendor meetings and writers’ workshops and seeing what the vendors get out of those. To me, they are huge moments. The Homeless World Cup – logistically it was a massive event and the positive impact that it had on those involved was immense.
What sort of advertisers do you try and attract to the magazine?
Any organisation that is socially aware and can match our readership base. At the moment we are attracting film and book distributors, NFP’s, and a key number of large companies who understand the importance of community involvement. We have guidelines around not accepting organisations that deal with gambling, tobacco, political parties, and alcohol and also to try and make sure that we include organisations who are good social citizens.
If you could have any company in the world advertise in The Big Issue magazine who would it be and why?
Basically any company that’s business model is underpinned by a long term sustainability and that can recognise the potential and value of our readers and the wants to support our magazine/vendor model.
What is your favourite advertising campaign at the moment?
The one that have caught my eye lately in terms of an outdoor advertising campaign are the Financial Review ads. They are always use play on words, are quite witty and always put a smile on my face.
What has been your biggest achievement while work at The Big Issue?
Being able to grow the advertising and help raise the brand awareness of the organisation. This directly links into supporting our vendors and the income they earn … since I have been looking after the advertising the revenue income has doubled and it is still growing. This is an indicator of the potential that the magazine has to reach all sectors of our community. I still feel there is so much for us to work on and to continue making it even more successful. There is still so much room for growth.
Describe working for The Big Issue in three words….
• Rewarding
• Fun
• Challenging
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