NATASHA SURI, Marketing Manager at KMI Brands.
Natasha Suri is KMI Brands Marketing Manager and has worked in the beauty industry for over seven years.
Natasha started her journey in the beauty hall of Harrods and since then has merged her passion for beauty and business to develop a thriving career in marketing.
Hi Natasha! Let’s dive straight in…what is your typical morning routine?
As I work across multiple brands at KMI this means I’m often out and about in meetings and travelling a lot during the day. If I have a morning meeting at Ted Baker’s head office then I’ll start the day by getting to St Pancras station early to grab breakfast (usually a banana, yoghurt and a cup of tea) and write my to-do list for the day.
Before this I’ll always check my daily quotes app. I love reading a motivational quote of the day, and have done so for many years. I always write down three things I am grateful for in my life, sip my tea and I am ready to get started!
What does your typical working day look like?
A typical day would be meeting up with the Licence Marketing Team at Ted Baker head office to project manage and strategize campaigns for the year. If we’re going over a larger launch then usually the PR Manager and Marketing & PR Executive will also join the meeting.
Afterwards, as a team we’ll do some Ted Baker and Boots store visits and then have an update meeting over lunch. Store visits are a really important part of the role to ensure that our marketing plans are being fully implemented in store; such as window displays and in-store point of sale.
In the afternoon, myself and the PR Manager Alexis would meet with a retailer magazine to discuss advertising and editorial opportunities over some coffee and biscuits.
Once my meetings for the day are over, I’ll find a Starbucks, set up my laptop and notebook and manage my emails. My notebook is colour coded for each brand I work on. I go through deadlines for each brand and work on outstanding campaigns, strategies and make some calls, whether it’s booking in advertising for Noughty Haircare or working on the Boots in-store marketing for Ted Baker Beauty. At this point, I’m buzzing off caffeine, so I have my last hot drink of the day!
What do you love most about your job?
I love the fact that every single day is different and I get the chance to work on brands that I am genuinely passionate about. Seeing your ideas transform into a big in-store and digital campaign is such an amazing feeling.
I also really enjoy working as part of the Marketing, PR and Brand team at KMI. As we all get on so well, the communication on projects is fantastic and makes tasks run smoother. As they say, team work makes the dream work, and this is one of the most collaborative teams I have ever worked with.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start a career in marketing?
Take on internships and work experience in your free time or during school or University holidays. This industry is very competitive, however if you can show your passion through writing a blog or expanding your work experience, it gives you an edge against others. No job should ever be too small or too big, work hard and always leave a great impression.
Finally, how do you wrap up your day?
I’ll head straight to the gym and have a one hour personal training session with my PT, Joe. Going to the gym really helps me unwind and relax after a hectic day.
Once my session is over, I stop off at the supermarket to grab some dinner and make my way home. I always look forward to going home at the end of the day, as I have a very energetic and excited puppy called Enzo waiting for me!
My friends and family tell me that I’m always on the go, and I’ll usually be found in the evenings writing a blog post for my beauty page or planning my next holiday!
