Sophie Bennett is managing director at Leeds-based integrated marketing agency Ponderosa.
Founded in 2010, Ponderosa has more than 50 members of staff working with brands including Russell Hobbs, Moonpig, Hisense, Quorn, George Foreman, and Dr. Oetker.
Sophie initially started her journey at Ponderosa as group account director in 2019, and following a series of promotions she landed her job as managing director in 2021.
The agency is now part of Audience Collective, a network of specialist agencies across the UK and Middle East, and recently made the move to a nine-day-fortnight.
Here, she shares her career journey, tips and advice.
How did you first get into your industry?
Whilst I loved Art and Design, I wasn’t an artist. I knew Art and Design school would frustrate me, because I didn’t have the talent. Instead, I wanted to apply creative thinking, without having to be the creator. I chose to do a degree in ‘Creative Imaging’ at the University of Huddersfield. For me, it was the perfect combination. We studied Conceptual design, Art Direction and Copywriting balanced with Creative Thinking, Visual Culture and Project Management – all wrapped up by delivering live ad projects.
I graduated knowing for certain I wanted to work in advertising. Unfortunately, I also graduated during the 2008 recession, so an already tough industry to get into became very tricky. As I watched my peers slowly change careers to something ‘a bit easier to get into’, I became more and more determined. Eventually, I joined a tiny ‘agency’ in Roundhay, Leeds as an account executive.
Running endless recruitment ads in newspapers wasn’t exactly what I had dreamt of throughout university, but it was a foot in the door, and I was grateful. That initial experience paid off, and I ended up moving to Manchester to work my way up in account management in some ‘proper’ agencies.
What do you love about your job?
I love seeing each part of the process, from end to end. The relationships you build when you make clients’ jobs that little bit easier; the comradery of creating that initial concept; the fast pace and adrenaline in delivery and of course, the satisfaction in results.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s two sides to the coin – agencies can be a tough, stressful and frustrating places to work. I’m thankful that my current position at Ponderosa enables me to create change at an agency I love, for the better of our people and our clients.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
Whilst I never received particularly bad grades, I was never that interested in school. Some might say I did the minimum to stay under the teacher’s radar and scrape through, which was probably true for almost all lessons apart from Art and Design – which is almost a personal language that speaks to us all differently. I’ve always loved anything creative; the freedom to explore and communicate something in a different way.
Strangely enough, my love of advertising started as a child, captivated by TV ads and mesmerised by the rich rolling media. Perhaps I should count myself as lucky there was no fast forward button or ad-free channels back then!
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
The biggest challenge in running an agency is probably that your job is just that…to solve challenges. There’s no rulebook to follow, and all too often over the last couple of years, the market circumstances have been ever-changing and difficult. But, that’s also what makes every week different and every success more rewarding.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Communication, adaptability, resilience and drive.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
My first salary as an account executive was £14,000, whereas these days you would be looking at an agency entry level role of between £20,000 and £25,000, depending on role and experience.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Advertising is a fantastic industry to get into, and the career opportunities and specialisms are almost endless once you get your foot in the door. That being said, agencies are not for everyone due to their fast pace and demanding nature. The best place to start is with some work experience – try a few different departments and agencies to try find your fit.
