Meet Ciaran Oliver, one of our fab new Client Partners
By Lee Colbran|28 Apr 2023
Culture | 3 MIN READ
We caught up with Ciaran Oliver, who joins our Client Services team as Client Partner. We asked Ciaran about his career, vision for the role, and what colleagues and clients can expect.
I am always interested in creativity and commerce and where those two sometimes cross. If you can get a great idea to market in a creative way, it can really fly beyond what you and your client expect.
Ciaran Oliver, Client Partner
Firstly, welcome Ciaran. Tell us a bit about your career to date and how you arrived as Client Partner at Fresh Egg.
I have been head of SEO at another agency, and before that, I worked at a start-up, Verve Search and helped to build that agency from two employees to over 20 employees. I was in touch with an old client Nial Davies, who said there was a role in the client services department at Fresh Egg that I should apply for.
As a Client Partner, what do you believe is the most important skill to possess in order to build strong relationships with clients?
Understanding their business goals and making sure you can see the issues within their business and how to resolve them. Have a good communication channel with the client.
What are some of your biggest successes in your previous roles that you are most proud of?
I have won some big clients and set up teams that have thrived in both agency side roles and placing people client side. I was proud of the work to win American Express as a client. I am also proud of getting through Covid with my previous agency and growing the SEO team in really tough conditions. Covid was a busy time for everyone in digital marketing, and I don’t think we will ever see the same time pressures again. Thankfully, we are ready for the next challenge.
What can our clients look forward to when working with you?
I am dedicated to their businesses and want to build a long-lasting relationship based on trust. I will challenge them to move faster and to be more daring in their digital marketing ideas.
How do you stay current with the latest digital marketing trends and technologies?
I have a constant feed of articles and news I try to keep up with both via email and Twitter.
What made you choose Fresh Egg as the next step in your career path?
I thought the agency size was a good fit for my experience and the ambition to grow over the coming years.
What do you think the biggest challenges facing businesses in 2023?
Just for 2023, the economy, the Ukraine war and the slow growth prospects globally are affecting confidence.
What do you enjoy most about working in digital marketing, and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
I am always interested in creativity and commerce, and where those two sometimes cross. If you can get a great idea to market in a creative way, it can really fly beyond what you and your client expect, and that’s something that attracted me in the first place and keeps me coming back for more.
Do you have a digital challenge we can help you with?
What do you believe are the most important qualities a Client Partner should have in order to effectively manage client expectations?
Honesty and trust are fundamental to me. Being able to show a client what is working and what they should stop doing can be a tough conversation to have. I believe that with trust, you can have challenging conversations, which is where I always aim to get to. The expectations of digital are constantly changing, but the reality of what can be achieved can sometimes be hard for a client to manage and understand, so building trust in a relationship is critical to what a client partner does.
What is your go-to piece of technology that you use on a daily basis to help you stay organized and efficient?
Honestly, it changes. I have been using a Windows machine for the first time in years and am quite enjoying Notes. I usually write things out long hand but have enjoyed how Notes keeps track of things. I also use ChatGPT to see how it can be leveraged to make some tedious small tasks, like formats of documents and suggested research frameworks, easier to deploy.
If you could only use one website (or app), which one would you choose?
Auto trader. I am always looking at cars I can’t afford to buy.
What do your friends and family think you do for a job?
They understand that relationships are my strong suit, so they know why I have excelled at this in my job.
What's your go-to hobby out of work?
I love and hate running.
Finally, (the most important question) what is your favourite way to eat an egg?
Poached on marmite toast.