Breathing fresh air into Counties Energy is what Up-&-Coming Marketer of the Year Award winner, Shavawn Jacobsen has done, injecting passion and an analytical personality into her work.
Igniting marketing energy
Shavawn Jacobsen never had marketing on her radar as a career after high school but knew she wanted to delve into a creative career that could influence how people perceived things.
After exploring various areas of study, Shavawn found herself working in an administration role in an accounting firm, ending up in marketing when a marketing manager at the company took her under his wing.
“The dynamic nature of marketing really sparked my interest. It was constantly evolving with innovative technology and changing consumer expectations and behaviours,” she says.
“This ever-changing landscape excited me, as it meant that I would never be stuck in a monotonous routine, and I would always have to adapt to stay ahead of the curve.”
Shavawn says marketing uses data to make informed decisions and measure results while also giving her the chance to think outside the box to create something innovative, and this was very much up her alley.
The world of marketing allowed her to combine her analytical personality and creativeness into one.
“As I got more involved in marketing, I realised with confidence that marketing was the perfect fit for me,” she adds.
Her marketing career began when she took on the role of Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator at Counties Energy in early 2022. Shavawn found herself developing and executing multi-channel marketing strategies, analysing performance data and optimising strategies to drive results.
One of her key jobs was to rebrand and rebuild Counties Energy EV charging ecosystem website, OpenLoop within a month. With OpenLoop a finalist in the 2022 Energy Excellence Awards, Shavawn also worked on the creative direction of the brand video. She was also able to successfully work internally in the business to align Counties Energy’s marketing programmes with business objectives.
Six months into the job, Shavawn was promoted to Marketing and Customer Transformation Advisor where she was able to take on larger projects and utilise her digital marketing skills.
Counties Energy explain that Shavawn brought a “breath of fresh air” into the company having been a “key digital influencer” in improving the company as a whole.
She is seen to be a worker that colleagues find themselves trying to catch up to thanks to her dedication and proven results.
“Currently, I am project managing phase two of the outage hub app to elevate the customer experience with outages based on feedback obtained through customer research. This is a key customer touchpoint for the business and accounts for the highest frequency of customer interactions,” she says.
“I am also responsible for the social media strategy and the customer digital strategy and am part of various cross-functional project teams to drive business growth for Counties Energy and OpenLoop.”
This new role is the perfect place for Shavawn who loves the creative and impactful storytelling aspect of marketing, which she says ignited her “passion for understanding how consumers think” and how businesses create narrative to build better human experiences.
She adds that marketing is all about connecting with people from various backgrounds, cultures and demographics and for her this is what keeps her innovative and creative in an evolving landscape.
Specifically, she loves the digital marketing aspect which provides her with endless opportunities to engage with audiences whether it be through social media, content marketing or SEO.
“I have discovered that digital marketing is a versatile and dynamic field. Marketing also allows me to add passion and value from the beginning to the end, from discovery to delivery, using various tools and channels to take our customers on the journey,” she explains.
“Digital marketing has become a significant area of interest and expertise for me. It is where the creative and analytical parts of my brain meet, and it aligns with the rapidly changing landscape of consumer behaviour in the digital age.”
The attitude and personality that Shavawn brings to the table is her point of difference. She is a marketer with empathy of human behaviour, also bringing a level of maturity and confidence to all her projects.
Despite facing challenges of limited experience and building credibility, Shavawn has been able to overcome this by seeing this as an opportunity to learn and grow to make more meaningful impacts.
For future marketers, Shavawn says the key advice to succeeding is to “embrace your individuality”.
“Embrace the uniqueness of your perspective, experiences, and skills, for they are what set you apart and bring fresh insights to the table. Give yourself the freedom to take risks and make mistakes, for it is through these experiences that you learn and grow the most,” she adds.
“The marketing industry is ever-changing, and what works for one marketer may not work for another. So, be open to trying innovative approaches, experimenting with innovative ideas, and learning from both successes and challenges you may face throughout your career.”
Being nominated for the 2023 Up-&-Coming Marketer of the Year title has given her a sense of pride, and highlighted her hard work and dedication to Counties Energy.
Though it has been emotional, this is only the beginning for Shavawn, who sees herself over the next five to 10 years continuing to be driven by passion in transformations and storytelling.
“My journey has been fulfilling and rewarding so far, and I am eager to see where the future takes me.”
Finalists:
Bejen Patel (Nestlé)
Georgia Rafe (Tonkin + Taylor)
Jeanne Kim (Tonkin +Taylor)
Josh Sutcliffe (One New Zealand)
Nick Brown (Aro Digital)
This article was originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of NZ Marketing. Click here to subscribe.
