Tall, dark and terribly talented...

We’re excited to announce the arrival of a brand new Account Director: Ben Hollom. We thought you might be interested in getting to know him a little better, so grabbed him for five minutes, armed with notebook, fedora and trenchcoat…

So, Ben, you’re another new recruit to the Proctors team. Come, come, flatter our egos, why did we appeal?
Well, throughout my career, I’ve always been passionate about the idea of measurable marketing. It’s an interest that developed as I ran my own agency in South Africa, and came to the fore after I moved back to England 10 years ago. There can be a tendency for agencies to be interested in indulgent creative and winning awards – not delivering when it comes to results. I saw that Proctors really focuses on measurability and accountability, and that it wasn’t just another marketing angle, as investment in the Intimis side of the business testifies.

And what projects have you been working on recently?
The last few years has been a fascinating mix of projects, from working with big brands like The FA and Sky, developing brand propositions and how to communicate effectively with their audience, through to work with mobility charity Motivation most recently.

Tell us more about this charity project – it sounds interesting…
It was! Having worked both agency and client side for 15 years, I thought it’d be great to use my skills ‘for good’, as it were.

Motivation is an incredibly inspiring charity. It helps people with disabilities around the world, focusing on low-income countries. It’s amazing the difference the right equipment can make. By providing a person with something as simple as a basic wheelchair, you literally change their life, and help them become an active member of society, in some cases, for the first time in their lives.  But it doesn’t just focus on getting people mobile – it also campaigns for disabled people’s employment rights, sets up economic empowerment projects to break the cycle of poverty and provides services like training and physio to help disabled people live more normal lives.

So what was your involvement?
I worked with Motivation to launch a new sports wheelchair it had developed in partnership with the International Tennis Federation and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. The product is great as it’s the worlds first affordable sports wheelchair and will raise much needed funds for Motivation’s continuing activities. I shared expertise and an external perspective, setting up the commercial and marketing aspects of this new venture, then helping them launch globally.  It’s been well received so far, and the orders are already stacking up…

So you’ve lots of varied experience. That’ll come in handy here at Proctors…
Well, yes! Another thing that caught my eye about Proctors is the breadth of services offered. I’m excited to get stuck in and put my experience to good use. Having been on both sides of the agency/client relationship brings a slightly different perspective to projects as well, which is often beneficial.

Ah, such enthusiasm! That’s what we like to see. But before we let you go, one last traditional question – tell us something we’d never, ever have guessed about you?
I used to be in a band called Twice Shy… and we’ve played for Elton John and the King of Spain!

So there you have it, the new Mr Hollom, secret rock star, international do-er of good deeds and all round talented chap. If you’ve got a question on how to make the most of your marketing budget, Ben’s your man, so feel free to pick up the phone and say hello, or drop him an email

Questions – Ray Morrow
Pictures – Chris Giles