Press and Marketing Officer - Emma Nelson

With such a great variety of roles in our business, there’s no shortage of interesting stories and experiences from our colleagues. Always wondered what life is like in the Harvey Nichols family? Feeding into your curiosity, Emma Nelson shares her experiences as a Press and Marketing Officer for our Beauty Bazaar store in Liverpool.


Tell us about yourself? 
I am fashion communication and promotion graduate with a Level 3 Fashion and Photographic Makeup qualification. I am also a style and beauty junkie with a love for writing, events and Instagram. I am an advertiser’s dream with so much makeup that I have dedicated drawers to each product category – I think I’m on 25 primers and counting!  
 

What’s your role as Press & Marketing Officer all about?
I am responsible for ensuring that Beauty Bazaar is the go to beauty destination in Liverpool. I make sure our brand is represented in the right way, spoken about by the right people and that I provide something fresh to our customers. I look after events, press, display, promotions, internal communications, strategy and social media.
 

How did you get into this role and what was the application process like?
I first interned at several fashion companies before settling as a Social Media Executive at Rare London. Then I came across this role and I told my parents if I could have dreamt up a role it would be this! I had several stages to get through including two presentations to our GM about what I could bring to the role, how I would plan a launch event and how I would update the store’s social media channels.
 

What does a typical day look like for you from start to finish?
A single day can involve everything from creating press alerts, making goody bags, filming a makeover for Instagram, previewing new launches at brand strategy meetings, visiting external partners, analysing footfall and sales or communicating incentives and experiences for staff. The beauty of a smaller store is that you are really involved in many departments and aspects of the business!  
 

What makes your job great?
It’s fast paced, always varied, challenging and I get to work in a beautiful store with beautiful products – getting to preview all of our treatments is my favourite perk!
 

What’s the most rewarding and most challenging thing about your job? 
Most rewarding is seeing an event you have worked on for months come together and receiving great feedback from both staff and customers. Most challenging is juggling many projects at once. You have to keep a lot of plates spinning.
 

What achievement are you proud of?
I introduced a concept of local makeup artists hosting master classes in-store, using different products from their favourite brands. Due to the success of the first one it’s now a major part of our events strategy and has been rolled out to several other regional stores. A personal highlight was also interviewing Alessandra Steinherr at the launch of her MAC x Alessandra Lipstick. 
 

What skills are important to succeed in your role?
Strong communication and written skills, a proactive attitude, attention to detail, and being organised and creative.
 

How do you stay inspired?
It’s difficult not to get inspired by the constant newness in the ever-changing beauty industry. Instagram helps me stay up to date with new trends and working with a loyal, creative and determined team, who all have the same goal, really helps keep me motivated!
 

What do you like about working for Harvey Nichols in this position? 
I am proud to work for such an established international brand with a great reputation. I get to host and attend exciting events, work with leading brands and figures in the industry and I love that my role always sounds super glamorous (not always true!) and all my friends are jealous about all the beautiful products and treatments I get to experience!
 

For more brand news and updates by Emma, check out the Instagram of The Beauty Bazaar.