My Work Experience Week: Kiya

Day 1: Growth and Competitive Edge 

My experience started by shadowing Ellen Bundey on the Growth team. We spent the morning looking at the sales process and how brands move people from “scrolling” to “buying”. 

• The task: I analyzed competitor social media accounts to see how they engage and educate customers. 

• The lesson: If you don’t know how your competitors are communicating to people, you can’t make your own brand stand out. It’s all about finding that gap to influence a purchase decision. 

Day 2: The Science of Giving (Behavioural science and The RSPCA) 

Day 2 was a deep dive into Behavioural science with Ariane Marasigan. Working with the team, I looked at how elements of the “Nudge Theory” can be used for good, specifically using the example case study of The RSPCA.

• The task: We looked at how theories are used to impact and help people make a decision. For example, we looked at the "Default", creating a locked button for donations as a default, meaning audiences haven't got to manually enter donations, as humans usually take the path of least resistance! 

• The lesson: I compared the RSPCA’s donation page to Cancer Research UK. It was eye-opening to see how demographics and audience stats change how a page should look to create the biggest impact. Check out Reflect’s RSPCA case study for more on this. This links directly to behavioural science principles like nudge theory, where small changes in design can influence user decisions without removing choice.

Day 3: Values, Events and Reaching Gen Z

Today was a shift from the technical “How” to the big-picture “Why”. I moved from SEO coding to seeing how a brand lives its values and connects with its community.  

Reflects vision: I joined the company wide meeting where the team reflected on the agency's future and core values.

• The lesson: “Human-first” isn’t just a tagline for clients, it’s the internal structure that helps to guide where the agency is heading. 

The art of Connection: I shadowed Erin Baxter to see “behind the scenes” of event planning. It’s a massive communication puzzle that starts long before the guests arrive.

• The task: I helped make the Behind the Future podcast more user-friendly by breaking it into chapters. I also researched competitor events to see how they build community. 

• The lesson: Accessibility is key. By "chapterising" content, you make it easier for people to find exactly what they need.  

Cracking the TikTok code: I finished the day looking at how Reflect can better engage the 16-17 year-old demographic on TikTok.

• The lesson: To reach my age group, you have to drop the serious tone and be authentic. It’s all about meeting people where they are, in a modernised language they recognise.      

Day 4: Paid Media and Audience Behaviour

The final day brought everything together, combining behavioural science, data and creativity in paid media with the specialist Mya Clarivette. For marketers, this highlights the importance of using real audience data to inform creative decisions rather than relying on assumptions.

Understanding audience backgrounds: 

• The task: I researched different economic backgrounds across the UK based on postcode data, collecting and recording it onto a large spreadsheet from previous events.

• The lesson: This showed me the importance of researching people's backgrounds, as different backgrounds will respond differently, so using real data will make more effective and relevant campaigns.  

Exploring paid media: I finished the day looking at how Reflect can better engage the 16-17 year-old demographic on TikTok.

• The task: I shadowed Mya Clarivatte, who is a part of the paid media team, as well as analysed existing ads, and created my own advert ideas. 

• The lesson: Paid media is not just about visuals; it’s about targeting the right audience with the right message. Small changes in how the ad is presented and layout can have a large impact on how audiences engage with the ad.

Key Takeaways

• Human-first marketing is driven by understanding behaviour

• Small changes (nudges) can influence user decisions

• Audience research is essential for effective campaigns

• Paid media works best when tailored to specific audiences

• Data and creativity together drive stronger results

Research suggests that up to 95% of decisions are made subconsciously, reinforcing the importance of designing marketing around real human behaviour.

Want to better understand your audience and create campaigns that truly connect to your customers? Explore how Reflect Digital uses behavioural science and data-driven strategies to deliver human-first marketing. Get in touch with the team to learn more.