When Holly met...

Tania Jackson

A blog post by Holly Roberts, Bournemouth Eagle Lab Manager

“What’s an average day in the Eagle Lab?” seems to be the question I’ve been asked by all my friends and family during my first month working as the new Lab Manager at the Bournemouth Eagle Lab.

The answer to that is...

...there is absolutely nothing average about any day in the Eagle Lab.

The Bournemouth Lab consists of three offices, a large open co-working area and a Maker space. The VR headset is wired up ready, foosball table in prime spot, unlimited coffee and a fully stocked cooler. Sharon, the Lab’s Engineer, is busy working away in the Maker space on a prototype for a client’s next innovation set to take over the world and the co-working space is a thriving hub of exciting businesses working hard.

Being new to the Lab, the first thing I desperately want to do is to get to know our residents. So I thought I’d dive in with the fabulous, digital marketing expert - Tania Jackson, Director of Red Idea Digital Marketing Agency.

When I first met Tania I was immediately struck by her. She is an extremely focused, motivated, and successful woman, so I was so excited to be able to sneak off for lunch and chat with her. Tania established Red Idea Digital Marketing Agency nine years ago. She started the business from scratch, successfully juggling the demands of parenthood with the pressures of starting a new business. Tania has always pursued her vision with determination and commitment as demonstrated by her career path to date.

Tania previously worked for a major event management company, developing marketing for airlines and, immediately prior to starting a family, her own fashion based business, bringing to the UK new fashion wear from designers hailing from her native Sao Paulo in Brazil. Family life meant that this burgeoning fashion concern took a back seat. When the time was right however, she decided to establish Red Idea while still living in London, which focused on her other great passions – marketing and technology.

In London, Tania made a name for herself as an expert on digital marketing, after studying for a post graduate diploma, she used her business acumen and academic knowledge not just to enhance the performance of her own business, but educating others by sharing her expertise and experience. She has lectured in Digital Marketing at the University of West London, Middlesex University and Birkbeck college, University of London. Her passion for technology and marketing remains as strong as ever, and she continues to this day to lecture master’s degree students in the subject at Birkbeck in London.

While on holiday in Dorset, Tania fell in love with Bournemouth, and decided to relocate here in August 2016 . She needed to find a base from which to run her business here, and that’s where the Eagle Lab came in.

Our discussion moved on from her past to the present and future. In her line of business, things don’t stand still for long and as I listened to her explain neuromarketing and AI, it was clear to see the passion she has for the industry, and her business.

So what has Tania’s experience in the Lab been like? We spoke about the incredible benefits of co-working spaces, including collaborative innovation and a sense of collective support which is, for me, everything the Eagle Lab is about. The over-riding feeling of camaraderie and being part of a community has allowed her to mix with people in the same industry but with different backgrounds. Being able to bounce ideas (until the ideas are too good to share!) and techniques off each other is what Tania appreciates most about working in the co-working space.

Tania is also especially appreciative of the Maker Space facility and having our Lab engineer Sharon on hand to assist. Tania had developed a Notebook for Business, new guide explaining the benefits of having a digital marketing strategy. Using the Maker Space’s laser cutter to etch on Red Idea’s “Always have a plan” brand design onto the notebooks created a bespoke, professional look for those seeking marketing ideas. The notebook includes a six-step problem-solving experience for the user to help understand what are the key considerations when thinking about digital marketing. In keeping with her commitment to educate the next generation on digital marketing, her broader vision includes acting as a mentor supporting those coming to grips with marketing today in developing others business. This notebook enables that. We love it, and can’t wait to see what Tania has in store next in using our Maker Space facilities.

For those Lab users who need or want financial advice for their business, Barclays staff are on hand to willingly assist. This is something that Tania feels is a great benefit of using the Lab. Whether that be having access to Business and personal banking or, in Tania’s case, her particular fondness for our Premier Rewards app, which gives great discounts on eating out all over the UK – and importantly for Tania, savings cover children’s meals too!

So what’s next? Tania’s husband has also taken the plunge and started his own antique jewellery business. Nothing short of a “dream team”, Tania has been involved in the design, branding and currently in the process of the website implementation too. It will be of no surprise when this takes off across the UK with Tania’s proven marketing skills behind it! Before we end, Tania wanted to note her thanks to Harry Baker, our Ecosystem Manager and Sharon Jones, our Lab Engineer, for their help and consistency through the time she has been at the Bournemouth Lab. Never saying no to suggestions and asks for help, they have helped in the smooth running of working away from her London base and continuously assisting with ideas within the Maker space. Let’s hope I can keep up their good work!

Being my first blog of the year with our residents, I thought it would only be right to ask Tania for a motivational quote to end for you all...