Reflections from my secondment with RSPCA NSW
— Written by Rachel Monaghan, Digital Campaign Executive at Marlin Communications.
Recently, I had the unique opportunity to join one of our much-loved clients, RSPCA NSW, for a secondment role as their Digital Marketing Officer. Marlin Communications has worked closely with RSPCA NSW for over 10 years and have cultivated an incredibly strong client relationship. So, when a gap in their digital team arose,they turned to Marlin for support.
Having previously worked in the animal welfare space before joining Marlin, I have a long-standing passion for protecting all creatures great and small. So naturally, I was excited to support the vital work RSPCA NSW does. My dog Manny also approved of the opportunity!
My beautiful dog Manny
I split my time 3 days a week with RSPCA NSW and 2 days a week in my usual Marlin role. Let me tell you, no two days were the same over that period!
RSPCA NSW strives to ensure that no animal is turned away or forgotten, regardless of whether they are abandoned, neglected, injured or surrendered into their care. Their ultimate goal is to improve animal welfare education and keep people and animals together.
From the very beginning, this dedication to animals was evident in every aspect of their incredible team’s work. And I was just as impressed by their commitment and openness to harnessing digital innovation as I was to their dedication to animal welfare.
In my secondment, I supported a variety of departments including education, gifts in Wills, andcomms with their digital paid media needs. This included creating strategies by diving into what worked in the past, analysing the digital channels to utilise, identifying key audiences and working with budgets while assisting in sourcing creative content and copy to best engage them new supporters.
I also worked very closely with their Fundraising team over the course of my secondment. I supported their much loved peer-to-peer events like Rescue Run and Cupcake Day, while also helping out with their seasonal fundraising campaigns.
During my secondment I was involved in RSPCA NSW’s Tax Appeal and their Guardian Angel Christmas Appeal – their two biggest fundraising campaigns of the year. This included everything from working on the digital strategy, to implementing A/B split test ideas, building paid media, landing pages and assisting in creative.It was great to work with such an experienced team who were receptive to new ideas.
My unique experience as a digital fundraiser, and the support of the Marlin team was pivotal in the success of my secondment. I was able to carry out the general duties of the Digital Marketing Officer role while also identifying gaps and implementing new processes and ideas along the way with the guidance of Marlin’s Digital Development and Digital Fundraising teams.
Due to a fluctuating recruitment market, what started as a 3 month contract had quickly been extended to 9 a month secondment. This gave RSPCA NSW the time to find the right person for the permanent role. I was also able to spend time with the new recruit and handover everything so they felt supported and ready to flourish in their new role.
I feel very fortunate for my secondment experience with RSPCA NSW and working with their fantastic team. It was beneficial for me to step outside of my comfort zone and to undertake roles that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to. . I would urge any organisation who needs the support to embrace the opportunities that secondments can deliver.
RSPCA NSW and Marlin team
