Jade Chadwick first came to HUB in 2010 when she was 14, for a two-week work experience placement which saw her get to grips with all things marketing and content production.
HUB was still new on the Leeds agency scene, having only launched in 2007.
Now, in 2025, Jade has returned to HUB as our brilliant new Digital PR Executive. We sat down to discuss how HUB changed the trajectory of her career, what’s new in the Digital PR landscape, and what sets HUB apart from any other marketing agency she’s worked at.
Why did you choose HUB for your work experience placement at 14?
I originally had a placement arranged at Galaxy Radio. Then, as we all know, it got taken over and became Capital Radio, so they cancelled the week before I was due to start. I was devastated, but my mum knew Neil Pickering’s [Media Account Manager] wife. My mum doesn’t even know really what I do now, so she was like “marketing, journalism, it’s all the same game.” And that’s how I ended up at HUB!
How many people worked here at that time?
It was a lot smaller than it is now! There must have been fewer than 20 people in the team, but I remember some designers and some of the web team. It definitely didn’t look like this, but it was still at Holly Park Mills.
What do you remember about your work experience with HUB?
I was primarily working with the account management team, and I got involved in some photography shoots both in the studio and on location.
I remember going back to school afterwards and hearing about everyone else’s placements which were quite boring. I was like, “I did a photo shoot… it was ready meals, and we mixed PVA glue with gravy,” and everyone was like “*gasp* so exciting!”
I also got an iPod, and everyone was so jealous. It was when the first iPads had just been released, and HUB bought iPads for all the designers. Because the agency bought a lot, they got a free iPod, and they gave it to me! I actually found the iPod the other day – it’s bright orange.
What did you take away from the experience?
It was my first proper experience of being in an office. I think that was the big thing. And I liked working on loads of different clients, putting pitch decks together for brands like Weber, an energy drink client, and a coffee client that I can’t remember the names of!
How did you think your career was going to pan out at that point?
My dream was to be a journalist. That was always my dream, and at that age you don’t really know what marketing is. It was before even Instagram was a thing, so everything was completely different. I definitely still thought I was going to be a journalist, but I was like, “well, if that doesn’t pan out, then I’ll just do marketing!”
What have you been up to in the years since?
I did a journalism degree at Salford University, so I did give journalism a good go. Then I realised that no one actually goes into journalism, everyone goes into PR. I got a social media job in Manchester straight after university, but the goal was always to go into PR and that’s where I’ve landed.
What do you like about working in PR?
I love it. You always think that PR is this big glamorous world, but I actually really like doing the B2B clients like housing associations and house builders. I like the less glamorous side of PR. I like getting to know what people actually do; there are all these random careers and companies that you never think about, so I find learning about them very interesting.
How has the digital PR landscape changed since you started your career?
It’s definitely completely different. Digital and traditional PR are kind of merging together but also becoming so much more separate. I don’t know how that is happening, but it is. Digital PR used to be all about the number of links you could get, whereas now it’s definitely quality over quantity.
It’s a lot harder as well – it’s so much more competitive. So much is pay-to-play nowadays, so you really have to get creative about how you do it without paying. Clickbait definitely has a role to play in this development. If you read the news, it’s so dramatic, and so depressing. Clients often want to do a positive, happy story, but sadly the negative always takes precedence and it always makes a better headline. So PR marketers have definitely had to adapt to navigate that.
One thing that’s always been the same is making and nurturing relationships with journalists; understanding what they like and what they want, and understanding that they’re a real human rather than just an inbox.
How has HUB changed over the years?
It’s SO much bigger. Even location-wise, we were in a smaller office on the business park. HUB also has so many more services now. TV and media buying was a big service when I did my work experience, but now it’s just so much more expansive. And so much bigger.
What would you say to someone considering a career at HUB?
HUB is the biggest place I’ve worked at. I don’t know if that’s why, but the onboarding process has been a lot better than anywhere I’ve worked before. That does make a big difference because it sets you up for success, whereas at other places it’s been like “here you go, crack on with it” and you learn as you go. Here, it was good that I actually got time to take everything in.
I actually met people from different departments, people who lead clients that I’m not yet on, people I won’t necessarily even work with. Because the skill set and expertise is so vast, you’ve got a lot of knowledge to pick up on.
