WMA is a full-service digital creative agency focused on the entertainment business, with a sweet spot for the music industry and record labels, working to create innovative, edgy and captivating digital marketing campaigns to connect recording artists and brands with their audiences. But they’re not stopping there: long-term they’re looking to expand into sports, fashion, lifestyle, among many others – the sky’s the limit when you hire the best people to do their best work.
Over the summer I had the chance to visit New York City to meet with companies to foster our existing employer partnerships and start creating new ones. As the Associate Director of Employer Engagement, my number one priority is to create connections on behalf of our students and alumni to bring you exciting and challenging opportunities to get your foot in the door and start building your career.
WMA Agency, originally started in the UK, recently opened their first US office in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn 2 years ago. They now have nearly 50 staff globally between their London, NYC, and Los Angeles outposts.
If I’m being honest, their office is, seriously, one of the coolest workspaces I’ve visited.
Located on a quiet street with a full view of downtown Manhattan across the river, their office building at first looks like an old warehouse (because it is) with a huge garage door and WMA stenciled on the front (which opens to the street, a little breeze was much-needed on the muggy afternoon I spent in Brooklyn!)
As soon as you walk in through the black door to the side, you’re in a hipster’s office dream come true: large open space for events (think local artist showcases, performances, maybe a cocktail hour or two), with a door that leads to the co-working area with music blasting through the speakers and room full of young professionals doing their life’s best work.
I sat down with Sonali De Alwis, their Director of Creative Services for the US to pick her brain about what makes WMA so unique. She and the CEO Seb Weller met when they both worked at Sony Music Entertainment, UK, Sonali as Creative Manager for the UK label Group and Seb as Director of Digital Marketing & Business Development. Not one to settle in and coast through his career, Seb decided to branch off and open his own venture, WMA.
Sonali described the type of person that excels at their agency as someone who knows how to use their talents, willing to work hard to get results for their clients and most of all able to do it with a smile and truly enjoy what they do. They like people who question the status quo and offer their own ideas and opinions – this is a space for creativity and out-of-the-box solutions to launch their clients to success.
Working at an agency like WMA is all about relationships. Being able to connect with your coworkers and clients on a personal level is tantamount to excelling at their company.
Seb’s golden rule when it comes to who’s the right fit for WMA? They have to be someone he can spend 10 hours on a plane with and enjoy the conversation. Here, it’s all about personality and work ethic, the skills will follow. This is what makes WMA such unique place to intern or start your career, if you have the personality and are willing to put yourself out there, you’ll gain the skills and industry knowledge that’ll catapult you to wherever your career dreams take you.
