Sharon Casey Ledwidge, Innovation Manager at Virgin Media Television
Sharon is a creative and passionate futurist who specialises in media innovation.
Sharon has extensive experience in Media Sales across a number of different advertising mediums - newspapers, magazines, radio, television and podcasts; the majority spent specialising in sponsorship, promotions, branded content, product placement, advertiser-funded programming, events, digital and social.
Sharon has used her creativity, authenticity, steadfastness, and unrivalled knowledge to create and execute best-in-class brand partnerships.
“Nothing beats hands-on experience, and often by including more people at an earlier stage of planning, you cannot only help troubleshoot potential problems but help keep communication flowing. Success is something that is better when it's shared.”
Sharon Casey
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your current career/role/areas of focus.
My current role is as Innovation Manager for Virgin Media Television. My major focus is creating and developing new commercial products, reacting to change and discovering new opportunities.
I'm currently working on Virgin Media Originals, our Podcast offering, which launched last year. Since then, we've launched eight podcasts – three of which charted in the Irish Top Ten and hit Number One in their Category.
I studied Radio Broadcasting in college and worked in radio. I have also been a vocal champion on podcasts' value for brands for the last decade, so it's been a real dream project.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
I find I am most motivated by change - what's new or around the corner. Part of my current role is predicting trends, and the most gratifying element of what I do is seeing things grow and figuring how they will work.
I'm extremely grateful that in over a decade in media, not one day has been the same.
How do you network? What is your preferred way to network?
In these pandemic times, I rely on LinkedIn. It's a really simple way to communicate in real-time. I use functions such as Kudos to interact with people and send recommendations for LinkedIn Learning.
I've always sporadically sent greeting cards. Mainly because I love physical post – who doesn't love mail that isn't a bill. I think it's a great way to stay in touch, express thanks or seasonal wishes. It's something I wish I did a lot more of.
I always leave my door open for help and advice to anyone and everyone. I am always happy to pay it forward.
What are the challenges of COVID-19 in your business? Does it had a positive or negative effect, and how have you been managing it?
COVID-19 has had massive challenges. Virgin Media Television has really focused on what it as a company can do to help.
One of the biggest initiatives we've run has been "The Backing Business" campaign which has helped showcase hundreds of Irish companies across Virgin Media Television platforms so that they can get back to business.
Recently the editorial team had the idea of a campaign to fundraise for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland called "Donate for Dementia". The station hosted a series of special programmes to raise awareness and funds to support people with all forms of dementia in Ireland. The amount raised as I speak is €820K.
What is your project/company's mission, and how do you see it changing in the future?
This year, one of our aims with Virgin Media Originals is to look beyond dynamic ad insertion and sponsorship and do more branded content. No one has more experience in the Irish Marketplace with advertiser-funded content than Virgin Media Television.
"Hooked On…" our TV companion podcast produced by the very talented Gordon Hayden, has already been amazingly successful. So far, we've focused on our own content; Irish Drama "The Deceived", our new format "Eating with the Enemy", and nightly episodes supporting "I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here".
We hope to expand the podcasts' content outside our own schedule (like the upcoming series Love Island) and look at what is capturing people's interest, such as the upcoming Loki on Disney Plus and the next season of Stranger Things.
Do you have a mentor/coach to support you in your decisions/ideas/challenges, and what is the best advice you have ever received?
Jill Geoghegan, my Advertising Director when I worked in VIP Magazines, has been my mentor since the very start of my career. Even though it's been over a decade since we last worked together, she is always the opinion I will seek out.
Strangely, it's the bad advice that has stayed with me. I think it's very hard to describe "listen to your gut" to someone who isn't in tune with themselves. I would describe myself as someone who knows others better than I do myself. But nothing has helped me listen to my gut more than advice that makes me think – no, that's not me!
What are your thoughts on the future of social media and how it affects your business/company?
Interestingly, I think it's borrowing more and more from traditional media. Twitter Spaces/Clubhouse, well, that's its "call-in" radio.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I love Twitter. I love how it gives access, in real-time, to events anywhere in the world.
Barack Obama and Britney Spears follow me (I don't know why!), so I can never delete my account, if only for that reason.
I also have to say I still, to this day, love Tumblr. I find Fandoms can innovate faster than anyone. So I will always check in to see what people on Tumblr say to gauge what's coming down the line.
How important do you think it is to designate tasks to others? When it comes to your business, what are the tasks you ask for help with?
I think having clearly defined roles help immensely when designating tasks. Our business is quite fast-paced, and picking up tasks and running with them is key.
Sometimes in the art of delegation, true appreciation can be lost, so I am always mindful of hard work that I might have unseen and others on the team.
Especially when you are working with people in creative roles, you can never underestimate how simple hard changes or completed pieces of work can be.
Do you have any advice or examples of executing a successful business strategy?
I believe the key to executing a successful business strategy is seeking input from those who will be executing the strategy.
Nothing beats hands-on experience, and often by including more people at an earlier stage of planning, you cannot only help troubleshoot potential problems but help keep communication flowing.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
The adventure!
I am genuinely interested in most things that cross my desk on a daily basis.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Be constantly looking for inspiration. Research your favourite brands and find their best work. Figure out what was the fairy dust that made those campaigns great.
Think about what you would do if you were running those campaigns. How would you "plus" them.
If you are interested and knowledgeable, that will shine through in every interaction you ever have.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Giving up is so often directly linked to disappointment. When you care, when you are deeply invested sometimes, it can really hurt to see a project or a plan go off the rails!
It's hard to get back on the horse afterwards. That's why it's so important to be supported through a failure or an issue.
What are you most proud of in your life?
I'm proud of the happy life that I've built with my husband. We have been together for nearly twenty years.
In my career, I have gotten the most satisfaction from managing people. I feel lucky that I've been able to manage the most amazing, talented, creative set of people, often from the very start of their careers, during my time in Virgin Media Television.
I've benefited immensely from the strong relationships I have within my team. Something that I talk about as a learning a lot because it was something from the very start of my career that I never wanted.
I was passionate about my own solo projects and wanted to pour my
time and energy into them. I was also afraid that I would be terrible at managing. That fear really helped me. It ensured that I put a huge focus on constantly developing and improving my own people and team management skills.
In my current role, I don't manage a team anymore. I have that time now for more creative projects, but I am grateful for the time I spent in the service of a team.
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
My career is particularly well matched to my interests. My parents owned a video store, and I grew always loving Film/TV – particularly Science Fiction. I watch daily YouTubers for industry news and listen to numerous Film/TV podcasts.
The cornerstone of my entire routine is walking my two rescue dogs, Belle and Blaine, with my husband. There is an ever-growing bucket list of places we want to go with them on the weekends.
I also have two rescue cats Snoopy and Guinness, and over the years, I've rescued quite a large number of animals. Famously I once ended up with 24 freshly rescued lop-eared rabbits and one misplaced hare in my spare bedroom.
When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
There is, I've always lived by a variation of "you do you". People buy people first, so be genuine and be yourself. Otherwise, it's impossible to be consistent.
Everyone changes over the years, but the core of why people want to work or partner with you will remain the same. In Virgin Media, one of our core values is being "straight-up", and as someone who wears all my thoughts and emotions on my sleeve, I would struggle being anything else.
Our school motto was "courage and confidence in the pursuit of excellence", and I often use that as a touchpoint before I dive into something new.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
For a very long time saying "no" was just not part of my vocabulary. I think often your strengths can also be your weakness.
I have always felt I could problem-solve my way out of anything. I have a "we can do this" mentality. "No" has rarely felt like an option, and not having the time or energy to action every idea or catch every hospital pass thrown my way was just part of the problem to solve.
I wish I knew that saying "no" for the right reasons was smart and strategic, not an unwillingness to help.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
Grace Randolph. Grace is the creator of "Beyond the Trailer" on YouTube. She has also written several comics over the years. I love her style of reporting esp. when it comes to industry news and analysis.
She is a great example of someone doing YouTube right, and how she has pivoted her content and community interactions during the pandemic has been a masterclass to watch.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
I love Acast. They are the worlds' largest podcast company. I admired them long before I was lucky enough to collaborate with them on Virgin Media Originals, our podcast offering.
As a team to work with, they are smart, innovative people and fantastic to work with it.
What I think they really get right is their approach to supporting the entire infrastructure and ecosystem of podcasting. They want everyone to succeed and have shown amazing leadership in this space.
Sharon Casey Ledwidge, Virgin Media Television
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
For me, I define personal success as always being the hardest working person in the room.
It's the only thing I can control. I am succeeding once I am happy with my own performance. I think it comes back to "you do you".
As for lessons learnt, I would say success is something that is better when it's shared. Be mindful and thankful for every contribution.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
The number one skill that I feel has helped me in my career has been my ability to problem-solve.
I am full of ideas, and I see multiple paths to success. That flexibility paired with determination has helped me to keep pushing forward.