Working at Social Brothers

Introducing: Business Unit Manager Melvin Woudenberg

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your role within the company?

'I'm Melvin, Business Unit Manager at Social Brothers and I've been doing that for seven years now! I started here as a marketing intern while studying Business Management. After about a year, the department changed considerably. I had just graduated when Steven and I decided that I was going completely into marketing.

This was still quite new for us at the time, but customers remained satisfied and we slowly added more colleagues to the team. I am now a Business Unit Manager for Social Brothers. This is less about marketing and more about business aspects, such as turnover and budgets. For me this is the ideal job!'

After all this time, what is your favorite memory?

'I have been working at Social Brothers for almost 8 years. So it is quite difficult to choose one memory. But looking back on it personally, I think the working holiday to Italy was one of the highlights. We went to Italy together as a kind of family to work in the sun, but also to have a great time.'

Can you tell us about a project you've worked on that you're proud of?

'I am very proud of the work we have done for EASY noise control. We started our collaboration 6 years ago and have been able to achieve a lot of growth by fully relieving them of digital concerns. Think of CRM, website development, digital marketing and branding. The trust we have received over the years makes this project truly special.'

What inspires you to keep working in this sector?

'What inspires me to continue working in this sector is the fact that it changes every day. Results may vary, sometimes there is growth and sometimes there is decline, but the reason is never the same. It requires continuous optimization and management. I think it's great that customers come to us with a variety of complex questions and that we can help them as an agency. Whether it concerns a branding issue where they want to position themselves in the market or increasing the ROI of a Google Ads campaign. I'm happy to take up the challenge!'

What skills have you developed during your time with the company and how have they helped you in your career?

'I think I will inspire people and take them into my story. I enjoy talking about my passion and I notice that this enthusiasm spreads to others as well. The company sometimes feels like my baby; I'm working on it day and night. That passion and enthusiasm has helped me a lot in my sales work, where I can inspire and involve customers. 

But I have also learned to be realistic. If the results are not good, I accept that and work on it. I used to have nice words, but I didn't really know how to be substantive.'

What does a typical working day look like for you and how do you keep yourself motivated and productive?

'A typical working day for me starts with a cup of coffee. My day usually starts a little earlier so that I can prepare everything so that everyone can start and complete some tasks without being disturbed. On the other hand, I also have many customer appointments that could go in any direction. Sometimes I am in a consultant role, sometimes I evaluate a campaign or participate in a brainstorming session. What I like so much is that my week is not structurally planned. Every week is very different and my days are never the same. Oh, and coffee. Indispensable!'

How would you describe the corporate culture of Social Brothers?

'One word is central to us: together. Have fun together, grow together, go the extra mile together for the customer and for the team. Whether we have a deadline and need to work hard or can enjoy the good results together, we experience it together. We believe that successes should be celebrated, and that is why we organize outings, drinks and even weekends away on Friday afternoons.'

What advice would you give yourself when you first started at Social Brothers?

'When I first started, I was a young guy of 22 years old and I would sometimes sit at the table with the marketing director. At such moments I sometimes had doubts and thought: “Can I do this?”. But now, with the knowledge and experience I have gained, I realize that I should have believed in myself much earlier. I would like to say to my younger self, “Melvin, you can do this. Have confidence in yourself and your abilities.'

This or That?

Never use Social Media again or never watch a movie/series again?

'I would choose never to watch a film or series again. To be honest, I rarely watch anything, so that wouldn't be that big of a change for me. I am a fanatical user of social media, especially TikTok.'

Never use your phone again or never use your laptop again?

'Never again my laptop. I'm quite skilled at my job and would almost dare to sell a pen without using a presentation on my laptop. On the other hand, a telephone is more important to stay in touch and be reachable everywhere.'

Sing a song every day for the whole office or never have FreeMiBos again?

I wouldn't mind singing a song to the entire office every day. I'm often already humming along to some techno set, so I don't mind singing along with it.' 

Do you also want to work at Social Brothers? View our vacancies here!