Feature

InSkin Media

Meet the team at InSkin Media

From left: Claire Bloxham, Phil Townend, Angeline Lodhia, John-Paul James, Mark Davey, Mike D'Ambrosio, Steve Doyle and Evan Russell
From left: Claire Bloxham, Phil Townend, Angeline Lodhia, John-Paul James, Mark Davey, Mike D'Ambrosio, Steve Doyle and Evan Russell

What does the team do?
InSkin's commercial team is responsible for ensuring our online ad formats are adopted by major UK broadcasters and web publishers, and that advertisers and agencies demand our products on their online media schedules. We are re-educating the market to look beyond standard online metrics - such as impressions and clicks - to often-overlooked opportunities such as dwell time and engagement.

Who is the team leader?
Commercial director Phil Townend, whose management style is Northern with a twist of Tourette's. Steve Doyle, head of sales, can best be described as gruff, while Mark Davey, head of publisher services, can be summed up as West Country placid.

What's in your in-tray?
Advertiser order forms and publisher contracts - more than 90 websites now feature the InSkin product, and we have run more than 150 campaigns in the UK since launching in early 2009.

Where do you get inspiration from?
Our founder, Patrick Knight, the enigmatic 30-year-old who has already built and sold two internet businesses and can be likened to a young Doc Emmett Brown from Back to the Future. He is in turn inspired by sales guru Anthony Robbins, whose favourite mantra is: "There is no such thing as failure. There are only results."

Media we can't live without?
The Wire, Dead Set, Peep Show and any form of online video research. Chief executive Hugo Drayton loves Radio 4 and the Chaka Demus and Pliers song Tease Me.

Preferred lunching venues?
Arbutus, Maze Grill, Comida, Boisedales and Hix - a new restaurant on Brewer Street.

Most memorable night out?
Our debauched team night out at the Islington Wine Show. We pretended to be really interested in the nuances of a fine Malbec, while chucking as much down our throats as possible. This was followed by karaoke at Lucky Voice, where certain senior members of our team rocked out to Breathe by Prodigy, dressed up in long wigs.

Advice to graduates
Always say please and thank you, and remain polite no matter how quickly you rise up the ladder.  The number of nice graduates who get promoted and turn power-mad is laughable and unnecessary.

If we ruled the world...
Don't worry, we will.