Sophie Simpson is the Managing Director and Founder of Atteline, a public relations firm based in Dubai, UAE. Sophie and her team use global experience, regional insight, and local knowledge to package, protect, and propel the brands they believe in across the consumer and corporate landscapes.
Sophie is a London-born, Bermuda-raised PR who was educated in the UK at Downe House School and then at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. It was here that she truly cemented her passion for the business of fashion and began her career as a university graduate.
She entered the workforce in London as a Junior Fashion Editor with Vogue, then moved on to Style Magazine (The Times Newspaper) before transitioning from journalism to public relations. Sophie began her communication career with Lee Publicity in the United Kingdom, and she later split her time between London and Milan, Italy in an exciting “in-house” role with luxury international lingerie label, La Perla. In 2013, she answered the call of the Middle East and relocated to Dubai to work as an Account Director in the region’s burgeoning agency landscape.
Sophie had the opportunity to represent an impressive client portfolio in the UAE, and she went on to found Atteline in 2016, with the vision of transforming the industry by setting a new standard for quality and specialisation.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us more about Atteline.
We are an award-winning PR agency headquartered in Dubai, UAE. Leveraging global experience, regional insight, and local expertise, we package, protect, and propel the brands we believe in across the consumer and corporate landscape. Working alongside some of the most current brands, disruptive entrepreneurs, and inspiring newly launched entities, together we grow in our vision to be better than yesterday and deliver campaigns that shape culture. In short, we are collaborators, connectors, and creators. We weave our clients into the fabric of communities to promote the growth of valuable relationships, spark the symphony of conversations, inspire the exchange of unique content, and influence change in consumer behaviour. We invoke imaginative thinking and intelligent tactics to spark conversations that reverberate throughout our global network. It is our job to find and mobilise brand champions and influence those who matter.
Who is your target audience? How do you create services that align with what they’re looking for?
We look after the GCC market and see ourselves as part of a rich ecosystem of individuals and brands that are both consumer and corporate. Be it launching a new brand or devising head-turning collaborations, we spearhead intelligent, integrated campaigns that engage in media relations, strategic partnerships, influencer engagement, media training, events, and activations.
What are the major changes happen in client behavior and market operation since pandemic?
We often ask our clients: are you ready to face the post-COVID-19 world? COVID-19 has arrested the attention of the world, and a great deal of information has been published about the pandemic in recent years, and as we try to make sense of the data, one fact is clear: no one is unaffected. It is now time to negotiate this unprecedented event. At Atteline, we aim to help our clients protect their brand experience and equity, and provide them with the insight needed to come out stronger, ready to face the post-COVID-19 world. So how do we do this? The trajectory of a business successfully navigating a crisis is almost universally mapped against three phases: the immediate aftermath of the event, the duration of the crisis period, and the time when the crisis is over, and “normality” resumes. We call these React, Respond, and Renew and they are imperative to managing the immediate fallout, understanding and implementing the solution for the crisis period, and preparing for the “new” normal after the event. Think of this three-phased approach as sprints to support rapid strategic decision making. We start with research. We must understand how people are or have experienced this crisis or are reacting to it by speaking to them directly, listening to them with empathy, and looking for the patterns and anomalies in their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. From there, we can map out the stages, which can include tactics such as 24-hour crisis management, reputation management, and most importantly, possible future opportunities for growth. What we must always remember is that crises create as much opportunity as they do uncertainty. The brands that will and are thriving post-COVID-19 are those that are ready to take advantage of the new world order, understanding the challenges it has created.
What gets you up in the morning? What are your responsibilities as the Founder and Managing Director of the company?
In all honesty, my children, husband, and a cup of tea! However, if we look at the business side, it is my ambition. My ambition is to build a happy and rewarding business environment and to create equal opportunity and a platform for success for not only myself but others. I am passionate, and always will be, about focusing on making Atteline the best place to work for everyone and a benchmark within our industry. I deeply believe in bringing together a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and expressions, and I encourage anyone who seeks to transform the way the world communicates to keep this at the heart of what they do.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
Leaders wear many hats, and when surrounded by people who seek feedback, we must be careful not to think we should have all the answers. My work has been a result of an authentically collaborative approach that encourages the smart people around me to contribute their ideas. This, for me, is the definition of success and has seen not only Atteline grow, but at the same time, we have created a platform for others to thrive and carve out their path. I always try to remind myself that at a high level, leadership is taking an idea and driving it forwards; at a local level, leadership is about bringing the people around you with you—inspiring, supporting, and motivating them to be better (and this includes myself)—and from this we find success.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Today, every part of me is geared towards the championing of women both in business and in the home. I take my hat off to the stay-at-home mother (quite possibly the most difficult job in the world and the leader of the household more often than not), to the women who are risking it all to give their dreams a chance, to those who have had to forfeit their careers in the face of supporting their family (with or without children), and to the ones who have thrown all their resources at achieving as close to a work-life balance as is circumstantially possible. All I propose to the next generation, as my future peers, is that we challenge ourselves to truly see each other, lead with curiosity by leaving our assumptions at the door, and open up the chance to celebrate the unique, arduous, and fascinating journeys of each and every one of us, men and women alike. Because that, in my opinion, is the essence of life.
What are your future plans to sustain your and the company’s success?
We have just opened up the Manila, Philippines office, so it is always about growing and creating more opportunities for clients and colleagues alike.
Website: www.atteline.com
