A blog about the blogger

I first started to look for an intern to help out as part of the IXICO marketing team. To be perfectly honest, we were not hoping for too much: just someone who would benefit from the experience of working at a fast-paced company like IXICO. When I was introduced to Anthony Chao (the creator of the IXICO blog) through the Shell Step placement program I quickly realised that we were in for a bit of an experience ourselves.

Over the course of the eight weeks Anthony spent with us, he successfully managed to plan and execute the technology social media marketing strategy and increased traffic to our web site by more than 30%. In addition to a host of other successful projects, Anthony also started the IXICO blog as a way to develop IXICO's image in the industry as a thought leader and to generally increase IXICO’s presence on the web.

Due largely to its informative yet informal tone, the IXICO blog has been well received internally and externally. Going forward, our aim is to rotate the authorship of the blog to allow real company participation on a variety of topics, based on the different areas of expertise within our group. The blog will be a platform from which IXICO employees can voice their opinions on or insights into relevant areas of discussion. I am extremely excited about the possibilities and we are indebted to Anthony for his efforts in getting this off the ground.

The Shell Step scheme is a UK-based organisation that links together small- to medium-sized businesses and undergraduates. The recruitment process was easy, and the people at Shell Step were available throughout the internship to monitor progress.

In recognition for his achievements, Anthony won the Shell Step Regional Award for most enterprising student. He now will be representing his region and competing for the award for most enterprising student of South UK. The award ceremony will be held on the 22nd September in London. Good luck, Anthony!

Would we recommend having an intern? Absolutely! Not only is it great to see fresh new talent but it is good to give something back. We will definitely be considering the shell Step program next year. To find out more about the Shell Step program visit www.shellstep.org.uk

Kranti Parekh

Marketing Manager - IXICO. Ltd