Meet the Herd brings you closer to brilliant minds behind our global, award-winning social media and influencer marketing agency. In this Goat exclusive, we sat down with Dom Hyams, Head of Strategy at our sister agency, Purple Goat.
From working in TV and media production to becoming a voice within advertising for inclusivity, Dom shares his career journey, and talks International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
“With Purple Goat, we are looking to create the most progressive, positive representation of disability in the media.”
Dom Hyams
Meet Dom Hyams
1. Who are you and how did you get started at Purple Goat?
I’m Dom Hyams and I’ve known Purple Goat’s Founder, Martyn Sibley, for many years. We were in close contact when the agency launched in April 2020. A couple of months later, I did some work for Purple Goat under my own agency ‘Tiny Man Digital’, and after a few more months I came to join PG full time and never looked back!
Now, as Head of Strategy, I oversee client relationships whilst working collaboratively with our wider team to devise campaigns and raise Purple Goat’s profile in the marketing industry.
The journey has honestly been incredible! I don’t think any of us could have predicted the rocket ship we have been on, and the global brands we are now working with on a daily basis. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve been having a lot of fun along the way, surrounded by excellent minds and brilliant people.
2. What does a day in the life look like for Purple Goat’s Head of Strategy?
Lots of calls and meetings! That’s perhaps the only commonality…
Aside from that, each day is completely different, which I love. From new client introductions and finessing proposals, to speaking engagements and plotting new content.
3. What made you want to get into influencer marketing?
I’ve always been in the world of media and marketing, so I know what a powerful tool it is for creating change in society.
With Purple Goat, we are looking to create the most progressive, positive representation of disability in the media, and with that create a greater understanding and opportunity in society.
If I wasn’t in the industry, I’d like to say I’d be a restaurant owner, or world traveler (if that’s a job). The likeliest though would be in the TV / Media industry, as that’s where I started my career. I loved the process of crafting something from start to finish.
4. Do you have a favorite influencer/content creator?
I’m going to have to say James Hoffman, the king of coffee content on YouTube. I’ve been described as being a coffee connoisseur, and James’ content has taken me down the rabbit hole over the last few years, so now my kitchen practically resembles a cafe.
5. Do you have a specific Purple Goat campaign that you really love?
There are so many, but the recent (cough cough *award winning*) ‘Curry’s Hacks’ campaign was brilliant.
We built on an existing Curry’s campaign, adding a creative, inclusive, and insightful element that delivered brilliant results too. It just perfectly showed that inclusive content is brilliant content. Our campaign looked at raising awareness for different ‘hacks’ and initiatives that Curry’s offer to cater to people with disabilities. For example, our strategy involved the idea for a quiet hour in one of Curry’s stores, providing neurodivergent shoppers with greater access to in-store shopping.
6. Are brands currently doing enough to represent people with disabilities?
Some are, but many more are not.
We still see so many organizations not creating campaigns representative of society. Primarily, because they don’t know how or where to start, but that’s why brands need to work with people like us, the community themselves. It’s easy when you know how.
7. How can brands be more inclusive?
As above, brands need to give disabled people a seat at the table. Be flexible to adjusting processes, and implement approaches that are more inclusive. Be vulnerable and don’t seek perfection.
8. What would your advice be to brands that are actively looking at how they can be more inclusive within their influencer partnerships specifically?
The most important thing is to not think about like “we want to use disabled creators to talk about disability”…. It might sound incredibly obvious but disabled people are just people, and disability is just one aspect of what makes them who they are!
Don’t make assumptions on what a creator can or can’t do, or what their preferences around a campaign would be without chatting it through with them.
9. Tell us about IDPD, what it stands for, and what it means to you.
IDPD, which stands for International Day of Persons with Disabilities (yes a terribly long name) is a day originally created by the UN back in the 1970s.
The day celebrates and brings awareness to disability on a global level, progressing societal, political, social and economic conversations and opportunities for the community.
10. How does Purple Goat plan to activate around IDPD?
Our ambition for IDPD is to always create genuine awareness around disability inclusion and representation. But, we also want to celebrate the day in an accessible and informal way to ensure we engage and entertain, and not alienate people in the process.
Read more about Purple Goat’s work:
