Background
When Prior’s Hall Dental set out to strengthen their marketing in 2024, they faced the same problem most growing practices do: they needed real marketing capability, but recruiting the “right” person felt like a gamble. Endless CV screenings, interviews, and guesswork around candidates’ digital skillsets were dragging time away from the business. As Chris, their HR Manager, put it:
“We were struggling to recruit someone with the right level of marketing knowledge and skill… and we didn’t feel confident selecting the right person for a role we weren’t experts in.”
They needed someone creative, driven, and ready to build their digital presence properly — but without the cost or risk of hiring an experienced marketer.
That’s when they chose the marketing apprenticeship route and brought Joanna on board.
They Needed More Online Presence & A Clear Starting Point
Prior’s Hall Dental wanted to grow, but their online visibility held them back. They had multiple brands to support, including the new Kaizen practice — which quite literally had no social channels, no audience, and no patient-base to start from.
At the same time:
- They didn’t have the internal expertise to run structured campaigns.
- They lacked confidence in reviewing marketing candidates.
- Their social media output wasn’t generating the level of engagement or enquiries they needed.
The apprenticeship model removed the risk. With structured support, a clear curriculum, and a focus on real marketing outputs, they could grow both their people and their marketing results simultaneously.
Building Momentum – Joanna’s Development & Impact
From day one, Joanna brought the mix of creativity, curiosity, and discipline the practice was missing.
She chose marketing because she wanted real-world learning, not theory for theory’s sake:
“I wanted to learn in a way that felt real and practical… Being able to build real experience while studying felt like the right path for me.”
Throughout the programme, her capability evolved fast. She developed skills in:
- Social media planning
- Content creation
- Analytics and performance tracking
- Video editing, photography, and digital tools
- Campaign execution from concept to delivery
Her confidence skyrocketed, both personally and professionally. She even invested in her own camera gear — twice — and eventually bought a drone as her interest in creative media deepened:
“Working in marketing made me fall in love with filming, photography and editing… It feels like a milestone to have found something I’m passionate about.”
This wasn’t just training — it reshaped her long-term direction.
Launching Kaizen from Scratch
Joanna’s flagship achievement was the full launch of Kaizen’s social presence. Starting with zero online footprint, she:
- Built the brand’s social channels from the ground up
- Created consistent, high-quality content
- Crafted the launch campaign
- Drove organic reach that most established brands struggle to hit
“Some of the Instagram posts reached over 10k people organically, which felt like a huge achievement for a brand-new page.”
For a brand with no existing audience, that’s exceptional.
Tangible Growth & Stronger Marketing Capability
Chris saw the change immediately:
“She has grown our social media following massively… many of the campaigns and adverts she’s created have generated high volumes of enquiries — directly bringing new clients into the practice.”
Key outcomes included:
- Significant social media growth
- High-performing campaigns driving direct new patient enquiries
- A reliable in-house marketing function
- Stronger creative capability and more consistent brand output
- Better quality marketing decisions influenced by her study days and training
Joanna didn’t just fill a role — she transformed their marketing engine.
Her development also stood out:
“Her confidence has come on leaps and bounds… she now takes far more initiative and works more independently.”
By the end of her programme, she completed her Multi-Channel Marketer apprenticeship with a Distinction, along with a CIM Foundation Certificate Distinction — a double demonstration of her capability.
The Result, A Stronger Business & A Clear Recommendation
For Prior’s Hall Dental, the apprenticeship model wasn’t just a lower-risk hire — it turned out to be one of the most impactful recruitment decisions they made.
“We’d be more than happy to take on another apprentice… We would highly recommend apprenticeships to other businesses. It has genuinely helped shape our business in such a beneficial way.”
They gained a skilled marketer, stronger marketing performance, and a long-term talent asset they might never have found through traditional hiring.
Ready to build your own success story?
If Prior’s Hall Dental proved anything, it’s that the right apprentice doesn’t just “support” marketing — they elevate it. Joanna built a brand from scratch, drove real enquiries, and reshaped their entire capability. That’s what happens when you blend structured training with the right talent.
If you want that same momentum in your organisation — stronger campaigns, better content, and a reliable in-house marketing function — we can help you find the apprentice who’ll actually deliver it.
Fill in the form below and one of the team will get in touch to understand what you’re trying to achieve and show you exactly how we help businesses attract, assess, and secure marketing talent that performs.
Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 03301 338666 — straight answers, no fluff.
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