Specialist in The Spotlight: Charley Brennand

Introducing our new interview series, “Specialist in the Spotlight”, where we get to know Europe’s top PPC experts. This series is all about sharing knowledge and experiences exchange in the PPC field, offering valuable insights that can inspire both newcomers and experienced professionals. Our guest is Charley Brennand, Founder of The PPC Academy and a PPC Freelancer. In this interview, we will delve into the story behind The PPC Academy and Charley’s mission to make PPC more accessible and human-centred. 

Charley, it’s so great to have you here! Honestly, it’s been amazing to follow everything what you’ve been doing for the PPC community in the UK. It was also a great pleasure to sponsor The PPC Academy event in Manchester this past August. I’m really looking forward to diving into your story today!

Could you tell me a bit about your journey into PPC? How did you start working in that field?

Absolutely. It’s rare these days to hear someone say they had a straightforward path into PPC. Most people have a more winding journey, and mine was no different. 

Before I got into PPC, I spent over a decade in sales. It was something I was naturally good at, and I moved all over the UK for various sales roles. I’ve done nearly every sales job imaginable—door-to-door, telesales, recruitment. I even lived in Greece for a time, selling tickets for a party boat!

At some point, I found myself wondering if I wanted to keep selling products. What else was there to sell that would keep me engaged? That’s when recruitment came into the picture. Recruitment, in essence, is selling people. For someone like me, who’s a natural talker and networker, it was a great fit. I ended up spending about three years in recruitment, and at first, I loved it.

The role opened my eyes to careers I hadn’t even known existed—project managers, business analysts, and web and front-end developers. Soon, I was recruiting specifically for roles in the marketing space, including PPC and SEO. I often spoke with PPC managers or heads of PPC, especially from big companies and agencies in Manchester. I was dealing with senior roles, and I found myself drawn to these people. They were analytical, witty, and often had a dry sense of humour. It just felt like my tribe. Speaking to candidates in these fields, I found their work so much more interesting than mine. 

Meanwhile, I reached a stage in recruitment where I was good at it, but I needed a new challenge. I was having the same sales conversations day in and day out, and while I enjoy routine to a point, once I master something, I tend to get bored. 

Suddenly, due to personal circumstances, I was at a crossroads. I thought- why not try in PPC? I didn’t have hands-on experience in PPC marketing, but I had developed a strong interest in it through my recruitment work. I had built some relevant skills and knowledge over time, and I remember calling a recruiter at JD Sports to ask, “What’s the minimum experience I need to get into PPC?” They told me three months for an entry-level role, so I thought, “Okay, I just need to get that experience.” and then landed in a position as a PPC account manager.

Wow, it went rather smoothly? 

In many agencies, account managers don’t handle the technical side of PPC, but I had a combination of client-facing and account management skills that fit the role perfectly. However, after three months, the company told me it wasn’t working out. They didn’t think I was good at PPC, and they let me go.

That was a tough moment. I remember breaking down and asking if they thought I wasn’t good enough now, or if they believed I’d never be good enough. The CEO responded, “If I thought you’d ever be good at PPC, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” It was a harsh blow, but I wasn’t ready to give up.

After two days of feeling devastated, I picked myself up and called JD Sports again. I told them I had three months of experience now, and they decided to take a chance on me. That was my first real break in PPC, working for a major global sports retailer. Although I’d had a previous role, I always credit JD Sports for providing the foundation of my training. My manager there was incredible, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today without that experience.

Looking back, I’m grateful it didn’t work out with the first company. It taught me that I don’t need external validation to know what I’m capable of. I know what I can achieve, and that’s all that matters.

I’ve been working in PPC for about eight or nine years now. I wouldn’t say I’m a veteran, like someone who’s been in the industry for 15 or 20 years, but I did get into it when it was still evolving, although with some solid foundations. There were a lot of exciting opportunities as teams were expanding, and people were investing more in PPC.

What inspired you to create The PPC Academy? How did you recognize the need for such a community in the industry?

The idea for The PPC Academy came from my own experience of how difficult it was to break into the field. I’m incredibly passionate and determined—when I set my mind to something, I’m relentless. But not everyone has that same level of persistence, and feedback like I received could easily discourage someone from ever pursuing a career in PPC.

I wanted to create a space where people could learn about PPC in a welcoming environment, whether they were already in the field or looking to break into it. It didn’t matter where someone came from—whether it was a retail job at Tesco, a recruitment role, or finance. I wanted everyone to feel welcome because, after all, who am I to judge anyone’s potential? 

That’s the core principle behind The PPC Academy—lowering the barriers to entry and creating opportunities for anyone with the passion to succeed, because you never know where the next star will come from.

That’s really interesting because, in my last interview with Irina Sabrjanskaja we discussed how open the PPC community can be, yet at the same time, it can feel closed off to outsiders. As someone who’s an outsider, because I studied classical music, I’ve found it challenging to be on the same level as others, especially since I had this idea of a PPC specialist as someone deeply analytical or with a background in performance marketing. 

It seems like that was a big part of why you created The PPC Academy, to connect people with one another, right?

Exactly! I think we often focus on what we lack or what makes us insecure. 

For instance, I didn’t go to university. After school, I worked in a bar, cared for people with dementia, and had a whole variety of other jobs, including selling party boat tickets, as I mentioned earlier. So, I didn’t have a formal education in marketing or analytics, and no one would ever describe me as an introvert. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found I need more downtime to recharge, especially now that I’m a mum, but I’m still very much an extrovert.

What I’ve realised, especially in technical fields like PPC, development, or analytics, is that while you can teach people technical skills, you can’t teach soft skills as easily. Communication, empathy, understanding people—these are incredibly valuable, but they’re much harder to develop. Having spent years in sales, I used to think I had no relevant skills. I didn’t have a degree or formal qualifications, but now I see that those soft skills are the goldmine.

Now, working in the PPC industry, I’m different from a lot of people in the PPC world because I’m not focused on elevating myself as a technical expert. I’m not the most technically skilled PPC professional out there- there are people far more talented in that aspect. But what many of them lack is the ability to communicate, empathise, and manage different personalities effectively. That’s where I excel, and I believe it opens the door for different personality types to succeed in this industry. No one’s really talking about that, but it’s so important.

What are the difficulties that a newcomer can face while getting into PPC?

So one of the biggest challenges in PPC is that you can’t really learn it unless you’re already working in the job. Unlike other fields, you can’t just create a test environment or work on hypothetical projects without spending real money on live accounts. Platforms used to let you create dummy accounts for practice, but now you often need a credit card and an actual working website. That’s a huge barrier for new people trying to get into PPC. Businesses don’t want to take a risk on someone without experience because it involves spending actual money. And with budgets being tight and stretched across multiple channels like paid social, companies are hesitant to invest in training someone only to have them leave for another job or freelance.

And how does The PPC Academy tackle this problem?

The PPC Academy has two parts. One part is the events, like the one sponsored by Producthero. The events are about genuinely engaging the community, not just showing up with a “what’s in it for me?” mentality. It’s about authenticity—being there for the community, really showing up, and investing time in learning and sharing knowledge to help others grow in their careers. 

The other part is something that’s still in development, but we’re getting close to making it a reality.

Could you share a bit more about this project?

Of course! I’m currently developing a government-recognized apprenticeship program offering both classroom-based education and on-the-job training. 

Paid social has grown so much, and the demand for PPC professionals who can juggle multiple channels is high. But it’s true, businesses are often too stretched to take on junior people and provide proper training, especially if their own team hasn’t had much training either. It’s like a cycle—everyone’s busy, and there’s no time to bring new people in.

The whole idea is so powerful because it’s not just about offering a course but actually providing a full experience with on-the-job training.

It removes so many barriers for people who want to break into PPC but don’t have that hands-on experience, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for employers too. We plan to start marketing it at the end of September, with the first cohort beginning in January 2025.

The fact that there’s no cost to the employer besides wages is huge, and the government backing it up makes it all the more sustainable. 

This seems like a win-win situation for the industry! I was wondering, though, how does the program ensure that the apprentices will be placed in environments where they actually get the guidance they need to succeed?

Yeah, that’s a really good point, and it’s something we’ve thought about a lot. The idea is to work closely with employers to ensure they’re committed to offering proper mentorship and guidance. So we’re not just dropping apprentices into any business environment and hoping for the best. We’re setting up a support system that includes both the classroom aspect and regular check-ins to make sure apprentices are getting the most out of their time with the employers.

We’ll have dedicated trainers and mentors assigned to each apprentice to monitor their progress and provide feedback to both the apprentice and their employer. This way, we can intervene if things aren’t going as planned and make sure they’re getting the experience they need. The goal is for apprentices to come out not only with the technical skills but also a real understanding of how to apply those skills in a professional environment.

Yes, I see that! It seems like soft skills—communication, problem-solving —are becoming increasingly important in the PPC space. With automation taking over some of the more technical, hands-on work, companies need people who can think strategically and communicate effectively across teams. And you’re giving people exactly that through the academy.

Do you think this shift in PPC is going to accelerate as AI and automation continue to develop?

The amount of pressure on people in this industry to become multi-skilled or to be good at everything is just overwhelming. The fear that if you’re not learning CRO, automation, analytics, and now AI, you’re somehow going to be left behind—it’s really daunting.

That’s why I do disagree with the idea that you have to be an expert at everything. I mean, sure, having awareness is essential, but there’s a reason we still have specialists. The platforms are just too varied and complex to expect one person to master it all. 

You might be able to recognize when something’s wrong in CRO, for example, but that doesn’t make you a CRO expert, and that’s okay.

But what’s becoming more important than ever is that we lean on our communities. The Manchester event, for instance, really brought up this fear, especially around attribution and AI. It was clear that people were nervous about being asked to do more than they feel qualified for. And that’s why these in-person and online communities are so powerful. They provide a safe space for people to ask those “stupid” questions without fear of judgement.

It’s fantastic that these smaller, safe spaces are growing in PPC. It can be hard to share an opinion without being afraid of backlash, especially when it goes against popular opinions or trends. But in communities, there’s that sense of trust. You can have a real conversation, admit what you don’t know, and learn without the fear of being judged.

Yes, that’s exactly the goal! In PPC, there’s been such a shift. I feel like a few years ago, you didn’t see this level of openness in asking for help. But now, the complexity of the platforms and the expectations have grown so much that it’s becoming normal to reach out to others. Communities are stepping in where companies sometimes don’t offer enough support for skill development.

Having that safety net to learn from each other without the fear of judgement is so crucial, and I’m seeing more and more people turn to these communities for that reason. Whether it’s PPC Live, Women in Tech, or other discipline-based groups, people are realising how important collaboration is to keep up with the changes in the industry.

And yes, I’m here to create more spaces like that—because there’s just so much value in people learning from each other and not feeling like they have to figure everything out on their own. We need to share the load.

So on the closing note- the upcoming peak season. We just discussed how the industry is constantly changing and that developing a holistic approach is necessary. However, I can imagine that it’s tough to pull that off in such a short timeframe. So, do you have any specific advice on how to quickly adapt to be prepared for the peak season?

Yes. Yes, it is. I’m so glad you asked. 

My number one tip is to be brave and blur the lines, and look at what worked for you last year. What I’m not going to do is just understand which channel delivered during a sales phase and repeat it blindly. You have to really look at the broader picture: Which channels drove the most traffic? What was the multi-channel strategy? It’s not about working in isolation—it’s about working together.

For example, if you don’t specialise in paid social, it doesn’t mean you can’t sit down with the paid social manager and ask, “What assets did you use? What worked for you?” You can take in that information and apply it. Now’s the time for that kind of collaboration. September is when you reflect on what went wrong and what worked last year. Don’t repeat the mistakes, and put enough risk reduction in place to prevent future issues.

Another thing I’m focusing on with some clients is reviewing their feed providers. Ask yourself: Does this partner give us the support we need? Are they reliable? It’s not just about whether the partner is good, but whether the relationship is strong. September is the time to assess your partners and your structure. It’s like what Bob and Miles were discussing about consolidation—don’t split things out unless there’s a good reason. It’s time to clean the house.

Get rid of unreliable partners, and bring in people who are dependable. It’s not always about the tool itself; it’s about the people you’re working with. Tools break, and things go wrong, but if you have someone reliable on the other end of the phone two days before Black Friday, it’ll save you a lot of headaches.

That’s why my top tip is to be brave and blur the lines. Don’t be afraid to go outside your usual scope, ask the hard questions, and get involved in conversations about creativity and partners, because it will impact you.

September is the time to get your house in order. By October, maybe you can take the first few weeks to refine things, but by the second or third week of October, you don’t want to be making any huge structural changes. Now is the time.

That’s a good piece of advice. Thank you so much for sharing your story and insights, and of course- the plans for The PPC Academy! I love how you’ve made PPC feel more accessible and human-centred. I’m excited to see what you and the PPC Academy do next. Crossing my fingers for your continued success!

Thank you so much, Zosia! I’m really glad that the conversation resonated with you. It’s easy to get lost in the numbers and tech side of PPC, but at the end of the day, it really does come down to people and connections. Whether it’s building those relationships with partners, clients, or within the community, that’s what makes the work fulfilling and sustainable.