3Search has partnered with leading pet food brand, Bella+Duke, since 2024, delivering hires across design, CRM and product. Having partnered successfully on previous marketing hires, we had already built a strong reputation within the business, which led the brand approaching 3Search again when a critical new role emerged within the social team.
Bella+Duke is a fast-growing, purpose-led pet food brand, known for its premium raw dog food and strong direct-to-consumer model.
As the business continued to scale, organic social and content became an increasingly important driver of brand engagement, community building and long-term growth. The business looked to professionalise and future-proof its social function with a dedicated Social Media & Content Manager hire.
Bella+Duke’s social team previously consisted of a Content Developer and a Social Media Executive, with the Head of Content and Communications overseeing the function. When the Content Developer left the business, it exposed a structural gap. They recognised the need for a new Manager to bridge strategy and execution, take ownership of organic content, and relieve pressure at leadership level.
The challenge lay in finding a candidate with a rare combination of skills:
The role was further complicated by location constraints, with the position based outside of Edinburgh, narrowing an already competitive talent pool.
Specialist social media recruiter, Olivia Wilde, worked closely with the Head of Content to refine the brief and quickly delivered highly targeted shortlists. The search required careful calibration, as many candidates in the market tended to lean either towards pure content or pure social, rather than the blended skillset the business required. By leveraging our network and market insight, we were able to present a shortlist that aligned with both the creative and strategic demands of the role.
Olivia acted as a trusted advisor throughout, challenging assumptions where needed and providing honest market feedback on candidate profiles and skill trade-offs.
One "standout moment” for the client came when Olivia encouraged them to progress a candidate they initially had reservations about, using her deep understanding of the social and content landscape to reframe the candidate’s strengths and long-term potential. That guidance proved critical to the final outcome.
Bella+Duke successfully hired a Social Media & Content Manager into their social department. The successful candidate joined ahead of Christmas, meeting Bella+Duke’s deadline and ensuring the business entered the new year with a fully equipped and structured social and content team. The hire strengthened ownership of organic content, improved strategic alignment, and added a key layer of leadership within the function.
We’ve been working with Liv and the team since 2024, and in that time, they’ve become a genuine extension of our marketing department. We’ve partnered on several different roles across the team, and what I’ve appreciated most is the collaborative way we shape each search together. They never just take a brief at face value, they challenge, refine and help us define what we actually need. The talent they bring is consistently strong, and they’re brilliant at staying in touch throughout every stage of the process. One standout moment for me was when Liv encouraged me to progress a candidate to the second stage. I initially had some reservations, but she used her deep understanding of the social and content space to give me confidence. That candidate went on to absolutely wow us and ultimately took the role - a fantastic hire. Working with Liv feels collaborative, consultative, and genuinely supportive. She doesn't just fill roles, she helps us build a better team.
Candidate Thought Count: 0
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