For marketers to truly understand their firm it helps to see it through the eyes of its clients. Kim Aaronricks shares with Matt Baldwin the Rickard Luckin way.

Kim Aaronricks had never planned on being a marketer, let alone the Head of Marketing for one of the oldest and best-known accountancy firms in Essex.

She was an artist, painting murals for businesses and individuals in her beloved county.

A temporary job, “just a few weeks”, to help her mum, an office and administration manager at Bird Luckin, cover for a departed receptionist changed everything.

Twelve years later Kim is now Head of Marketing at Rickard Luckin, taking the role in April this year. Her journey embodies the culture and approach of the firm in building and supporting its talent to better support its clients.

Rickard Luckin is part of the fabric of Essex, with over 150 team members across offices in Basildon, Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. Emerging a decade ago following the merger of Bird Luckin and Rickard Keen, it is a firm with a strong reputation in Essex for its clear and straightforward advice.

“We genuinely put our clients at the heart of everything we do,” explains Kim. “We thrive on the success of our clients. It is embedded in our mission – to help clients realise their potential and achieve their aims.

“We know what we are here to do – to help our clients succeed. If we help them do that, in turn, we will succeed as a firm.”

The firm is ambitious and although it has clients from further afield, it considers Essex to be its home. “When you live and work with your neighbours and friends, when your children are educated at the same schools as clients, it is about being part of the community,” says Kim.

It means that Kim and her team of two, soon to be three, are very hands-on marketers, working across the whole marketing mix.

“We are a small team, and our skills have to complement each other,” says Kim. “I am naturally more visual and intuitive, whereas my Marketing Manager, Connor Hardie, is fantastic on data, with a sharp eye for detail and ensuring everything is accurate.”

Understandably, Kim has to keep a close eye on the projects they take on. There are the “non-negotiable” activities that the firm “simply has to do” alongside seasonal campaigns and long-term projects. It is, she says, a “juggling act”.
“There has to be flexibility in our marketing and business development, and that means sometimes we reign back and other times we run with it and see where it goes.

“We don’t lead too heavily on any one area, so we’re not events- or content-led. It’s about going back to the core mission of what is right for our clients, potential clients and intermediaries.”

It is an approach that sees Kim meeting and speaking to clients of the firm to better understand what lands and what misses the mark.

“It’s great to be at trade fairs, our seminars or manning the tent at the annual young farmers’ event and connecting to clients in person, as well as sending out client experience surveys. It helps me understand our clients and their pain points, rather than just asking fee earning teams to explain an issue, and fixing marketing activity in that direction.”

Successful marketing and business development can be time-consuming, will involve the occasional weekends and evenings, and shouldn’t just be the preserve of fee earning teams. Marketing should be enjoyable, engaging and creative. If marketing and BD teams don’t enjoy the process, it is unlikely clients will engage with the outcome.
It is without doubt that Kim’s 12-year journey to Head of Marketing has helped shape her approach to marketing and business development.

Kim was a freelance artist, creating stunning murals for businesses and individuals whilst juggling a five- and seven-year-old. Her mum worked for the firm and, having recently lost a receptionist in its Chelmsford office, asked Kim if she would temp for ‘just a few weeks’.

“I thought, sitting around, answering the phone and taking a few notes would be straightforward, so said ‘fine’, explains Kim.

“But reception is front of house. You are the first interaction a client will have with the firm, and I quickly came to appreciate that when you get it right here, it sets the tone for a positive, professional experience throughout the whole firm.

“It opened my eyes to the importance of brand perception and, looking back, I can see this was my very first step into the world of marketing – understanding how every touchpoint shapes the way a firm is seen and experienced.”

A university degree in editorial and advertising photography had given Kim a grounding in the power of storytelling, so when a role opened for a Marketing Executive, she interviewed and secured her first full-time marketing role.

Impactful and measurable
It was the first step in a 12-year journey that encompassed study with the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Mini MBA in Marketing with Mark Ritson, rising to Marketing Manager, Senior Marketing Manager and now Head of Marketing.
These have been hard-won promotions, with Kim earning the opportunity to apply for each role and present her vision for how she would create impact and deliver meaningful results.

“It did at times feel a little like an 11-year interview where I have slowly proven my aptitude and confidence to know that I am right for this role,” says Kim. “When interviewing for the Head of Marketing role, I never assumed it would be mine, but I did work hard to position myself as the obvious choice. My passion for what is right for me, for my team and the firm has been a real strength.”

There can be no doubt that Kim has worked enormously hard for this well-deserved role, and that is recognised by the firm’s leadership team. She also has a clear vision for the firm.

“It isn’t about making radical changes, more making sure everything we do is impactful and measurable,” says Kim.
“That doesn’t mean sitting in a board meeting saying, ‘we’ve done this’ or ‘we’ve done that’. It is about understanding and explaining what it means for the business, the actions and follow-up points, and continuous feedback and improvement. It is about being curious all the time.”

The firm has a solid programme of continuous feedback and improvement embedded in its values and principles. It means that Kim, over the past 11 years, has seen what marketing and BD activity works and what falls short.

That doesn’t mean she is afraid to try something different or new, but it has to have a measurable impact.

“However much I might want to explore something, I always start by considering how it adds value to the firm and how its impact can be measured,” she says. “I’m not one to jump on every trend just because others are – it needs to align with the firm’s goals, reflect our values and support our marketing strategy.”

The firm in 2025 is marking its 10th anniversary as Rickard Luckin. It is a poignant marker for Kim, tracking closely her time with the firm.

To mark the anniversary, team members are embarking on a series of community-led activities under its 10K Your Way campaign. Teams and individuals across the firm are tasked with collectively raising £10,000 for the Essex Community Foundation, a charity that supports small and local charities across the county.

It is, says Kim, a perfect example of the firm’s commitment and close ties to the communities in which it works and where its clients have their roots.

The artist in Kim continues to make the occasional appearance, sometimes in the firm’s storytelling but more often at the end of the day.

“It is part of who I am,” explains Kim. “It is creative but also meditative, giving me time to think, find inspiration or plan for the weeks ahead.”

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