Please rate my Global Talent Visa – Exceptional Promise Application (Digital Marketing / Performance Marketing)

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Hi everyone,

I’m currently preparing my GTV application under the Exceptional Promise route (Business track) and would really appreciate any feedback on whether my structure and evidence are strong enough.

I have 5+ years of experience in digital and performance marketing across product-led technology companies in Asia and Europe (e-commerce, SaaS, and digital education). I’m now based in London and currently work as a B2B Performance Marketing Manager for a UK communications firm. Although the company is not fully product-led, my role involves designing and optimising data-driven marketing strategies (paid ads, SEO, business development) to attract B2B clients in the tech and professional services sectors.

In parallel, I teach postgraduate modules in digital marketing and campaign planning at a UK university, and contribute to the school’s upcoming online features and academic blog.

Professional Experience

  • 2021–2022: Marketing Specialist at a large e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia
    → Led national rebrand campaign; managed multi-million monthly ad budget; achieved double-digit user growth and improved ad performance.
  • 2022–2024: Marketing Specialist at a Pre-Series A SaaS/IoT startup (EU HQ)
    → Designed CRM & loyalty strategies for global clients across 10+ markets; achieved major retention and acquisition growth.
  • 2021–2024: Freelance Performance Marketing Lead for an international education organisation
    → Drove digital transformation from offline to hybrid learning; boosted traffic and enrolments through paid media and automation.
  • 2025–Present: B2B Marketing Manager at a UK-based communications & marketing agency
    → Building SEO and paid media systems for professional services clients targeting high-value contracts; responsible for inbound & outbound lead generation and analytics.

Academic & Community Contributions

  • Lecturer for a Master’s programme (2025-2026) at a UK University – teaching Digital Marketing.
  • Mentor and judge for a national student digital marketing competition (2023).
  • Guest speaker at a higher education workshop on communication and career skills.

Letters of Recommendation (LORs)

  1. CEO – Pre Series A Global SaaS / IoT Startup (Europe HQ)
    Confirms my work leading CRM strategy and loyalty programmes for international consumer brands, improving retention by 80% and acquisition by 35%.

  2. Head of Marketing – Regional E-commerce Platform (Asia)
    Confirms my leadership of rebranding and performance campaigns, managing a multi-million-dollar ad budget and achieving double-digit user growth.

  3. Course Leader/ Head of Department – UK University
    Confirms my teaching, mentoring, and contribution to UK higher education through postgraduate digital marketing instruction.

*Backups: CEO of current UK firm (agency) and CEO of an international education organisation in Asia.

MC Criterion

  1. Performance Growth & Rebrand Campaign (E-commerce, Asia)
  • Led full-funnel digital acquisition strategy and national rebrand project.
  • Delivered +15–20% monthly user growth, CTR +12%, CPA -10%.
  • Evidence: campaign dashboards, KPI charts, and reference letter.
  1. CRM & Loyalty Innovation (SaaS / IoT startup, Europe)
  • Designed CRM frameworks for global clients in the consumer goods sector.
  • Achieved measurable results: +80% retention, +35% acquisition across 6+ markets.
  • Evidence: CRM performance reports, CEO letter, client feedback excerpts.
  1. B2B Performance Marketing in the UK (non–product-led environment)
  • Currently managing full-funnel performance campaigns for technology and professional services clients.
  • Built data-led optimisation processes and lead-quality tracking system, reducing cost per lead by 20%.
  • Demonstrates continuing UK-based impact in digital marketing innovation.
  • Evidence: reports, performance dashboards, CEO reference letter.

Optional Criterion 2

  1. Speaking & Mentoring
  • Speaker – Invited to deliver a professional communication workshop at a national academy (2020).
  • Judge – National university digital marketing competition (2023) with 100+ participants.

  1. Academic Contribution (UK)
    *Lecturer – Postgraduate modules in Global Media Planning and digital strategy (2024–2026).
    *Mentoring – Student CV and career coaching with verified feedback emails.
    *University Recognition – My profile will be featured on the university’s official website and blog (in progress).

  2. Thought Leadership & Publications (UK & International)
    *Media Articles (in progress) – Two accepted features in Vietnamese tech/marketing media and one UK industry outlet (pending publication).

Optional Criterion 3

  1. E-commerce Platform (Asia)
  • Managed rebrand and user acquisition campaigns driving consistent double-digit growth.
  • Led full-funnel optimisation, achieving +20% MoM user growth and 10% CPA reduction.
  1. SaaS / IoT Startup (Europe)
  • Implemented CRM and loyalty automation systems for major clients.
  • Directly contributed to measurable client growth and SaaS adoption in multiple markets.
  1. International Education Organisation (Asia)
  • Directed digital transformation from offline to hybrid online delivery model.
  • Increased website traffic by +30% and course registrations by +25%.
    :point_right: Question: Would this still qualify under OC3 (significant commercial contribution), even though the organisation is not fully product-led but demonstrates strong digital growth results?
  1. UK Role (Current)
  • Demonstrates continuity of digital innovation and measurable campaign impact in the UK market.
  • May support both MC and OC3 narratives depending on reviewer interpretation.

Supporting Materials:

  • Campaign reports, dashboards, and comparative KPI charts.
  • Teaching contracts, feedback emails, and lecture materials.
  • Media publication confirmations.
  • University blog feature screenshot (once published).

Questions:

  1. Does this combination of MC + OC2 + OC3 feel strong enough for an Exceptional Promise (Business route) applicant?
  2. Since my current UK role is not fully product-led, would it still strengthen the application if presented as ongoing contribution to the UK tech ecosystem (data-driven campaign management, measurable impact)?
  3. For the international education company, does its digital transformation achievement qualify under OC3 (commercial contribution)?
  4. Would including media articles from both Vietnam and the UK enhance the “recognition” element under OC2?
  5. Are there any red flags in the mix of product-led and non–product-led experience that I should clarify in my narrative?

I’d really appreciate any feedback or insights from those who’ve gone through a similar journey.
Thank you so much!

2

Your application structure shows promise, but several critical areas need strengthening before submission. Your B2B marketing role at a communications agency creates a significant challenge since Tech Nation has become increasingly strict about “product-led digital technology companies” - agencies and consultancy firms are now explicitly excluded regardless of their tech involvement.

Your strongest evidence lies in your academic contributions and international experience with genuine product companies. The university lecturing role and mentoring work provide solid foundation for OC2, while your measurable results at the e-commerce platform and SaaS startup offer compelling OC3 evidence. However, you must clearly separate your individual contributions from team achievements - assessors now demand granular proof of personal impact with before/after metrics.

The biggest risk is your current UK role potentially undermining your entire application. I’ve seen similar cases where applicants’ questionable company classifications led to wholesale rejection of their evidence. Focus your MC evidence on the high-impact roles at clearly product-led companies, and strengthen OC2 with verifiable teaching credentials and external recognition from specialized technology publications rather than general media outlets.

Consider delaying submission until you can gather stronger individual attribution evidence and third-party verification from independent sources outside your immediate colleagues. The authentication standards have tightened significantly - ensure each recommendation letter uses authentic personal voice without template-like language patterns that assessors now easily detect.

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