My expertise is a game of two halves:
- How To Sell Things (Strategy)
- How To Sell Things (Writing)
Strategy
- Kick off in ATL advertising account management: a solid training ground in the industry, midwifing quality ads, guided by quality mentors.
- Multi-faceted experience in independent childrenswear retail: buying, financial forecasting, marketing, promotions, pricing, stock management, store display, customer service, trade fairs. Alongside design and production of my own kitchen-table label melonbabywearlondon.
- A dive into digital era marketing: getting up to speed with integrated campaigns, social media, widgets.
- A regular wallow in qual research: focus group moderation and analysis for big brand advertising and NPD: here, under Qual Research in Services
- On-demand brand positioning: for small agencies, SMEs, and individuals, esp those finding their feet.
- Kids, everlasting: strategy borne of chaos- less bogus than it sounds.
Writing
- Stories, journals, letters- even a passion for nasty things like essays, which my classmates begged me to stop handing in early. Since I can remember, I’ve felt compelled to make things up using words- corny and unimpressive, as my memory’s poor. I LOVE to talk. But I really, REALLY love to write- ’twas ever thus.
- 1995 Eng Lit M.A, 2:1, Edinburgh Uni: “Just shows you can apply yourself.” Dad
- A living body of professional messaging experience: under the headings of Services.
- 7 years of my Blog mumbojumbo and work in progress Books, on themes of emotional resilience: here, under Projects.
The Combo
My services are a hybrid of both.
Sometimes it’s in an obvious way, where I do clipboard things with consumer insights and mission statements, then follow through to messaging.
Other times it’s latent, and I get stuck straight into the wordsmithing or concepting, always keeping the bigger picture in mind: words never operate in a vacuum.
I’m versatile, efficient, and cut straight to the heart of a brief.
Plus, I’m eager to please which, while annoying on a personal level, is a bonus for clients.
To see how I can annoy you, DROP ME A LINE.