Experience

Slice

• Australia
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Co-founder / Content & strategy director

  • Nov 2017 - Present

  Born in London and established in Adelaide, Slice is a content agency with an insight-driven, audience-first mindset. We specialise in finding the sweet spot that intersects what your organisation wants to achieve and what your audience needs – and then we create useful, purposeful, delightful content that kicks both business goals and audience needs. We create original, cutting-edge content for websites, apps, social media, digital marketing, videos, campaigns and more. Everything we do is dynamic, multi-platform and optimised for search, and designed to get your brand seen by the right people, in the right place, at the right time. We champion the fact that no two projects are the same, so we draw on a network of talented creatives including developers, photographers, stylists, writers, art directors and designers to create the ultimate creative team for your project’s needs. We prioritise quality over quantity, and will always work to your budget, capabilities and team size. We’re ambitious – but we’re also realistic. We can’t wait to work with you.



Vanessa Keys

• Australia
• Writing and Editing

• Freelance content strategist | copywriter | editor

  • May 2012 - Present

  I'm a freelance copywriter, content strategist, editor and journalist based in Adelaide, Australia. Over the last decade I've helped a wide variety of clients — global brands, publishing companies, agencies, start-ups and everything in between — solve the messy content problems most organisations encounter every day. I specialise in: — Strategy, implementation and content creation for site launches and redesigns — Planning, commissioning, writing, editing and producing brand publishing projects from pitch to press — Defining and creating content strategies — Copywriting in all capacities, including editorial, case studies, reports, white papers, SEO and UX — Site audits, audience research, market and cultural analysis, competitor reviews — Building sustainable information architectures — Developing and implementing processes for content creation, including TOV guidelines As a content strategist and copywriter, I've worked across global web projects for Google, Barclaycard, Nando's, Vue, Arup, Brittany Ferries, Akzo Nobel, Dulux UK, Danone and Bayer. As an editor, I've managed and executed brand publishing programmes for clients like Siemens, Barclays, British Airways, Fox Searchlight, Alliance Trust, and Philips. As a writer, I specialise in homes and interiors, property and finance, the arts, food and travel. I've reported on the Bolshoi Ballet from snowy Moscow, interviewed a clown in Paris, spent a week with cocoa farmers in Ghana, filed design reports from the Milan Furniture Fair and interviewed actors and artists like Carey Mulligan, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, Fleet Foxes, Werner Herzog & Isabelle Huppert, amongst others. My work has appeared in Home Beautiful, the Daily Telegraph (AU), the Daily Telegraph (UK), Brand South Australia, The Adelaide Review, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Qantas, Time Out Sydney, Time Out Melbourne, Marie Claire, Bunnings, Jones, Foxtel Insider, Sunday Style, The Week UK and The Stage. www.vanessakeys.com



Adjust Your Set

• United Kingdom
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editorial and publishing strategist (freelance)

  • Sep 2018 - Oct 2018

  Created a Linkedin social strategy for a UK optometrist chain. Created a Linkedin social strategy for a UK optometrist chain.



Nexus Studios

• United Kingdom
• Animation and Post-production
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Creative UX writer | Usability tester (freelance)

  • Jul 2018 - Jul 2018

  Worked as part of a small team on a four week sprint developing a new framework for a 'learn to code' project designed for teenage girls. The purpose of the project was to create a framework that allows for future rollout on a number of creative initiatives with technical outputs. As the UX writer, I worked alongside the UX designer to create robust user journeys and story mapping that took the teenage girls from zero coding experience all the way to animating a dog. I worked closely with the developer to create instructions that explained the code in a clear and concise manner, as well as writing error messages, help and glossary copy. As the usability tester, I recruited and organised the participants, ran testing over a two day period, collated findings, helped to prioritise changes and wrote a final report outlining the learnings.



Adjust Your Set

• United Kingdom
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Editorial and publishing strategist (freelance)

  • Jan 2018 - Apr 2018

  Wrote and implemented strategy, created editorial plans and wrote copy across a variety of clients, including Nando's, Women in Finance and Banking, Barclaycard and Facebook. Worked on new business pitches for both AYS and across the wider OLIVER group. Wrote and implemented strategy, created editorial plans and wrote copy across a variety of clients, including Nando's, Women in Finance and Banking, Barclaycard and Facebook. Worked on new business pitches for both AYS and across the wider OLIVER group.



R/GA

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Managing editor (freelance)

  • Aug 2017 - Dec 2017

  Managing editor for Siemens' Employer Brand editorial programme, Future Makers (https://medium.com/futuremakers). The programme is designed to change perception of Siemens through engaging, social-first content that tells the stories of the people who work there. As managing editor, I managed the briefing, commissioning and editing process for all content from initial concept to publication. I also supervised the writing team, ran daily production meetings and oversaw the client approval process.



TH_NK

• United Kingdom
• Technology, Information and Internet
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior content strategist

  • Jul 2016 - Jul 2017

  As a senior strategist in the content and community practice, I advocated for content at all stages of TH_NK’s projects. Clients included Vue, Arup and Brittany Ferries.

• Content strategist (freelance)

  • Jan 2016 - Jul 2016

  Content lead on Vue Entertainment



The Telegraph

• United Kingdom
• Media Production
• 700 & Above Employee

• Commissioning Editor

  • Jan 2015 - Oct 2015

  As a commissioning editor in the Telegraph's commercial content division, I executed print, social and online editorial campaigns for clients like Fox Searchlight, Barclays, Canon, British Airways, Alliance Trust and Elizabeth Arden. I managed campaigns from pitch to press, working with the campaign team, the client and the writer to produce high quality print and online content that fit the brief and achieved business objectives. I also conducted SEO and keyword analysis, negotiated talent and presented creative concepts at client meetings.



FleishmanHillard

• United States
• Public Relations and Communications Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Content Editor/Strategist

  • Apr 2013 - Dec 2014

  Executed editorial campaigns and strategy for brands like Bayer, Dulux UK, AkzoNobel, TKMaxx, Philips and Danone. Global digital managing editor for AkzoNobel’s e-commerce redesign, the editor-in-chief of Dulux’s ‘Let’s Colour’ magazine (circ. 7m) and the managing editor of Philips’ corporate blog. The main project I worked across was AkzoNobel’s cross-platform website redesign programme. As the global managing editor, I helped shape a content strategy designed to engage consumers at every stage of their decision making journey. Developed creative concepts, wrote editorial guidance, devised content plans, commissioned, wrote the site's microcopy/site furniture, managed a team of freelance writers and worked with local partners to translate and localise that content.



The Week UK

• United Kingdom
• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Content Producer (freelance)

  • Sep 2012 - Mar 2013

  Managed and moderated the site’s social channels, uploaded content via CMS, researched/edited images, optimised content, managed email marketing campaigns and contributed written content. In a four month period, I doubled The Week’s Facebook likes from 3863 to 6094 and increased their Twitter followers from 2588 from 3124. Managed and moderated the site’s social channels, uploaded content via CMS, researched/edited images, optimised content, managed email marketing campaigns and contributed written content. In a four month period, I doubled The Week’s Facebook likes from 3863 to 6094 and increased their Twitter followers from 2588 from 3124.



News Corp Australia

• Australia
• Technology, Information and Media
• 700 & Above Employee

• Arts Writer, The Daily Telegraph

  • May 2011 - May 2012

  Arts and features writer focusing on theatre, dance, music, opera and visual arts working across both the daily arts pages and the Saturday entertainment magazine, Best Weekend. Filed numerous stories daily, and worked closely with the news desk, features team and Sydney Confidential. Booked and coordinated photo shoots and liaised closely with the photographer, publicists and agents to get the most out of the talent. Ran the department’s Twitter and Facebook accounts and live-tweeted numerous events and festivals for the paper, including Sydney Festival’s opening night and the Helpmann Awards.



Pacific Magazines

• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Senior Features Writer, Home Beautiful magazine

  • Apr 2010 - Apr 2011

  Edited the news and ‘what’s on’ section (five pages covering new collections, designer collaborations, book reviews, designer profiles etc), and wrote lifestyle features, case studies and food stories. Edited four 32-page supplements each year, which involved planning the concept, commissioning the features, briefing photo shoots, and signing off on final proofs. Cultivated strong relationships with writers, photographers and stylists.

• Acting Features Editor, The Outdoor Room magazine

  • Apr 2010 - Oct 2010

  Left Home Beautiful temporarily to act as features editor on the launch issue of The Outdoor Room. Responsible for commissioning all features and steering the look and feel of the magazine. Managed freelance writers, booked talent, coordinated with photographers and stylists. Worked closely with advertising, marketing and the sponsorship team to ensure a strongly branded launch.

• Features Writer, Home Beautiful magazine

  • Mar 2009 - Oct 2010

  Edited the news and ‘what’s on’ section (five pages covering new collections, designer collaborations, book reviews, designer profiles etc), and wrote lifestyle features, case studies and food stories.

• Editorial Coordinator, Home Beautiful magazine

  • Aug 2007 - Mar 2009

  Worked as PA to the editor and coordinated the editorial department. Also managed and updated the magazine’s website and edited the food news pages.



Lowdown Magazine - youth performing arts in Australia

• Retail Art Supplies

• Assistant Editor

  • May 2007 - Aug 2007

  Responsible for selling advertising space to achieve sales targets, implementing marketing plans to raise the magazine’s profile, coordinating the editorial content for printed listings, and publicising the magazine via press releases and the website. Responsible for selling advertising space to achieve sales targets, implementing marketing plans to raise the magazine’s profile, coordinating the editorial content for printed listings, and publicising the magazine via press releases and the website.



Adelaide Fringe

• Australia
• Entertainment Providers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Media operations coordinator (contract)

  • Nov 2006 - Apr 2007

  Created, maintained and coordinated the media accreditation and ticketing system; liaised with Adelaide, interstate and international media; assisted with writing and distributing press releases, and coordinated all media calls, press conferences, interviews and photo shoots. Created, maintained and coordinated the media accreditation and ticketing system; liaised with Adelaide, interstate and international media; assisted with writing and distributing press releases, and coordinated all media calls, press conferences, interviews and photo shoots.