Experience

Aviva

• United Kingdom
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Digital Content Lead

  • Aug 2019 - Present

  I lead content designers, content marketers, AEM producers and production managers responsible for creating and publishing content on aviva.co.uk for B2C and B2B audiences. I was also part of the shadow SLT which helped with decision making for the business.I was the architect behind Aviva's global brand tone of voice, which was adopted company wide and embedded as part of the rebrand. I briefed specialist agency and helped with the research to create a bespoke tone of voice. And created a mandatory elearning module. I created a centre of excellence with a content-led marketing and editorial strategy that covered design, technical, governance, team structure and success criteria, which included a new briefing process, in-house style guide, CRO strategy and editorial boards. This helped the business KPIs of increasing traffic to the blog (25K/month to circa 70K/month), dwell time (1.7 mins to 4 mins), click-throughs and conversion. Plus, boost SEO rankings and outreach. I delivered a covid hub, redesign of the retirement and savings digital journeys, fraud reporting pages, choose-your-own-adventure game, Guardian Labs partnership (which exceeded the benchmark by 35%), pension app, National Geographic partnership, decision school content with Katie Piper and a new AEM magazine template.Lead on a content-led digital transformation briefing in discovery on content modelling, capability and information architecture to best support content for a better customer experience. And I lead on setting up a newsroom model to support always-on content for trending topics.I also developed and implemented a social strategy for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp and Twitter, including testing the efficacy of paid media, by using multi-format content, on-trend posting and staff advocacy to build a following and generate traffic to the site.I completed a year-long leadership programme and coaching. I'm also one of the founder members of the diversity and inclusion group Show less

• Senior Copywriter

  • May 2019 - Aug 2019



RED CLAY MEDIA CONSULTANCY LTD

• Caboodle Travel app startup

  • Apr 2020 - Present

  A one stop app for all travel needs from keeping travel docs safe, noting medication, planning itinerary, updating a travel diary and getting tips for conscious and eco travel caboodletravel.com

• Copywriting, Content and Creative Consultant

  • Nov 2010 - Apr 2020

  Freelance creative consultancy providing copywriting and editing for marketing B2C and B2B materials both online and offline. The aim of RCM is to provide top quality, innovative and integrated communications for SME enterprises, particularly in arts and culture. And develop a robust, reactive and agile creative marketing plan to suit smaller budgets.However, stacked with knowledge on eCommerce, user experience, brand and creative copywriting - RCM offers a holistic, scientific and flexible approach to copy. Worked for a publishing company in editing educational materials for EMEA territories for primary age children learning English as a second language. Also work for clients such as Three, Hostleworld, The Culture Trip, Oxfam and Subba-Cultcha. As well as international clients such as digital agency MageBinary in New Zealand and creative agency Media Candy in Canada. Show less



Barclays

• United Kingdom
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Content Strategist

  • Nov 2018 - Apr 2019



bp

• United Kingdom
• Oil and Gas
• 700 & Above Employee

• Global Head of Content & Creative Director

  • Mar 2018 - Sep 2018

  BP Castrol launched a digital transformation initiative to connect and build trust between customers and workshops with a global aggregator platform that also provided workshops with tools to digitise the workplace. The product, Carama, trialled in Malaysia, Spain and Turkey, I was brought on-board to develop a beta version for the German market. I provided leadership in editorial excellence, global content and social media strategy, governance, customer experience and content production. I established a tone of voice and creative designed to disrupt the category, as Carama needed to appeal to the largest driving segment, not currently catered for or represented by the motoring, driving or car maintenance industry. It was also essential to create a suite of educational content for the digitally naive, in order to change their working culture. I built an online blog/magazine to publish articles related to the car care, journeys and destination, encompassing a customer's emotional attachment to the car and its importance in enabling lives and aspirational lifestyle content. The aim was to make it shareable and build a community of learner drivers and mechanics. I worked closely with Ogilvy to transcreate content for the local market and Zeno to push out localised social and traditional media stories to build awareness for the product launch. As a start-up, I rolled my sleeves up and wrote, built and published content on the website, produced videos, leaflets and an image library, as well as conceptualising ideas that aligned with the brand purpose. And I mapped out the end-to-end customer journey, wrote requirements and used analytics/insight to inform decisions on content and customer experience. I was accountable for all content; digital, social media, marketing and print in terms of copywriting, images, videos and creative execution. Plus, the associated budget lines for content, social and PR. Show less



The AA

• United Kingdom
• Motor Vehicle Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Head of Content

  • Sep 2016 - Mar 2018

  The AA was in a period of significant change, digitally transforming from legacy to two front- and back-end systems while implementing new branding, tone of voice and strategy.I line managed 12 copywriters and content editors, both FTE and contractors. I was responsible for planning, resourcing, reporting, strategy, briefing and delivery of all digital content, including migrations. This involved setting the team’s strategy, vision and KPIs, organisational structure, implemented a production process, governance system and demand management. Also, I manage the content strategy, in terms of SEO, analytics, taxonomy and recommendations of each URL, while managing business stakeholders and the exec board. Using Agile methodology and as workstream leader, I ensured the content team were working as a community; sharing best practice, lessons learnt and knowledge through weekly team meetings, a mailing list and workflow tools. I went to review sessions of journeys to sign off design, copy and branding. I set up, championed and administered a centre of editorial excellence. I wrote the tone of voice guidelines by amalgamating four existing documents and aligning it with business objectives. I developed a style guide, training pack and governance process. I presented to the business and partner agencies to ensure consistency across digital platforms and marketing collateral. I led on developing a business-wide messaging matrix. And I approved marketing briefs for editorial and digital requirements. I was the ambassador for segmentation and marketing messaging for digital, working with the analytics team to develop customer profiling for improved personalisation.I also helped the organisation move towards a content marketing model; developing and implementing a strategy, plus collating technical requirements. I work closely with partner agencies and Content Marketing Manager, and responsible for creative execution and delivery. Show less

• Senior Editor

  • Jul 2016 - Sep 2016



Vodafone

• United Kingdom
• Telecommunications
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Copywriter

  • Sep 2013 - Mar 2016

  An internal agency for creation and management of marketing and corporate content for the website, mobile site, apps, web apps and social media. My role included:- Managing festival apps and went on-site to send out push notifications through the event’s app.- Developing and enforcing Vodafone’s brand tone of voice and in-house style online by updating guidelines, advising on messaging matrices and editing checklist.- Ensuring governance of copy by creating strategy and developing team KPIs.- Working closely with Legal, Brand, eCommerce and User Experience teams to optimise customer experience.- Mentoring new starters and current staff, including organising and leading weekly team meetings, reviewing work, writing and grammar training, and managing contractors and agencies.- Upskilling the team in SEO - I wrote guidelines, cascaded updates, led strategy and implemented process.- Developing and implementing new processes for quality certification, briefing, online writing templates and on-boarding documents.- Setting up and running copy clinics for our agency partners and final sign off pre go-live.- Attending bi-weekly demand management sessions to prioritise, scope and allocate creative briefs- Copy development, creative direction and management for targeted engagement birthday campaign with free giveaways and return from roaming comms, raising NPS by 6 points.- Managed the 4G and network CVM programme by creating a strategy and leading on creative by managing a cross-agency creative review and governance.- Led a Disney inspired Christmas campaign encompassing all of Vodafone’s digital estate to encourage cross-channel creative, fluid customer journeys and integrated communications that improved activation from 3% to 15%.- Managed segmented newsletters to 3 million pay monthly and pay as you go customers, increasing social media engagement by circa 10k impressions and average open rates by 20%. Show less

• Copywriter

  • Apr 2012 - Sep 2013



Subba-Cultcha, Disorder, Playlouder, Leed Music Scene, Artrocker, Music Spotlight, BBC Berkshire

• Freelance Journalist

  • Apr 2007 - Jan 2016

  I write reviews of gigs, albums, festivals and singles for an online music magazine. I've also written for Music Spotlight, BBC Berkshire, Drowned in Sound and Artrocker. I have interviewed Kasabian, Gallows, The Noisettes, Howling Bells, Devo, Booker T, Mano Chao, Delphic, Herbie Hancock, Brett Anderson and The Maccabees. I have written reviews on Festival No 6, Lovebox, Download, Hard Rock Calling and Wireless, plus British Sea Power, Major Lazer and Camille. I have also reviewed albums like Kanye West's Yeezus, We Are Scientists' TV En Francais, Bloc Party's Intimacy, David Bowie's release of his self-titled debut and Four tet. Show less



Thames Water

• United Kingdom
• Utilities
• 700 & Above Employee

• Communications Manager

  • Apr 2011 - Feb 2012

  Thames became Official Water Utility Provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2011, following heavy involvement with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in building water and waste services for the Olympic Park and other Olympic venues. My role included: Managing the sponsorship with the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) and the ODA, this meant forming close relationship with all stakeholders and facilitating meetings. I attended briefings with guest speakers such as Lord Sebastian Coe, Boris Johnson and Theresa May Writing and editing copy for press releases, web and internal communications to increase awareness of corporate sponsorship and raise internal engagement through giving away 5,000 tickets to staff via Golden Ticket competitions, sports days, quizzes and roadshows. This included planning hospitality for key stakeholders invited to attend the opening and closing ceremonies, plus 100 metres final and rowing events. Managing local relationships with press and culture boards with regards to corporate visibility and the torch relay. As a sponsor, I played a key role in getting the relay to pass through Reading and passed the HQ. I also launched a competition to find two torchbearers from 20,000 employees. The competition was based on achievement and the winners were a prostate cancer survivor wanting to raise awareness in male health and another raised thousands for WaterAid through marathons. Ideas and collaboration with London 2012 for the first ever fully digital Games – attended workshops to brainstorm ideas and promote the different platforms.Including putting together communications plans and crisis communications plans During my time, there was a high profile event for the opening of the Old Ford wastewater recycling plant on the Olympic Park to recycle raw sewage into water for toilet flushing and irrigation. The event was attended by national press and the Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman. Show less



Macmillan Science and Education

• United Kingdom
• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Marketing Manager

  • Feb 2011 - Mar 2011

  I managed the CRM marketing for publications across all the humanities, including literature, philosophy, classics and psychology. I wrote, designed and quality assured email communications to a database of academics from Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Warwick, Imperial College, UCL and Goldsmiths. I managed the CRM marketing for publications across all the humanities, including literature, philosophy, classics and psychology. I wrote, designed and quality assured email communications to a database of academics from Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Warwick, Imperial College, UCL and Goldsmiths.



Capita Education Services - The National Stategies

• Reading, United Kingdom

• Editor

  • Nov 2004 - Mar 2011

  Responsible for delivering over 20 multimedia publications a year to be used as a free teaching resource at state-run schools - from early years to A-levels. Working closely with authors to get manuscripts in on time and build a comprehensive master schedule that included 2 rounds of external proofreading, 1 round of external copyediting, design, print and distribution. This would also include developing scripts, storyboards and wireframes for our audio visual resources and elearning modules. And working with user experience and developers for the accompanying web pages. Responsible for the English, inclusion and specialists work stream, we working in an Agile style to ensure all resources were delivered on time, to budget and the end experience was as good as can be. Developed a series of quality checking and process documents to standardise the publishing process and ensure that all resources were free from errors. These include swim lanes, briefing documents, schedule templates, training packs and checklists. Briefed, developed and signed off content provided by external partners, from digital agencies to film companies. One of my projects, a film about parents supporting children at home starred James Nesbitt and work at the New York Film Festival for best educational video. Pioneered the use of Flash technology to create a fully interactive animated science resource on CD-ROM. Used a content management system to ensure that all hard copy resources were available on the web for teachers who had access to high-speed fibre broadband in the city and slow dial-up connections in the country from all sorts of backgrounds and abilities. This meant monitoring the weight and complexity of the site, ensuring web pages were tagged, copy adhered to SEO guidelines and design was fully DDA compliant. Show less



Heathen Music Ltd

• Reading, United Kingdom

• Director

  • Aug 2004 - Jun 2007

  I set up and ran an independent record label. This included being heavily involved in the local music scene, writing press releases and scouting for talent. I signed two bands; Rebus and The Vice. And released a 4x4 EP in collaboration with another label showcasing four of the biggest unsigned bands in Berkshire. I got Rebus' Red EP produced, promoted and distributed to record shops such as Fopp, Virgin Megastore and HMV. As part of promotion, commitment to live music and brand awareness, I set up and ran monthly club night called Die Young Stay Pretty (DYSP) that featured local DJs and bands in venues like Plug and Play, After Dark and The Arches in Reading. Bringing bands like Pink Grease, The Rifles, The View and Joy Formidable to perform. I also co-promoted a cross-genre club night called Screwball Cabaret. The night had two stages for electric and acoustic sets and featured the only acoustic set of Alan McGee's newest signing, Pure Reason Revolution. It also bought Aqua Levi and Shorty to Reading. I was a key member of the organising committee for Reading's first Fringe Festival in 2005. Writing and producing press releases, as well as other marketing material and brainstorming to bring an inclusive and unique arts and culture event. I was a DJ at The Oakford Social Club, mixing old-school hip hop and alternative indie classics. I was also a regular on BBC Radio Berkshire's The Session as part of The Demo Panel, reviewing three unsigned artists and scoring them out of ten - the winner would get radio play. And I co-hosted Monday night’s new music show on Thames Valley University's radio station, Blast 1386. In addition to this, I was a producer for The Derelict Sessions, a local music company promoting alternative music and unsigned acts through events, publications and broadcasts. I wrote, designed and sent out a weekly newsletter to 300 subscribe fans. Show less



Bayer

• Chemical Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Marketing Assistant

  • Oct 2002 - Oct 2004