This is probably the perfect spot for some really inspiring but meaningless fluffy words...
What's my experience?
The Corporate Life
I gained experience across a wide spread of marketing channels when working my way up a team for one of the UK's major tour operators. Having been responsible for all content & SEO on 4 brand's websites, I became a digital specialist, also looking after the email campaign programme & organic social channels. My final roles as Digital, and then Integrated Marketing Manager involved planning, running and overseeing all marketing activity including: CRM & Customer Journey Development, Email Marketing, Print & TV advertising, Direct Mail advertising, PPC including Google Adwords, Organic & Paid Social Media, Traditional & Digital PR, Events and managing 2 e-commerce websites grossing circa £4million per year solely online.
What's that to you?
Now, obviously I appreciate that you are unlikely to have the million pound marketing budget to spend across all of these channels - so why is all that important for you? My experience across all of these channels & with varied brands ensures that I can confidently determine the type of marketing that will have the greatest effect. I'll always prioritise based upon what is going to actually make you more money. My work has always and will always be focused upon driving results.
So, I know it all?
Absolutely not. Like every industry, there's never a day when you can say that you've learnt it all, but I am able to build on a wealth of knowledge by keeping up to date with the ever changing digital industries as well as continuing to work across a variety of sectors to be as diverse with this knowledge as possible. I currently have clients in e-commerce & retail, hospitality, leisure and flooring.
What about other agencies?
There's lots of great marketing agencies out there and some poor ones too. If you are looking at agencies, I would always advise to try and go relatively small, and especially avoid those who may traditionally have been the 'go-to' in years gone by. It is clear from clients that previously used some of these companies that they really were nothing more than a number and there was zero effort or attempt to understand their business. Ultimately this is just impossible for these huge companies as they will have so many on the books. Also, most importantly with all types of marketing, you need to be doing something differently, or better than your competitor - unlikely if you're both using the same agency, competing for the same space.
I can guarantee that I will always take the time to really understand your business, and what your goals are.
The Fun Stuff
Whilst I'm very driven, and proud of the work I produce I certainly wouldn't say I'm defined by what I do - I've got some hobbies too, and as this is a section about getting to know me...
I'm a huge ice hockey fan - both of the Guildford Flames pro team, and my rather less pro efforts playing for a rec team, I have a real passion for great food, especially low and slow BBQ and also regularly forage for wild food.
Let's Talk
So WTF is a coolship...
...and does it have anything to do with marketing?
What is a coolship?
A coolship, or koelschip if you happend to be fluent in Flemish, is an open topped tank used in the process of making spontaneuosly fermented beer, particularly Belgian Lambic. Essentially, the wort (hot water, malt & hops in this case) is left to cool overnight whilst being open to the atmosphere. Natural yeasts & microbes in the air fly in & are introduced to the wort. Once cooled, the wort is then transferred into oak barrels, and it is these yeasts that then go on to ferment the beer, so called spontaneous fermentation.
And the marketing bit?
The resulting beer, after a period of aging in the barrel is known as Lambic. Lambic, which is served as a flat beer, in my opinion is delicious, but it is definitely an acquired taste. Lambics of different brews and ages however, are blended to create a carbonated beer called Geuze which is their best selling most well enjoyed beer.
The Geuze is the messaging & marketing of the product or service that you are providing. There's all that amazing stuff that makes your company great in the Coolship, but without someone to create the perfect blend & let the world know how great you really are, it's only going to be enjoyed by a precious few.
Clear as mud? Perhaps... lets just say that I really love beer, so decided to trade under a name related to my favourite style! It also gave me an amazing excuse to ask my amazing graphic designer friend Josh Clarke to design an incredible logo from a concept of essentially a rectangular tank... Thanks too to future beer friend Gildas Chabot for the pics from Cantillon Brewery.
