About my work

I’m a communications strategist & creative problem solver – I provide strategic planning services & consultancy for agencies, brands, design studios and other very smart people through my company Seemingly Unconnected. If you’d like to say hello, please do email me.

 

What I do

Communications Strategy. I work with clients to understand their business objectives, identify and get to know the people we’re trying to engage, and define the role(s) for communications in achieving their objectives. Everything communicates, which means thinking about every relevant touchpoint when developing a communications strategy – beyond bought media (traditional paid-for marketing), to the really important stuff – owned media (e.g. your product or service, website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, packaging, your company’s staff, retail experience or customer service) and their impact on earned media (what other people say about you).

Digital Engagement. I tend not to describe myself as a digital strategist, as I think it’s important to think of digital communications as part of a bigger whole, and not as a silo. However, helping brands to develop meaningful relationships in the digital space is an important part of what I do. Defining the role for different digital platforms, including a robust understanding of how best to use social media, I work with many clients specifically on digital strategy & social communications projects.

Brand Strategy. Although many projects involve building upon an existing brand positioning, I also work with clients to define a compelling proposition for their brand, and to develop clear guidelines for brand behaviour.

Experience Planning. Understanding people and how they experience a brand is a core part of the comms strategy work that I do: in some instances this is the main focus of the project, mapping customer journeys and identifying how the experience can be improved (usually in conjunction with a UX specialist).

Training. I have had extensive experience of designing & facilitating workshops for training & development: workshops are always tailored around a client’s specific needs, however previous workshops have focused on integrated communications, digital engagement and social media strategy.

 

My approach

My aim is to make awesome stuff. I’m not a big fan of the traditional way of thinking about communication – treating planning like embarking on military warfare isn’t very cool, is it really? Strikeweights. Target audiences. Guerilla tactics. Bursts. Campaigns. Launches. Data Capture.

[ image courtesy ]

I mean, do we really expect people to want to listen to anything we have to say if we keep on treating them like enemy combatants?

I learned a lot from the smart people at Naked, who like to think there’s a much better way. Treating people as your partners. Realising that everything communicates. People’s time is valuable. So why are they going to want to spend it with your brand or service? Make every aspect of your brand experience count by making sure it’s interesting, engaging, useful or relevant. And ideally all of the above. And that’s what I aim to do with the clients I work with.

I believe that a collaborative approach to problem solving is essential to a successful outcome. To get to the right solution, I like to work closely with my clients to really understand their brand and business, and the particular challenge in hand. Where possible and relevant, workshop sessions frequently form a key part of the strategy development process, as I’ve found that group co-creation – particularly where multiple stakeholders are involved – ensures collective alignment and buy-in.

 

My experience

Since going freelance, my clients have included Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Profero, Vodafone Ireland, We Are Friday, the IPA, Rattle, Hypergame, Slow Home Studio and Mudlark.

In my previous roles at Naked Communications and PHD, my clients included Vodafone Group, Nokia, Coca Cola, the COI, Sainsbury’s, Simple, BMW and Harrods.

If you’d like to know more about my experience, or see references from my previous clients, you can download my CV, or view my Linked In profile. I also have a planning & strategy portfolio I’d be delighted to share with you, but because some bits are reasonably client-specific I don’t publish it openly on the web – please email me if you’d like to see more.

 

Working with me

I’m available for work through my company Seemingly Unconnected Ltd.

It’s so-called because of a great quote from William Plomer:

Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.

Finding interesting connections amongst the seemingly unconnected is how I believe we can find creative solutions to tricky problems. It’s also what a number of very smart planning directors observed was the key to intuitive problem solving, which they described as the quintessential skill of the so-called ‘rockstar planner’ – and it’s certainly what I strive towards in the work that I do.

I live in London but I’ve worked with numerous international clients.

I want to work on projects that present a juicy challenge, for clients who embrace innovation and want to make great work. I’m excited by the opportunity to keep learning new things, and to work with smart and interesting people and organisations.

 

Contact

If you’d like to say hello, you can email me, or find me on Twitter or on Skype