Brand creation > SPOVoice.com

Client: Myself; Alex Kinnear-Mellor

Brief: Create a new movement to support 100,000+ Military Spouses, Partners and Other-Halves (SPOs) to make change to support our careers.

Work: Design branding, copy and website and begin the process of gaining traction with the UK government and MOD. Ongoing in 2022. SPOVoice.com

Skills: Website WordPress (UI and UX). Adobe Creative Suite; Photoshop. Illustrator. SEO. Copywriting. Research. Social Media. GDPR.

Communications, Marketing & PR Manager > National Equine Charity

Employer:  Bransby Horses Rescue and Welfare; one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities.

Tenure: 2019 – 2021

Job Description:  Manage a graphic design and marketing team, as well as agencies. Working with the SLT to develop PR and marketing strategies which will deliver on the charity’s strategic targets, including fundraising, income generation, HR, operations and welfare, and leading all of the marketing and PR activities.

Skills: Team Leadership. Rebranding (working with agency) online and on site. Brand strategy, including audience profiling, segmentation and targeting. Marketing strategy. Social Media strategy, management and delivery. Fundraising and income generation initiatives. Retail. Internal Communications. Adobe Creative Suite; Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop. Web design; WordPress. New ways of working conceptualisation and realisation. Copywriting. Press Release writing and distribution. Local and National Press and Television liaison (BBC). Event stand design. Event coordination. GDPR. CRM. Editorial.

Awards: The Legacy Futures Innovation Award 2021

Highlights: 

• Significantly increased brand reach and profile on social media by devising improved targeted, consistent content. This generated an average Facebook engagement rate of 4% compared to the UK average of 0.9%, 8.2% YOY Facebook follower increase and 18.6 YOY Instagram increase.
• Rebranded and overhauled content for the charity website, increasing page per sessions to 5.5 average and 10% reduction in bounce rates.
• Designed and delivered a legacy campaign that won The Legacy Futures Innovation Award, beating shortlist of Alzheimers Society, St Johns Ambulance and Royal Museum’s Greenwich.
• Redesigned and delivered the nationwide charity magazine whilst reworking improved methods for content collaboration, generating increased donations of 53% and sales of 330%.

Testimonial

Branding > New Alcoholic Drink

Client: World Renowned Mixologist, Douglas Ankrah

Brief: Brand a fun, sexy new alcoholic drink to be launched Worldwide – including designing a pin-up girl for the 21st Century.

Work: Designed logo, iconography (including pin-up girl) and bottle design. Created brand guidelines (including advising client on brand direction), business cards, shipping boxes and presentations.

Skills: Adobe Creative Suite; Illustrator. Retail. Research. Project management. Branding. Copywriting.

Global Internal Communications Manager > FMCG

Employer: William Grant & Sons

Tenure: 2009 – 2011 (promoted from First Drinks Brands / William Grant and Sons UK)

Job Description: Manage, develop, and evaluate internal communication processes, co-write and manage global company conferences and deliver a global communications portal, launched with an award-winning campaign.

Skills: Team Leadership. Internal Communications. Strategic thinking and delivery. Market research. Competitor analysis. Presenting. Employer branding. Culture defining. Event planning and delivery. Editorial. Intranet. Script writing. Project Management.

Awards: Institute of Internal Communications (IOIC) Award of Excellence 2010

Highlights:

• Building and delivering a world class internal communication strategy supporting the global business strategy.
• Redesigning and editing the global internal communications magazine.
• Planning and delivering employer recognition awards ceremonies, with attendees from all over the globe.
• Managing the internal communications process and evaluating effectiveness to ensure continuous improvement.
• Supporting the company values development and the externally facing Employer Branding project.
• Devising and delivering a globally streamed live internal employee recognition event.
• Conceptualising, designing and delivering a new, pioneering internal communications portal, launched with an award winning campaign and effective processes for content management and validation.

Testimonial

UK PR & Communications Manager > FMCG

Employer: First Drinks Brands (owned by William Grant & Sons)

Tenure: 2007 – 2009

Job Description: Proactive management & development of internal and external PR and Communications initiatives.

• Ensuring effective communication of brand issues & activities to all key stakeholders.
• Directing internal and external communications at senior level.
• Supporting directors and managers with PR requirements including pitching, writing briefs, selecting agencies, PR programme advice, client/agency appraisals, budgets and evaluation.
• Delivering company media training.
• Ensuring efficient and effective synergies with company owners and partners.
• Producing and maintaining an up-to-date central record of key brand and company information.
• Working with directors, pricing & planning management and leadership teams to identify preferred means of company communication cascade.
• Planning and delivering conferences and events.
• Managing & monitoring usage of company website and digital image library.
• Advising on, managing and organising company submissions to trade competitions.
• Providing brand best practice advice.
• Coordination and communication of activities for nominated company charity.

Skills: Team Leadership. Internal Communications. Strategic thinking and delivery. Market research. Competitor analysis. Presenting. Employer branding. Culture defining. Event planning and delivery. Editorial. Script writing. Project Management. Fundraising. POS. Video.

Highlights:

• Coordinated sponsorship deals for GQ Awards and Glamour Awards for two years. Attended events to ensure branding was optimised and liaised with A list celebrities.
• Modernised the company logo and company materials to create visual connection with new parent company William Grant and Sons – Designed logo, brand guidelines, rebranded website and offices (with an agency), coordinated and delivered a drinks industry press launch. Wrote and produced Corporate DVD.
• Promoted into parent company; William Grant and Sons.

Employment > Pre-2007

Title: PR, Marketing and Business Development Consultant.

Client:  T2L – International Greyhound Racing Newspaper.

Tenure: Feb 07 – June 07   

Job Description: Setup and launch of new weekly international greyhound racing newspaper: 

Interviewing, appointing and managing editorial and design team. Sourcing, acquiring and designing the newspaper website. Installing and maintaining company email accounts. Copywriting and sub-editing newspaper content and press releases. Creating, maintaining and increasing databases. Procuring, implementing and developing national and international marketing opportunities, including events. Acquiring and managing sponsorship campaigns. Securing and undertaking a Live Sky Sports interview, successfully promoting the newspaper and website.

Title: Midlands PR & Marketing Manager.

Employer: GRA, Greyhound Racing Association.

Tenure: July 06 – Feb 07

Job Description: Direct and promote new image of Greyhound racing – troubleshooting previous misconceptions and negative images: Copywriting, creating and implementing national & local television, press advertising / articles and website content. Developing press opportunities for national and local media as well as in-house public relations. Working alongside celebrities and charities to improve and promote the Association’s image. Producing and delivering the marketing and PR for 6 of the UK’s most established stadiums that annually received over 1 million visitors and an income of over £30M.

Title: PR, Marketing and Business Development Consultant.

Tenure: Jan 06 – July 06

Clients: O₂   and NW telecom

Brief: Marketing and Development of B2B service: Identifying niche market opportunities worth £0.2m per year. Advising on, procuring and maximising market positioning, customer segmentation, sales channel planning and outside agency management. Creating internal and external communications strategy and securing policy objectives.

Clients: Aura

Brief: Initial development and marketing of a start-up B2C Company: Market research. Formulating and integrating customer acquisition, segmentation and retention initiatives. Branding, pricing, product launch and management. Investment case written and presented to financial investors.

Title: Brand Marketing / PR Executive.

Employer: Emerging Business, Luminar Leisure

Tenure: Oct 04 – Dec 05

Job Description: Promotion obtained after increasing sales by 40% at previous work placement: Managing and monitoring the marketing, branding and PR of 20 bars / restaurants throughout the UK. Identifying and implementing brand extension opportunities with suppliers such as Budweiser, Bacardi and Redbull. Motivating and ensuring successful brand direction with marketing team colleagues and managing directors. Working with budgets of £0.1m. Implementing 3^rd party and team initiatives. Building strong internal and external relationships.

Title: Marketing / PR Manager.

Employer: the’ Bar Cafe, Luminar Leisure, The Cornerhouse, Nottingham

Tenure: Oct 03 – Oct 04

Job Description: Introducing innovative marketing strategies for a Nottingham city centre lounge bar and restaurant: Maintaining current client base. Expanding client directory in accordance with company criteria. Liaising with local and national businesses for effective advertisement and endorsement. Event organising.

Title: Editor PA. PR & Communications Assistant.

Employer: Harpers & Queen Magazine, Esquire Magazine, London.

Tenure: Mar 03 – July 03

Job Description – Editor PA: Covering for Editorial PA as first point of call representing Harpers & Queen Editor Lucy Yeomans – Position secured during work experience: Organising meetings and social engagements throughout Britain and abroad. Daily receiving of and responding to PR releases, personal correspondence, business and general enquiries. Working confidentially with A list celebrities.

Job Description – PR & Communications Assistant: Accredited Personal Assistant to Restaurant critic Jennifer Sharp in the renowned Moet & Chandon Annual British Restaurant Guide – Position secured during work experience: Drafting promotional editorials for both monthly publications, dispatched to British and New York media. Composing fashion articles. Assisting the editorial department in research for journalist’s articles. Effectively liaising with company departments, members of press & public figures.

Title: Housing & Council Tax Benefit Officer.

Employer: Nottingham City Council Treasury

Tenure: Oct 02 – Mar 03

Job Description: Working face to face with adults who often have special needs, disabilities and come from deprived backgrounds to target and manage their personal problems with housing and council tax governmental funding: Utilising, translating and inputting three governmental computer programmes to grant financial aid to claimants. Complying with governmental regulations regarding financial and personal aid for the underprivileged. Working under extreme pressure in an ethnically and socially diverse environment that is occasionally volatile.

Title: Researcher.

Employer: Ricochet Channel 4 Films, London.

Tenure: University summer holidays, 2000

Title: Researcher & Office Manager.

Employer: Siguy BBC Films, London.

Tenure: University summer holidays, 1999