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I spent seven years in commercial advertising (at Grey London and McCann London), and had the opportunity to sharpen a number of brand strategy skills.
A selection of brands I have worked with. Click on each to know a little more.
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Just Eat is a global online food order and delivery service. It acts as an intermediary between independent takeaway food outlets and customers.
MY ROLE: Brand Strategy Director for Just Eat Global & UK
CHALLENGE: People think Just Eat is just a weekend takeaway. They are losing midweek saliency to brands like Deliveroo (especially in cities) INSIGHT: In a category filled with ubiquitous rational benefits, Just Eat can deliver joy. SOLUTION: Develop a global brand campaign that makes people feel joyful. Connecting with a younger more urban audience CHANNELS: All channels. TV, Social, OOH etc.
CHALLENGE: Just Eat’s heartland, the Saturday night take away is under threat by competitors (like UberEats) and so they need to continue to defend their turf. We need to drive saliency with an X-factor sponsorship. INSIGHT: Our Did Somebody Say Just Eat jingle is catchy but annoying. SOLUTION: Give our jingle the X-factor treatment and get the nation singing along to it. CHANNELS: All channels. TV, Social, OOH etc.
CHALLENGE: People think Just Eat is just a weekend takeaway. They are losing midweek saliency to brands like Deliveroo (especially in cities) INSIGHT: In a category filled with ubiquitous rational benefits, Just Eat can deliver joy. SOLUTION: Develop a global brand campaign that makes people feel joyful. Connecting with a younger more urban audience CHANNELS: All channels. TV, Social, OOH etc.
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Vice is a global, digital, youth media company.
MY ROLE: Strategy Director on a creative collaboration with Vice UK - 'LoFi Beats Suicide' - winning two Cannes Lions and two D&AD Pencils.
CHALLENGE: Amidst the growing mental health crisis, Vice wanted to find a way to help suicidal students, despite a small budget INSIGHT: 1 in 5 students experience suicidal thoughts, but most don’t seek the help they need SOLUTION: Beat suicide with a bold, relatable suicide-prevention message that resonates with the LoFi YouTube community - a place where stressed students cluster CHANNELS: A LoFi YouTube channel (College Music)
CHALLENGE: Amidst the growing mental health crisis, Vice wanted to find a way to help suicidal students, despite a small budget INSIGHT: 1 in 5 students experience suicidal thoughts, but most don’t seek the help they need SOLUTION: Beat suicide with a bold, relatable suicide-prevention message that resonates with the LoFi YouTube community - a place where stressed students cluster CHANNELS: A LoFi YouTube channel (College Music)
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Subway is a global fast food franchise that sells freshly made sandwiches
MY ROLE: Brand Strategy Director for Subway Europe & UK
CHALLENGE: Persuade siloed Subway markets to unify behind a single brand strategy INSIGHT: Subway's most compelling global truth is that it is the only fast food restaurant that makes your food the way you want it SOLUTION: Develop a pan-European brand positioning announcing Subway can make it what you want. Sell it into markets, then launch it CHANNELS: All channels - internal and external
CHALLENGE: Subway markets lacked a clear growth strategy. Marketing and the Business were not joined up SOLUTION: Develop a growth strategy toolkit that could help individual markets determine their growth stage and the most effective route to growth. Support marketing to narrow the void with the business CHANNELS: Toolkit, European training tour, governance support
CHALLENGE: Persuade siloed Subway markets to unify behind a single brand strategy INSIGHT: Subway's most compelling global truth is that it is the only fast food restaurant that makes your food the way you want it SOLUTION: Develop a pan-European brand positioning announcing Subway can make it what you want. Sell it into markets, then launch it CHANNELS: All channels - internal and external
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Jacob's (UK) is a manufacturer of crackers and other savoury snacks
MY ROLE: Senior Brand Planner (reporting to Planning Director)
CHALLENGE: Increase awareness of Cracker Crisps INSIGHT: People don't really know what a Cracker Crisp is nor when to eat it SOLUTION: Celebrate the coming together of the crunch of a cracker and flavour of a crisp CHANNELS: TV, Digital
CHALLENGE: Awareness and trial of 3 new limited edition Mini Cheddars cheese flavours INSIGHT: Cheese lovers have a tendency to get irrationally passionate about cheese SOLUTION: Launch the 3 new flavours by using cheese lovers to excite and entertain CHANNELS: TV, Digital
CHALLENGE: Increase awareness of Cracker Crisps INSIGHT: People don't really know what a Cracker Crisp is nor when to eat it SOLUTION: Celebrate the coming together of the crunch of a cracker and flavour of a crisp CHANNELS: TV, Digital
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Pantene is P&G's largest haircare brand; shampoo & conditioner
MY ROLE: Senior Brand Planner (EU lead on account)
CHALLENGE: Launch the new Smart Pro-V conditioner INSIGHT: Smart Pro-V is the first conditioner that understands and goes to work on your hair's weak spots SOLUTION: Show women everywhere that they can now train their hair stronger, like they do their bodies CHANNELS: TV, Digital, Print, OOH
CHALLENGE: Improve brand perception through proving Pantene is still innovative and relevant INSIGHT: Women would love to be able to clean their hair without stripping it - the way good cleansers work on their skin SOLUTION: Launch a shampoo that applies the science of skincare to hair - specifically, Micellar CHANNELS: TV, POS & Print
CHALLENGE: Launch the new Smart Pro-V conditioner INSIGHT: Smart Pro-V is the first conditioner that understands and goes to work on your hair's weak spots SOLUTION: Show women everywhere that they can now train their hair stronger, like they do their bodies CHANNELS: TV, Digital, Print, OOH
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: HSBC commercial banking (B2B) is a global financial services provider
MY ROLE: Senior Brand Planner (reporting to Planning Partner)
CHALLENGE: To grow share of wallet with GBM and CMB clients and prospects (small to big businesses) INSIGHT: Medium sized businesses (the growth sweet spot) see HSBC as a cold international bank, out of touch with what they care about SOLUTION: To show that HSBC gets the business mindset, specifically, that it's not just about the numbers CHANNELS: TV,OOH, Print, Digital, Activations
CHALLENGE: To improve the customer service experience delivered by frontline staff INSIGHT: Frontline staff believe it's safer to pass on a problem than deal with it, because of the top-down culture of blame SOLUTION: To create a campaign that signals the return of trust in the frontline, where empathy is rewarded CHANNELS: Branch-to-branch grass roots diffusion - all internal comms channels
CHALLENGE: Improve local market adoption of HSBC's mobile banking app METHOD: Research 26 markets; their tech and consumer dynamics. Understand which app capabilities should be prioritised by comms in those markets and through which channels OUTPUT: Deliverable that included analyses and recommendations for all markets
CHALLENGE: To grow share of wallet with GBM and CMB clients and prospects (small to big businesses) INSIGHT: Medium sized businesses (the growth sweet spot) see HSBC as a cold international bank, out of touch with what they care about SOLUTION: To show that HSBC gets the business mindset, specifically, that it's not just about the numbers CHANNELS: TV,OOH, Print, Digital, Activations
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Nytol is the UK's leading sleep aid brand
MY ROLE: Brand Planning Lead
CHALLENGE: To grow the category through acquiring non-treating considerers INSIGHT: Non-treaters who suffer from poor sleep don't use sleep aids for fear of addiction and because they believe it's for people with 'serious problems' SOLUTION: To normalise sleeping aids with non-treaters and reassure them that it is a temporary solution that restores natural sleep rhythm CHANNELS: Radio
CHALLENGE: To grow the category through acquiring non-treating considerers INSIGHT: Non-treaters who suffer from poor sleep don't use sleep aids for fear of addiction and because they believe it's for people with 'serious problems' SOLUTION: To normalise sleeping aids with non-treaters and reassure them that it is a temporary solution that restores natural sleep rhythm CHANNELS: Radio
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: Fidelity is a multinational financial services corporation
MY ROLE: Senior Brand Planner (reporting to Planning Partner)
CHALLENGE: To put Fidelity on the radar of people approaching retirement (tapping into the new market brought on by new pensions regulations) INSIGHT: People aged 50+ not only reject the labels associated with retirement but are frustrated with society's attempts to label them SOLUTION: To generate buzz through boldly challenging society's retirement labels CHANNELS: Multiple
CHALLENGE: To put Fidelity on the radar of people approaching retirement (tapping into the new market brought on by new pensions regulations) INSIGHT: People aged 50+ not only reject the labels associated with retirement but are frustrated with society's attempts to label them SOLUTION: To generate buzz through boldly challenging society's retirement labels CHANNELS: Multiple
EXAMPLE PROJECTS:
BRAND: 3M is a global manufacturer and creator of Command Strips, Post-It notes and many other brands
MY ROLE: Brand Planning Lead
(on 3M pitch and Post-It account)
CHALLENGE: To grow the category by building awareness and acquiring consumers of hammer & nails INSIGHT: People would unleash much more onto their walls if damage wasn't holding them back PITCH: We presented 3 creative routes that jumped off the insight OUTCOME: We won the pitch
CHALLENGE: To grow the category by building awareness and acquiring consumers of hammer & nails INSIGHT: People would unleash much more onto their walls if damage wasn't holding them back PITCH: We presented 3 creative routes that jumped off the insight OUTCOME: We won the pitch