OVERVIEW
I have a background in writing for
advertising, marketing and communication clients with specializations in
online/mobile content, activations and promotions, corporate communication and
creative strategy. Currently I am contracted to a supply agency of Brand South
Africa working on below-the-line, event branding and corporate/stakeholder
communication.
My
client experience includes:
Brand South Africa, the African National Congress, The New Age, the Department
of Trade and Industry, UBank, Sasol, Coca Cola, Appletizer, BP, Business
Connexion, Cadbury, CNBC Africa, Daily Sun, DHL Africa, FNB, GlaxoSmith Kline,
IBM, Iscor, KFC, Kimberly Clark, Procter and Gamble, Lenovo, Motorola,
MultiChoice, Nestlé, Old Mutual, SA Breweries, South African Tourism, Sun
International, the Automobile Association, Unilever SA, Janssen Cillag, Pfizer,
Toyota, Honda, Vodacom, MTN, Standard Bank of South Africa; Commercial Union
and Finance Week
Selected Experience: I have extensive experience in advertising
and marketing communications working at some of the country’s top agencies with
a focus on brand awareness, activations, mobile and online communication and
promotions. I am involved in creative strategy and
planning and implementation from concept to delivery and understand the
challenges faced by multinationals, parastatals and nation brands.
Industry Awards: Loerie finalist “Never too young” Automobile
Association of South Africa; RX Awards Gold “Chickens” GlaxoSmith Kline
Augmentin SR; RX Awards Certificate of Excellence “Legends” Janssen Cilag; RX
Awards Certificate of Excellence “Remember the moment” Sanofi Aventis; RX
Awards Certificate of Excellence “NAN Bullet Launch” Nestlé South Africa
Industry Expertise: Automotive; FMCG; Medical; Healthcare and pharmaceuticals;
Finance and Banking; Transport ; Parastatals
Education: I have a BA in Marketing and Psychology
from the University of the Witswatersrand.
Work experience
April
2010 – Current Accen2ate
Creative
Director
In April 2010 I breathed new life into a
dormant company I started in 2006. I provide agencies, brands, businesses and
individuals with conceptual and corporate communications strategies, business
and marketing plans and marketing collateral including events, activations,
promotions and campaign plans. I work across platforms covering printed and
online media, mobile, social networking, radio, television and outdoor.
My current clients include The International
Marketing Council of South Africa or Brand South Africa, the African National
Congress, The New Age, the Department of Trade and Industry, Melrose Arch, The
Hotel Dona Ana, UBank, Strepsils, Sasol, Sappi Publishing and Fihrst.
Nov 2009 – March 2010 Saatchi
& Saatchi, Johannesburg
Senior Copywriter Conceptual – ABL, Activations, CRM
Saatchi & Saatchi gave me the
chance to grow my above-the-line and through-the-line experience. As part of
the senior conceptual team I was involved in conceptualizing pitch work and
training junior members of the studio. My clients included Peugeot, Pampers,
P&G, Bel Cheese, Unicef and Sanofi. I led teams on pitching for SA Tourism
and Gautrain. A large of amount of time was dedicated to proactive work and
growing the client base.
August 2003 – Oct 2009 Brand
Activation, Ogilvy Johannesburg
Group Creative Head - Activation Specialist
At Brand Activation I was privileged to work with Howard Schmidt, Felix
Kessel, Vanessa Klevansky and George Rautenbach. Their utter commitment to
producing quality creative solutions that exceed client expectations shaped and
moulded my approach to every piece of work.
Brand Activation Clients: Appletizer, Audi, Avis, BLSA (Poolbrite), BP, Business Connexion,
Cadbury (Cadbury Dairy Milk, Crunchie, Tempo), Cardies, Coca-Cola, CNBC, Daily
Sun, DHL Africa, EMN (M-Net), FNB (Internal), GSK (ENO, Grandpa, Corporate),
IBM, Iscor (75th Birthday), KFC, Kimberly Clark (Huggies), Kraft
Foods (Tang Plus), Lenovo, Loads of Living, Moss Morris Attorneys, Motorola,
MultiChoice (Corporate, DStv), Nestlé (Milo), Nestlé Purina (CRM programme),
Old Mutual, SA Breweries (Castle Lager, Amstel, Peroni, Corporate), South
African Tourism, Sun International (Gaming – Carnival City, Meropa, Morula, Sun
City; National Gaming - Resorts – Sun City; Internal Communications),
SuperSport, The Automobile Association, Unifoods (Tums), Unilever SA (Dove,
Dove Deo, Dove Silk Dry)
Ogilvy Healthcare Clients: GSK (Augmentin SR), Janssen Cillag (Evra, Evorel, Sporanox, Women’s
Healthcare Portfolio), Pfizer (Caduet, Lipitor), Nestlé (Infant formulas)
Awards:
RX
Show 2007: Gold & Certificate of Excellence
October 2002 – July 2003 FCBi
Johannesburg
Copywriter
Disciplines: Direct
and Relationship Marketing, Radio, Press, Posters, Online media, E-mail, Launch
events
Duties:
1.
Conceptual
creative thinking and problem solving for a wide range of clients
2.
Conceptualising
pitch and proactive work
3.
Producing
creative, responsible and brief applicable work to tight deadlines and even
tighter budget constraints
4.
Of
three pitches worked on in the last year, My art director and I won every one
including: SARS, Fusion Radio and Absolute Tours.
Clients: Toyota
Trucks SA, Toyota SA (Land Cruiser, Prado, RunX, Corolla), Vodacom, World
Vision, Absolute Tours, Bonitas Medical Fund, First National Bank, Creative
Life, Samsung
12 March 2001 – April 2002 Bluehr*
London
Copywriter, Marketing & Media
Bluehr* was a software solutions provider to the recruitment
industry. We developed implemented
a middleware application to integrate online recruitment tools into a single usable
interface for recruiters. As a start-up provider, Bluehr* provided me with the
unique opportunity to follow a product from conception to implementation. I was able to bring together all the
elements of my previous experience in client service and creative to help guide
the marketing strategy and potential future of the company.
August 2000 – November 2000
Systemsfusion™ San Francisco
Technical Writing and Marketing Communications
As the technical copywriter, I researched and wrote white papers on the
state of the IT industry as well as handling marketing packs and the
development of website copy. On
the technical side, I wrote the Evolutionware™ 1.0 online help manual.
April 2000 – June 2000
FCB Lindsay Smithers (Interactive) San Francisco
Copywriter
As a visitor to FCB San Francisco I was given the opportunity to work
under the guidance of Ken Muir and Greg Johnson in the interactive
department. I participated in
brainstorming, conceptual design and copywriting of web and campaign
elements.
Clients: Lucent
Technologies; Compaq (Alphaserver); Sega (Space Channel 5)
April 1999 – April 2000 FCB Lindsay
Smithers (Direct) South
Africa
Copywriter
My art director and I formed a team that handled
conceptual design for ongoing direct and relationship marketing campaigns at
FCB Direct. FCB South Africa instilled in me the need to create the highest
quality of creative work possible. FCB Direct has given me the invaluable
experience of creating relationship marketing and direct campaigns in a country
where illiteracy is still approximately 50%. As an advertising agency in post-apartheid South Africa, FCB
has helped to create a new atmosphere of racial and gender equality and it has
been a great privilege to be a part of that process.
Clients: Toyota LandCruiser & Prado; Toyota Hilux; Toyota Hino Trucks;
MultiChoice (satellite TV); NBS (bank); Siemens Pharmaceutical; Vodacom
(cellular provider)
January 1999 - March 1999 Tequila
Square
South
Africa
Junior Copywriter
At Tequila Square I wrote copy and helped in the conceptual design
process for direct mail pieces, in-branch marketing and relationship marketing
campaigns, as well as proofreading.
MTN (cellular provider), Pretoria State Theatre, Standard Bank of South
Africa; Commercial Union (insurance); Conservation Corporation Africa -
Bateleur Club (wildlife); Finance Week (magazine)
September 1998 - December 1998 Tequila
Square South Africa
Client Service Executive
As an Account Executive I handled the schedules for a three person
Client Service team and all client and internal correspondence including
creative briefing, research and client presentations and maintenance.
Clients: Pretoria
State Theatre; Standard Bank of South Africa; Conservation Corporation Africa -
Bateleur Club (wildlife); Finance Week (magazine)
Education
2006
University
of the Witwatersrand South
Africa
BA
Major 1: Psychology 3 (Industrial Psychology, Neuropsychology)
Major 2: Marketing 3 (Strategy, eCommerce, Services Marketing)
Subsidiaries: English, Economics, Comparative Literature
1982- 1993 Roedean
School South
Africa
Matriculation subjects
English (A); Afrikaans (B); Mathematics (A); History (C); Art (B);
Biology (B)
