A few words about me...
My marketing career began accidentally in 1997 when I took a break from journalism after working for The Wall Street Journal in Brussels. I moved to an agency in London and worked directly with the teams at BMW, Waitrose and IBM. But my roots are very much in journalism and stating my intention to have a writing career is one of my early school memories.
As an award-winning journalist, I’ve written compelling editorial articles for some outstanding Emap, Reed Elsevier, Haymarket and BBC publications. And nationally, for The Guardian, Daily Mail and internationally for The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. Most of my writing has been for the technology sector – Information Age, Active Computer, IBM Computing Today, Computer Weekly and many publications at VNU and RBI. Long-term freelance clients included Estates Gazette, Farmers' Weekly, Inside Soap, Elle Decoration, Architects Digest and Kick! Magazine. So, yes - my portfolio is diverse and it includes more white labelled content and case studies than bylines. I graduated in the middle of a recession that hit the publishing industry hard, sduring the time that global media transitioned from print to digital, so my work with words has been constantly evolving.
In 1997 when I took my first marketing role, email and mobile phone use exploded in just six months and all of a sudden well-written words were competing for attention with emerging digital media. In London, commuters checked phones and forgot to grab an Evening Standard to ‘Read all about it’ but in the shires, areas bereft of good mobile signal felt left behind.
After a decade freelancing and consulting, creating marketing content and masterminding launch issues, the publishing and media industries were in a digital tailspin in 2000. The internet changed things exponentially, but it was a great time to be a production editor. I led many projects that rewrote legacy content for the digital age.
This period marks the start of my deep love affair with digital content and gave me invaluable insights that I still use today. In the UK and in the USA, I used database and SMS marketing, analytics, news on-demand, email, Search and Google when it was all shiny and new... and Twitter (now X).
I’m a complete tech head – but my love of technology is invaluable to marketing and business strategy. Technology is not always embraced (or indeed popular!) but I keep up with trends so I can help businesses get the most from their budgets. The data trail that digital marketing leaves helps me to show businesses the responses to valuable content and how the words their business uses impacts sales. I strongly believe that data analysis skills are essential to every marketing success story. And I champion methods that enable us to use these tools, and for entrepreneurs to manage their own social media and marketing - without burnout and overwhelm.
In February 2019 I became a tutor with Cornwall College, delivering CIM qualifications to professional marketers. And I've since written and delivered Digital Marketing Bootcamps, Government Skills Marketing Training and Employability courses with 100% pass rates. Marketing in 2023 and beyond is more science than hobby and deserves to be taken seriously by marketers and businesses alike.
The five core principles of journalism guide my work every day: honesty, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness, and accountability. As The Hammond Agency I put words at the heart of data-driven, customer-facing communications and digital strategy. And the root of this ethos is my own personal drive to help businesses identify the words that work. For SEO, content, communications and more, regardless of niche or sector and at whatever stage of the business journey that starts with me.
One of my favourite things is to have a coffee and a chat and learn all about a new business. If you're interested to know more about the way I work, please call me here. No obligation - just bring your own coffee.