2023 reflections

At the beginning of this year, I set off to Southeast Asia with a backpack that was detrimentally big slung across my back and no idea where my adventures would take me. As it turned out, they took me through a period of turbulence where the best day of my life could be mere hours away from the worst. I slipped a disk in my neck. I experienced some of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. I saw the impacts of the climate crisis in real-time. I made a new best friend and then accidentally fell in love with that best friend (the best bit) - and I documented it all here. 

As I reflect on this year of work, it’s from quite an unusual place. I’ve only been back for six months, and a lot of that time has been spent in recovery. I’ve had to pause on writing my book on queer grief due to the emotional toil it was having on me and face the reality that right now, making a living as a writer is extremely challenging. I hope to pick back up with it in the new year while considering my priorities as I step into my fourth year of freelancing.

I’m still figuring out what I’ve learned from my travel experiences and what’s next for me, but one thing that I know for certain is that I love brand strategy.

It sounds like a pretty geeky thing to come out of travelling, but I take great joy in helping individuals and organisations express themselves better. Not enough of us have enough opportunity to be heard during our careers, and brand is one of the best ways to offer space for reflection, support and progress.

We live in a world that is becoming more disparate, and I hope my skillset can help bring people together through better communication. With that in mind, I wanted to share some of the moments I’ve enjoyed most over the year:

Art with Heart spearheading children’s equality in Manchester City Centre.

Photo by Michael Mannion

I’ve worked on Art with Heart’s marketing for about eight years now, and launching Small Voices at the end of 2022 felt like an accumulation of Rachel and Sarah’s tenacity and hard work in educating more people about human rights and equality. Small Voices is a special edition of their podcast, Box Tickers. It focused on children’s equality and was created with year six students who had so much to say about their rights and how adults can do better. The accumulation of this project was a billboard campaign all over Manchester City Centre where the children’s words were broadcast to 65 million people. Working closely with the team and developing an impactful marketing strategy for Small Voices has been a moment of pride for this year, particularly with the opportunities it brings to impact those who respond—design by Studio Baba and photography by Michael Mannion. 

Church on the Street helping the homeless out of addiction.

I worked with Studio Baba to brand Church on the Street at the beginning of the pandemic. A charity helping to lift people out of poverty in Burnley, finding a clear, down-to-earth voice to help communicate the incredible work Mick and the team do was a rewarding task. This year, the team returned to ask for help with a fundraising social media strategy. We worked together to create a more effective social media framework for their posts, which could then enhance calls for donations alongside specific fundraising campaigns. The work was a success, and after just a month, we saw a significant increase in donations, helping to lift the year’s total (some nice stats to come in the new year!). The pandemic has significantly impacted Burnley, and it was already struggling with poverty, so if you have a few quid to spend this Winter, drop them a donation.

Higher Mill Trust reigniting vital Lancashire history.

Rochdale born-and-bred, I’ve been a mill enthusiast ever since I was a kid, where school trips often involved crossing over to Ellenroad Mill and being given a tour of all the machines. I was so convinced mills would be part of my future that I spent a good portion of my childhood convinced I would one day lose a finger in the machines. Fortunately, I still have all my digits, and I was extra excited this year when Higher Mill Trust invited me and a team made up of Chris Mason and Nick Elsby to create a new website for them. Work is still in progress, but the opportunity to reconnect with Lancashire history, the Industrial Revolution and the critical role of cotton mills has brought me some real happiness over the last few months. 

Speaking about nature for PechaKucha.

Photo by Fiona Finchett

I’ve been nature-obsessed for years, especially since running a project for Lancashire Wildlife Trust on connecting with nature back in 2020. Since travelling, I’ve become much more mindful of the climate crisis after experiencing the impact of global warming and particularly the actions of Western society on communities in Asia. I want to bring my learning into my work and continue to brand organisations that are doing good in the world, so speaking at Pechakucha felt like a good opportunity not only to share my work focusing on nature and play but also to find a group of talented people who are doing similar work focusing on nature, environment, climate and community here in the North West. You can give that brilliant bunch a follow here.

Happy Hounds bringing pup-centric joy to St Helens’s

Photo by Michael Mannion, logo by Day 1 Advertising and Design

When I often work with a client, I see my job as a form of translation. I’m taking a product or service and finding a way to shape the language and brand so it becomes more consumable and easier to understand. When a brand-new dog park, Happy Hounds, came to me at the beginning of the year looking for brand strategy, social media strategy and a website, it was refreshing that the consumers were dogs and their owners. The brand is filled with happiness, pictures of very adorable dogs and pup facts that can help people with all their ownership needs. Although light-hearted, with dog ownership rising from 9 million to 13 million over the pandemic, there’s a real need for better pet education, more green spaces for dogs and opportunities for training. Happy Hounds is doing important work by facilitating our canine friends, and I’m excited to see it flourish in the new year.

There’s plenty more that I’m excited to share in 2024. I’ve been thrilled to begin working with long-term client Chairsyde again as they continue to do amazing things to revolutionise patient education in dentistry (check them out; they’re really exciting!). 

I can’t end without a cheeky plug either. If you’re looking to work with someone who is genuine and hardworking and who will help your brand shine, drop me a line. I work with some tremendous creatives, and we love getting stuck into all sorts of projects. 

Wishing all of you a lovely new year.