Creative Director & Stylist at Katie McKendrick Creative (2025-03 – Present)
- Developing creative concepts and visual stories for homes, gardens and gatherings, alongside building a new creative proposition that brings editorial styling into real-life spaces and occasions.
- Retained by Bramblecrest on a freelance basis to provide art direction and styling for editorial and product photography, drawing on consumer and industry trends to evolve and extend the brand's visual language.
- Working across concept development, trend insight, art direction, styling and creative production, from initial idea through to final imagery and installation.
Brand & Comms Manager at Bramblecrest Garden Furniture (2023-01 – 2025-03)
- Conceptualised, created and managed the delivery of Bramblecrest's first ever brand campaign through its 300-strong retail partners, social, web, email and press, to create differential positioning in an otherwise saturated market.
- Defined the comms strategy for the 2024 and 2025 season, recruiting experts, implementing brand partner activations and introducing the first ever seasonal brand "lookbook" to increase engagement and grow digital audiences, alongside growing brand awareness and recognition.
- Implemented new photography strategy, location and press partners to increase brand recognition and presence within the homes and lifestyle media.
- Responsible for the art direction and styling of over twenty photoshoots per shoot season including prop procurement, location sourcing and model selection, implementing a new visual direction and increasing press placements for the 2024-26 seasons.
- Managed the brand's PR campaign and provided quotes and trends reporting to support its execution.
- Delivery of all lookbook content, web and product copy and overseeing copy production from junior members of the team.
- Assisted Product Director with NPD to develop the brand's lifestyle and accessory offering.
- Developed the visual and comms strategy for the new Contract business proposition - Bramblecrest for Business.
Freelance Creative Strategist at Songbird Studios (2020-11 – 2023-01)
Founded an independent creative practice focused on creative strategy, content and styling for retail and lifestyle brands.
- Developed the 'Living Brands' perspective, alongside delivering copywriting, tone of voice guidelines and communications assets for lifestyle brands and charitable organisations.
- Provided creative direction and styling for photo and video shoots, alongside professional training in floral design for photography, styling and events.
Content Marketing Manager/Brand Stylist at Garden Trading (2018-06 – 2020-10)
On joining, immediately identified the need to increase engagement by connecting consumers with authentic yet aspirational brand stories, and set about implementing a cohesive, story-led content strategy across social, web and press.
- Defined the brand's tone of voice for the first time and refreshed its visual identity, overseeing written and visual content from concept through to creation.
- Developed new content opportunities through photography, press, influencer and UGC activity, launching the brand's first influencer and UGC programme and ensuring all content and partnerships aligned with brand values.
- Managed third-party partnerships, external suppliers and agencies to support product launches, seasonal campaigns and the wider content and PR strategy.
- Grew Instagram organically from 22k to 88k followers in two years through new social strategies, while significantly increasing high-value press placements across UK and European lifestyle media.
- Mentored junior team members across social strategy, creative studio management and copywriting.
Brand Strategy & Content Creation at Freelance (2010-03 – 2018-06)
- INSTAGRAM (now META): Delivering insights into French youth culture to help Instagram successfully define their first ever brand campaign. Analysing Instagram's current brand values, providing key insights on generational issues and challenges, and highlighting opportunities for increasing the relevance of Instagram in the lives of French teens. The report was used by their advertising agency to inform the creative execution of the campaign.
- COTSWOLD LIFE: Centre-page lifestyle feature with a humorous look at the evolving relationship between humans and dogs within current culture.
- THE DOG HOUSE TRADING UK: Implementing a content and social media strategy resulting in doubling of followers and significantly increased engagement, SEO and ROI from planned activity.
- BAMBOO TECHNOLOGY LTD: Defined Tone of Voice to provide company-wide guidelines and delivery of direct marketing assets and web content.
- CULTURALCAPITAL.TV/WDCW (AD AGENCY): Commissioned articles exploring the influence of Film, TV and News within culture. The articles were published on their website and all received upwards of 10,000 views.
Early Career at Multiple Global Brands (2001 – 2010)
Agency experience across consumer insight, trend research, account management and pitch development for global brands including T-Mobile, P&G, Coca-Cola, Ford of Europe, Mazda, Kia and Jaguar Land Rover. Moved client-side to Uni-ball as Marketing Manager, where copywriting became a significant part of my role, alongside creative oversight, marketing communications and product copywriting.
