I am going to take the liberty of dedicating this first blog to myself. Rather self-indulgent I know but I thought visitors to this site might find it useful to find out a bit more about the person behind Straight Marketing.
I started my marketing career as a graduate in Applied Biology. Marketing was not a career I had ever planned on but the opportunity came up and it seemed an interesting route to go down.
After a year or so into my first marketing job I decided that I was keen to develop a career in marketing and started undertaking the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) exams. I studied part-time at home and completed both the Advanced Certificate and Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing. I was even awarded the title of “Student of the Year” by the Essex branch of the CIM for the grades I achieved in my Post- Graduate Diploma!
I have recently been awarded Chartered Marketer status by the CIM, which is the mark of an up to date, experienced and qualified marketing professional.
Early on in my career I focused on the area of marketing communications and worked on areas such as hospitality and events, brochures and newsletters, branding and advertising. After a few years I started to become interested in the strategic side of marketing and business planning. When I left London I took on a Business Development Manager role for a law firm in Bristol and my subsequent roles were very much focused on strategy, marketing planning and business development.
I still really love the strategic side of marketing and business planning and find it intensely rewarding to plan ahead for the future and then see it come to fruition.
I have always been frustrated with marketing professionals who try to over complicate marketing/business development. Equally I have been frustrated by non-marketing professionals who think that anyone can do marketing and dabble where they shouldn’t! There is one profession (which I won’t mention) in particular which I have found to be guilty of this! Marketing is not rocket science and it is not particularly difficult but it does require a certain aptitude and there is no substitute for training and experience.
My experiences have shaped my ethos for my business, which is to provide a straightforward and plain-speaking approach for my clients. I am also a great believer in being honest and integrity is very important to me. I came up with the name “Straight Marketing” as I feel it embodies this.
I am very excited to be venturing out on my own and am looking forward to helping clients to be successful in their marketing and achieve their business goals. If you like the sound of my approach and think I might be able to help you grow their business then I would be delighted to hear from you!