Hi there Reader Melbourne has been a ghost town this week with most people out of town on holiday. I hope you're enjoying a little downtime. Time to refresh and reset before things get back to full swing. If you need a prompt to get your creative juices flowing, the Deepwell book is available here. A story A few weeks ago had some branding photos taken to tie in with my rebrand. I booked to have my makeup done at a branch of Mecca, where they offer free sessions when you buy some product. The...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader When I was a kid, I used to love going to the theatre with my mum. My favourite part wasn’t the acting, the dialogue or even the story. It was the visual stuff, like the set and costumes. There was the thrill of the unexpected. Like a set that moved or transformed in front of our eyes. I still remember the thrill of seeing actors whizz by our seats for Starlight Express. But nothing tickled me more than the extravagance of a pantomime finale. The actors would wear fresh, sparkly...
almost 2 years ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I was walking to my local coffee shop when I saw this guy coming in the other direction. He was medium height, and pretty handsome. He was also my husband, on the way back from dropping our girls at school. In the split second when I realised the guy coming into focus was my partner, my heart lifted. I was hit with a thud of gratitude. How lucky am I at how my life has panned out? When you’ve been married for more than a decade, it’s easy to get lost in domestic drudgery. But...
almost 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I promised this month I’d share with you some tools I use to tell stories. School holidays (and nits) made this commitment a little hard to keep, but here I am. Just slightly more frazzled than usual (but not itchy, thanks for asking). Since moving into marketing around six years ago, I’ve been fascinated by how storytelling is how applied in the field. There are lots of frameworks and different definitions of what a story means. Stories In. Stories Out. To me, a story can be both...
about 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi there Reader, A couple of fellow copywriters asked me for advice about the story-digging process. They want to know about the story excavation process and how to build an overarching narrative for a brand. For me, it's like asking, “How do you walk?” Story digging is a simple and intuitive, so it takes effort to break it down, but that’s what I’m doing today. How does a brand have an overarching story? Whether you’re a personal brand or a company, your story exists in relation to those you...
about 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Thanks for being on my mailing list. I'm grateful for your support. You know that feeling when you're in new territory and people don't know what you're capable of? That's what I'm talking about today. Right now, I'm juggling client work alongside a deep dive into my own brand. I'm halfway through an 18-week exploration from the inside out called MirrorBrand. Like I do for others, I've been gathering outside perspectives on my brand and reflecting on my unique experiences and...
about 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Today I'm sharing five branding lessons inspired by the recent Australian election. Your brand is not only your logo or brand colours, it’s what you say, what you believe, and how you behave. Whatever your politics, I hope you'll find lessons here to help you build a powerful brand. Here are my top five insights based on what unfolded: 1. Speak to your customers A grassroots campaign unseated the federal treasurer by knocking on 55,000 doors. If you listen to your customers’...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read
Hi, my friend, How are you? Here in Melbourne, the leaves are turning red. And after school holidays and covid-interruptions, this quarter everything speeds up. It’s when businesses spend their budget before the end of the tax year. This week, I’m winding up a brand story for a creative agency and beginning a positioning exercise for a private school. The phone rings, and I’m asked to deliver a college brand campaign by next week. Bit by bit, I’m carving out a niche for my kind of...
over 2 years ago • 1 min read
How to refresh during a pandemic Happy New Year! I hope you've had some rest these holidays, even if you're less free than normal. It's not easy finding ways to creatively refresh during a pandemic. That's why I'm sharing with you a small gift. It's an e-book called 'Deepwell - How creative women reset, refresh and carry on.' The book brings together ideas from fifty female creative entrepreneurs to inspire you when you feel stuck. The idea behind the project is that there's wisdom all around...
almost 4 years ago • 1 min read