News

News news

Recently completed a copywriting project for Hank Studios - for tagline, ad concepts and TV/radio ad scripts for a soon-to-be-launched CHCH morning news show. Tight deadlines but a fun project and it's always nice to get feedback like this from the Creative Director - "Everything got approved and kudos all around. Exceptional work, 'we hit and exceeded all expectations'." It's a new direction for their promotions so looking forward to seeing the final results - outdoor (billboards, bus, transit shelter) and TV/radio spots.

New client site launches

Just completed a project for TenDigits Software - complete content for the redevelopment of their website. TenDigits produces market-leading mobile CRM software, and I worked closely with the in-house team and Mel Roth Design.

My role included:

• auditing the existing site and creating a content inventory of all existing and new pages
• complete restructuring of the website IA and general navigation - focusing more in the product than the company
• rewriting and editing of all content, especially pulling together the many product features into clear categories and focusing more on the benefits
• writing content for new sections
• keyword research and keyword placement in the content
• meta data writing
• ongoing content strategy and content marketing, including emails.

New projects on the go

It's been a busy start to the year. I've been doing some work for the nice folks at Michelle Hamilton Marketing, TenDigits Software, Ecstatic Design & Communication, Soya Marketing, Go2 Productions, Eyelevel Production Services and Discovery Software.

Other recent projects include:

• new tagline and customer value statement for a video production company
• copywriting, web editing and content strategy for a Vancouver software company
• blog editorial calendar for an HR services company
• script for a 2-minute corporate/company video

The artichoke – a surprisingly interesting vegetable

Not only are artichokes one of the healthiest things you can eat, but they also have a colourful history. Not many vegetables can claim to have been involved in mafia wars (thanks to Ciro 'the Artichoke King' Terranova).

Luckily there were no horses heads involved in the redevelopment of Glen Valley Artichoke Farms' website. I put this together using WordPress and the excellent Arras Theme. I also set up a blog and Twitter and Facebook pages.

"You talkin' to me?"

As a keen movie-goer, I'm currently enjoying editing the new brochure for ENGAGE, a European film-making programme for budding screenwriters, directors and producers. This project is another collaboration with Alan at Lennon Design, and put together with the help of Skype, in my view one of the top ten useful (and free) websites, web applications or online innovations so far.

(The rest of my top ten are Wordpress, Google Maps, GMail, Google Analytics, RSS feeds, BBC iPlayer, Craigslist, Flickr and Google itself.)

Nothing like a bit of primary research

I like lots of things, including reading George Pelecanos novels, buying soccer memorabilia on eBay, using a Pilot Frixion Erasable Rollerball pen (best erasable pen around!) and going to my local Tim Hortons for a daily large coffee (and the occasional 12-grain bagel with light cream cheese), but jalapeño jelly is moving up my list of 'likes' fast. And McColl's jalapeño jelly is the best such jelly in town. In fact, while working on the new McColl's website the other day, I consumed an alarmingly large amount of it on crackers. (No-one can ever accuse me of not doing my research on client projects.)

Conflict of interest note: my future in-laws produce the McColl's range and I can sometimes be found helping out at their Farmers' Market stall. So, if you're after a good deal on vegetables...

Bring back the calculator watch

I've never been a real technology geek (although I'm sure I got a calculator watch when they came out), but I am a fan of smartphones. So, I'm happy to be working with Discovery Software again, and am currently editing their customer email newsletter. They produce mobile software for schools – principalm – and have recently released an iPhone version. Yep, unlike calculator watches, smartphones are definitely here to stay.

BC Women's Hospital newsletter

The latest issue of Spirit of Giving, BC Women's Hospital Foundation's donor newsletter, recently landed on the doormat of anyone who donates to the hospital. I've been writing the Foundation's annual report and newsletters, plus some web copy and sales letters, for a couple of years now. The Foundation does great work raising money for programs such as Osteofit.

University alumni magazine gets a makeover

Red Triangle, Edinburgh Napier University's alumni magazine, was recently redesigned by Lennon Design. I was contracted by Alan at Lennon Design to edit the copy for the main magazine and also to come up with ideas for a cut-down version for international alumni, which I also edited.

Instant Vancouver iPhone app

I produced content for a Vancouver edition of the Instant Cities iPhone guide series in time for the Winter Olympics earlier this year and am in the process of updating the content for the next release. This was my first foray into iPhone content - in collaboration with Never Odd or Even. You can buy a copy on iTunes for the bargain price of $2.99.

If you're a fan of David Hasselhoff (and who isn't!), you might be interested to know that Never Odd or Even also produced the Ask the Hoff app.

GotGotNeedGot.com launching soon

GotGotNeedGot.com is a personal project that is a work in progress. The full explanation for how it started is here, but basically it's a charity auction of some classic football (soccer) items that cluttered up the bedroom of many a kid - particularly from the '80s and '90s. As the tagline says, it's pretty much all my football life for sale. Auctions will start going live in October.

As well as being a fun project, it's an opportunity to test out some social marketing techniques by promoting the auctions through Twitter and Facebook. Get your bids in...

gcu.ac.uk wins website awards

In 2009 I had a 6-month contract to write/edit and manage all of the content for Glasgow Caledonian University's new website, with a focus on the student recruitment pages. It was a big job wth a lot of different stakeholders and content owners to keep happy, and around 1,000 pages of content all in. As well as doing a content audit, I wrote a Writing for the Web training guide for the content section owners and a Style Guide.

The new site won an award at the 2010 HEIST Awards for education marketing for the best student recruitment pages among UK universities. The website also won best website at the PRide Awards 2010.

SCCYP site launches

The new SCCYP website launched recently. This was an interesting project I worked on last year with the SCCYP's marketing department and another writer. The tone had to suit a younger readership but without being patronizing or trying too hard to sound 'youthful'.