lucid for linked in
TRANSCRIPT
If you are a client or agency who needs...A highly-experienced, strategic and
creative thinker to help you to conceive, present and execute live events that make a difference...
The story so far…
A previous life as an actor helped me understand the power of live events and story-telling to inspire and engage audiences
The story continues...
1987: I join Commercial Presentations as in-house writer, learning to write proposals that sell, and events that excite all kinds of audiences
Amongst many corporate events I research and write a piece of pure theatre for the Corporation of London in Guildhall to celebrate a big anniversary – 800 years in one hour!
I am awarded the Freedom of the City of London which I believe allows me to drive a flock of sheep across London Bridge!
The story continues...
1996: I join The Visual Connection
Highlights include two of the most popular pavilions at Expo 2000 :
The 21st Century pavilion where we present Shanghai to the world
Health Futures with the World Health Organisation, designed by Toyo Ito. Inside, we tell a purely visual story on the world’s largest projection surface
2001 - present: freelance communication designer
PLAN
• Research & strategy
CREATE
• Concept development, pitch & presentation
DEVELOP
• Copywriting, facilitation
CHECK
• Measurement & evaluation
A few of the agencies I work withAcclaimCOICrownFirehouseGeorge P JohnsonImaginationinnovisionJack Morton WorldwideLaing GaleLimeLive
MongoosePark AvenuePCI: LiveRadicalRS>LiveShelton FlemingTBAThe BankTop BananaUnspun
And some clientsThe Army,British Airways,BT,Cabinet Office,Cable & Wireless,CERN,Coca Cola,CLG,DCMS,DECC,DEFRA,DH,DWP,Ford,Frazer-Nash,
Greater Manchester Police,Guinness,HBOS,HSBC,Home Office,KPMG,Land Registry,Land Rover,Learning & Skills Council,LOCOG, London Development Agency,
Mazda ,Morgan Sindall,NHS,QinetiQ,Royal Navy,SC Johnson,Shell,Sony BPE,Visit London,Vodafone,Zain.
Some awards
Freedom of the City of London
ITMA 2003
Platinum - Dealer Launch
Gold - Best UK Event
Gold - Best Product Launch
IVCA 2005
Communication Effectiveness
Internal communications: Cable & Wireless – ‘A New Way’ (for TBA)Global brand launch
Aim: build confidence & promote behavioural change in an organisation undergoing difficult & rapid change
Execution: a 2 hour experience with small groups in highly interactive workshops
Achievement: positive engagement with about 5,000 staff worldwide
Cable & Wireless: internal global brand launch : “A New Way”
“A new way for consumers”: ‘cool wall’ links consumer viewpoint to brand performance
“A new way for customers”: dramatised video - audience vote on the outcome
“A new way for our business”: staff create tomorrow’s headlines
“A new way for ourselves”: making the new values come to life
Internal communications: DWP: senior management conference (for COI)Aim: stimulate fresh thinking & engage senior
managers in ‘making a difference’
Execution: breakout groups focus on behaviours to bring values to life. Using a creative toolkit they perform their ideas and vote on the best which are showcased in plenary session
Achievement: real time voting reveals positive opinion shift. A high proportion say the experience would help make a difference
Communication strategies: The Army: Defence 2004 (for COI & Shelton Fleming)Defence 2004
Aim: develop a comprehensive face-to-face communication strategy to ‘take defence to the nation’
Execution: research & development. Reports identify target audiences, methods, Army agencies co-ordination and plan of action.
Achievement: enables COI to run an industry tender for creative implementation
Sales conferences: BT Wholesale Markets (for Shelton Fleming) Aim: motivate the salesforce in a tough
trading climate
Execution: move from a traditional, passive conference format to a more open, engaging one.
Achievement: audience evaluation showed increased confidence in the strategic direction set by senior management
Training & motivation: Home Office ‘Together’ campaign (for COI) ‘Together’ campaign (forerunner of ‘Respect’)
Aim: train and motivate 3,000 diverse practitioners who deal with anti-social behaviour
Execution: Academy road show with ‘local heroes’ videos, specialist workshops & cross-functional teams solving challenges and sharing thinking
Achievement: 88% say they are better equipped.
IVCA award for effective communication
Retail environments: Army ‘showroom’ (for COI & Shelton Fleming)Aim: create an innovative environment for the
Army to engage with the public, including potential recruits
Execution: bringing to life a proposition that the Army stands for much more than people assume. Displays, exhibits, interactives, video stories, all support the opportunity to engage with real soldiers
Achievement: pilot store achieves recruitment levels six times higher than comparative areas nationally.
Education: CERN travelling exhibition (for Shelton Fleming)Aim: inspire young people to learn about the
origins of the universe, particle physics & the value of fundamental research
Execution: linked pods let visitors explore the Big Bang, particles, mysteries of the universe, the Large Hadron Collider & the achievements of scientists. The story is experienced with film, graphics, innovative interactives & sound domes
Achievement: extremely positive client and audience feedback
Global car launches: the new Range Rover (for Park Avenue)Aim: to excite international dealers and press
about the most advanced SUV in the world
Execution: communication and scriptwriting for an employee experience, launch champions event, international dealer launch (Italy), and international press launch (Skibo Castle, Scotland)
Achievement: extremely positive dealer feedback & press coverage. Multiple awards for dealer launch, best product launch, best UK event
Public consultations: DECC nuclear national policy statement (for Acclaim)Aim: communicate the national and local
relevance of a policy statement on a highly sensitive subject, and generate feedback
Execution: interpret highly complex information accessibly and accurately. Touch-screen technology offers visitors access to a range of topics. Multiple feedback channels provided at local exhibitions and public meetings
Achievement: strong public interest in the content
Public events: Royal Navy - Trafalgar 200 (for innovision)Aim: capture the historic importance of the sea
and the role of the Royal Navy, including its continuing relevance today
Execution: an extraordinary piece of theatre in Trafalgar Square, dramatising great sea actions, from Trafalgar to today, narrated by an actor playing Nelson
Achievement: watched by over 10,000 people live and many more on national TV
So how could I help you?
As part of your team, offering as much or as little as you need:
Research and communication strategy
Creative concept development
Pitch writing & presentation
Experience structure
Content production
Copywriting
Interviewing and facilitation
Where could I help?
Conferences and meetings
Workshops
Exhibitions
Installations
Public events
Film
Digital media
If you enjoyed the story and would like to talk...
Please contact Stuart Blake:
P: +44 (0)20 8859 3137
M: +44 (0)7904 091 776