I was the Marketing Manager for a portfolio of over 40 consumer magazines, responsible for all aspects of recurring subscription modelling and marketing, but my main focus was acquisition. I source subscription incentives across the piece to ensure that the Kelsey subscriber files were growing. My work spanned print, web and email activity to encompass a broad use of channels. This was a small team at Kelsey with just Three staff so I was involved most of the activities that the team encounter.

With an ever increasing focus on the retail division, our Chief Executive changed my focus so that I was solely responsible for the more profitable retail operation, losing responsibility for our events business. My achievements during this period included launching a new women’s craft sector website www.mycraftstore.com, and setting up a new business in the USA called MyHobbyStore LLC to complement our existing UK online retail operation.The US business launch was a highlight in my career, which involved researching the US market and working out what our proposition would be, I created a P&L, sourced locally an entirely new supply chain, found the new business premises / staffed it, then final delivery and go live of new call centre and website www.myhobbystore.com. My family and I were based out of Clearwater, Florida for six weeks towards the end of the project whilst I liaised with our new supplier base and set things up prior to my return to the UK in September 2010. The project was completed within three months and now accounts for around 10% of overall revenue on the retail division. My responsibilities as head of retail consist of: Managing a team of seven staff including: warehousing, dispatch, marketing online & offline and finally front line customer services. I am also responsible for our e-commerce platform and regularly review our system processes in order to develop further functionality to enhance our marketing operations. I control three P&L sheets and all aspects of marketing collateral and spend.

In September 2008 Magicalia Publishing Ltd demerged and I became Head of Retail and events for the part of the business now called My Hobby Store Ltd, therefore this role was continuation of service. Due to promotion my responsibilities changed from subscription marketing to head up all activities encompassing our retail and events businesses. The events side of this role covers three events, Euro Militaire (circa 4,500 visitors), Get Woodworking Live (circa 5,000 visitors) and The Model Engineer Exhibition (circa 6,500 visitors). I was responsible for all aspects of event management, planning, marketing with full profit / loss accountability. Many of the events had been neglected in recent years so the challenge was to change the fortunes of these ailing events, turn a profit in year one and gain an enhanced reputation within the industries these events operate within. I achieved each of these objectives and the events business has been transformed into a profitable part of the business. I was also responsible for the company’s ecommerce proposition: www.myhobbystore.co.uk. The site had been in existence for some years and it was my task to increase profitability and boost sales. Since September 2008 sales have steadily grown via my efforts signing new suppliers that are able to enhance our stagnant product ranges. Using creative marketing efforts via our magazines, the web, email activity, third party display ads which have helped keep visitor numbers consistent. Revenue figures YOY have been fantastic with increases of 07 vs 08 up 191% and 08 vs 09 up 141%, revenue targets for 2010 have been set to show a further 67% growth taking the website from an annual turnover of 40K in 2007 to ½ a million turnover in 2010, with 2011 set to be one million.

Magicalia Publishing Ltd were a special interest / niche consumer publisher, with a portfolio of 12+ magazines and four large community based web sites. I managed all marketing activities for the three largest titles within the portfolio, Gardens Monthly, RCM&E and Two Wheels Only (TWO). Each magazine had its own website presence which I kept up to date with exiting offers to generate new subscriptions. I produced corporate literature, writing copy and generating artwork using our internal studio aswell as third party suppliers such PR agencies. The subscription based circulation on each of the magazines within my remit substantially with RCM&E magazine hitting its year-end budget by May, seven months early. This was due to several highly targeted marketing campaigns, which had a comparatively high ROI. These campaigns spanned through web banners, flyers distributed at events and page adverts within our portfolio of magazines. I was also responsible for managing the company’s presence at events, which included the RHS Flower Show in Cardiff, Hampton Court Flower Show and the Motor Cycle & Scooter show at the Birmingham, NEC.

Dewberry Redpoint are a B2B publisher operating within the foodservice industry, with a product portfolio spanning: Eat Out, Cost Sector Catering, fd, Stockpot and Aspire (trade publications), Conferences & Exhibitions, Awards Schemes & Competitions, Direct Marketing Agency, Study Tours & Training, Website development and Management.As the only dedicated member of staff I formed the Marketing Department, my responsibilities ran across the entire portfolio of magazines and the company’s events. I account managed four websites, one corporate and three external sites:www.dewberryredpoint.co.uk www.laca.co.ukwww.craft-guild.org www.fooddev.co.ukThe website management was a complete service from the design to operation and administration. I also created and implement marketing campaigns across the portfolio of magazines and events by producing marketing assets to encourage delegate bookings and trade exhibitor bookings. I was responsible for all aspects of exhibitor, delegate and candidate marketing the for the following Dewberry Redpoint events: LACA, Craft Guild of Chefs Awards Dinner, CATCON, Hotelympia, Foodservice Christmas Party, Cost Sector Catering Awards, School Meals Catering Exhibition, Combined Services Culinary Challenge and School Chef of the Year.

I was responsible for all aspects of subscription marketing across twelve publications; in total (HIGHBURY-LEISURE / SPL Publishing) published a diverse range of around 25 consumer publications with two large websites. I was responsible for subscription marketing activity spanning print, online and events.My duties included the planning and implementation of subscription budgets via marketing campaigns. This included budgeting and forecasting for promotional budgets and to plan incoming revenue streams. I managed the relationship between HIGHBURY-LEISURE and our external subscription bureau. I was responsible for marketing campaign briefings to ensure that the call centre is up to date on offers and products. I have also worked on consumer subscription ABC auditing, preparing figures and spread sheets for audit visits.Further responsibilities included full concept / design and copy-writing for adverts which were delivered within our portfolio of magazines and those within the larger group of companies. I also arranged inserts and promotional material to be printed, sourced subscriber gifts for subscription incentives and direct marketing campaigns.

Due to promotion my role was within a busy Group Consumer Circulation Department developing non-traditional magazine outlet sales. Many of the magazines published by Nexus had a limited target audience because of their specialist content. Consequently Nexus had to look beyond their traditional newsstand sales and develop their business by supplying products direct.I managed a database with over 2,500 UK and International clients supplying direct an array of Nexus publications. I was solely responsible for co-ordinating all aspects of account management and supply, which included: ensuring all data held on each client is correct, producing mailing labels, arranging delivery and monitoring their sales efficiencies to ensure that our budgets are met. I also implement all aspects of marketing for the non-traditional sales including, telemarketing campaigns, direct mail and advertising for clients via our publications.I was also responsible for the software maintenance and application that Nexus use to manage their direct supplies. This included updating the existing software and ensuring that the business criteria were met to ensure the smooth running of the department. One of my roles within the Group Circulation Department was print order verification which involved sourcing figures internally and from third party organisations and confirming in writing to the print house our requirements.