“Charity BackRoom, a trading social enterprise of Voluntary Norfolk, used the services of Straight Talking Communications to review our messaging, marketing and associated branding in January 2014.
Philippa helped us understand that marketing trends can change quickly, and when an organisation such as ours grows so quickly, materials can very quickly appear inconsistent and lacking appropriate messages. Philippa used our current materials to clearly evidence her thoughts and explained things we simply had not noticed.
Philippa was excellent in reviewing both our desires and the way which we wanted to appear in the marketplace; something which culminated in an action plan along with some recommendations on how we could ensure consistency in all of our messages. Indeed, we were so pleased with the work which Philippa completed, it enthused us to embark upon her recommendations with such vigour that we quickly found that we identified further things which we had been pleased with, but no longer! As a direct consequence of the confidence and direction Philippa gave uswe asked her to return to support us with increasing our rate of growth via marketing campaigns and the writing of sales materials – something which has been equally enlightening. I would have no hesitation in recommendation Philippa to any organisation from any sector. Although we are a part of a charity, our philosophy and working practices are commercially orientated with a ethical delivery, and Philippa has demonstrated a firm understanding of these cultural differences.”
Antony Parke
Head of Business, Voluntary Norfolk – including the Charity BackRoom and Blue Tree Fundraising brand
“Straight talking communications worked with us for 18 months to develop our marketing strategy at the Goldsmiths’ Centre
At the time we were a start-up organisation with a complex offer and wanted to position ourselves as a thought leader, as well as a practical enabler for those working within our craft and industry.
Philippa at Stc worked with us to crystallise our offer and positioning, developed key messages for the organisation and produced a practical and achievable marketing strategy.
Having more clearly defined ourselves, we realised that our website was no longer fit for purpose and tasked Philippa with helping us re-invent it. She worked closely with developers and technical advisers to improve functionality and wrote the copy for the site to greater reflect our positioning and tone and appeal to our target audiences.
She made a substantial contribution to the marketing of the Centre .”
Peter Taylor
Director, the Goldsmiths’ Centre
”Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council worked with Philippa following a successful application to the Big Lottery Fund’s Big Assist programme.
Philippa supported us to move our marketing and communications function closer to where we wanted it to be.
She understood where we were and what we needed to do in order to improve the way we present ourselves to our stakeholders; despite WVSC not being very clear about exactly what we needed! Philippa worked patiently with our communications officer and myself to help change the culture within WVSC. She was very flexible in her approach, especially as we had to change from our original brief as we moved through the process. She ran two very enjoyable and participatory workshops with our staff team. The process was good and the outcome was just right for our organisation at that point in time.
I would thoroughly recommend Philippa.”
Saffi Price,
Deputy Chief Executive, Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council.
“Straight talking communications provided us with marketing communications advice for several years , as a much-valued consultant. From refreshing our brand to writing the full range of communications collateral – including website, annual report, our manifesto and public reports – Philippa gave us the tools we needed to present ourselves articulately and credibly. Straight talking communications helpfed us develop a strong and confident tone and personality which added value to our work as a financial education charity.”
Wendy van den Hende
Chief Executive (2000- 2013), The Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg)
“Philippa is a business copywriter who gets to grips with what you need to say to your audiences – from customers to children to opinion formers, to politicians. She cuts out the jargon and gets to the point without diluting the message. During our shared time at pfeg she brought a clear and engaging approach to the very dry subject of finance and the importance of learning to manage your money. I’d recommend Philippa – she is a pleasure to work with.”
Otto Thoresen
Chief Executive, Association of British Insurers and Chair of the Personal Finance Education Group
“When we developed our mentoring scheme for new teachers of mathematics and triple science we needed a way to market it effectively and maximise take up. Straight talking communications helped us develop a brand for the scheme and a marketing plan to position it with heads of departments and practitioners alike. Philippa also wrote our prospectus, making it appealing to our target audience. Take up increased and we were delighted with the resonance and accessibility of the ‘Starting Out’ brand – I’d recommend working with Philippa to anyone looking for creative and effective marketing.”
Mark Ellis
Programme Manager, Curriculum, Quality and Teaching Directorate (CQT), Learning Skills Network
“I worked with Philippa and Straight talking communications for two years in my capacity as Chair of a sub-committee of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration Board which was tasked with improving patient and public awareness of the use of personal data for research. Philippa supported us in exploring the views of patients and professionals, and developing patient-friendly materials to explain the importance of this area of research. She was a pleasure to work with, highly professional, and always displaying a cheerful, constructive approach. Much of the work was challenging and I valued greatly her tact and diplomacy as well as her skills and experience. I would have no hesitation in working with her again should the need arise.”