WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
In a multiple-screen world where distraction reigns supreme, content is fast becoming the most valuable form of brand currency. Simply put, if you want your message to withstand a tsunami of hashtags, Snapchats and 140-character micro-messages, you’d better have a story worth sharing.
Southern Write works with brands across the globe to craft compelling, commercially-driven narratives, designed to connect with consumers, promote brand advocacy and boost your bottom line.
STOP, COLLABORATE AND LISTEN
Have you ever tried telling someone a story in this day and age? Between their WhatsApp messages, emails, Twitter feed and Tinder swiping you’ll be lucky if they register a tenth of what you’re saying. Today, the world’s great storytelling brands are the ones who construct their plots collaboratively, inviting the audience to be part of the process and to offer their own narrative input along the way.
We’ll help you to lay the foundations of your brand story, and then invite your audience to join in, crafting a layered, nuanced and inclusive arc that sparks talkability, promotes loyalty and drives business revenue.
Here are just some of the ways in which we get people talking
OUR STORY
We’re a passionate, dedicated team of communication consultants, committed to building your brand and adding value to both your audience and your business. We don’t just spin yarns and make things sound pretty – we’re committed to doing what’s best for your brand, and to getting your customers both emotionally and financially invested in your enterprise.
Robert Shone
Founder & Stategic Director
It took careers in PR, marketing, advertising and even chicken delivery for Rob to finally realise where his strengths lay in life. But, having explored the full spectrum of communicative disciplines from various perspectives, he eventually came to the conclusion that writing was perhaps his likeliest meal ticket. Since this revelation, Rob has gone on to carve out a niche as a specalised digital content provider, crafting consumer-friendly narratives designed to inspire, engage and drive bottom line.
Louise Wormald
Director: Operations
A WordPress whizz and organiser extraordinaire, Louise brings a wealth of digital experience to the team, having spent the past few years co-ordinating global events for Automattic, one of the world’s largest online operations. Overseeing all things financial and logistical, Louise heads up the operations side of Southern Write – no easy feat considering the ever-shifting nature of the digital landscape – and turns chaos into calm with ease.
Andrea Lawrence
Brand Account Director
Inherently curious and intrinsically driven, Andrea has explored a wide spectrum of marketing endeavours over the course of her short but impressive career. Having graduated from the IMM Graduate School of Marketing with a Bachelor’s Degree in business, Andrea soon discovered a natural affinity for content creation. While she enjoys creative work, she can be a bit of a nerd and doesn’t shy away from numbers and spreadsheets.
Resha O'Dea
Account Director
A true all-rounder and lover of deadlines, Resha boasts a wealth of corporate expertise as well as a fun-loving attitude, keeping us all in check but ensuring we have a good time doing it. Having worked with a number of South Africa’s top brands, she’s a master of managing client expectations, and manages to make the chaos of the digital world seem manageable. Provided deadlines are met, of course.
Lisa Bartlett
Copywriter/Account Manager
An experienced social media specialist and creative writer, Lisa’s career started in the newsroom before expanding into the ever-shifting digital universe. A skilled selfie taker, ardent chocaholic and dedicated mum, Lisa’s a jack-of-all-trades with a can-do attitude and a penchant for new challenges.
Alain Martheze
Head of Paid Media
Heading up the paid media team, Alain boasts a wealth of digital experience, combining Google-certified smarts with his 7 years of online experience to ensure our social efforts get the attention they deserve. Having worked for some of the country’s biggest brands, Alain is equally equipped to drive traffic, boost brand awareness and deliver e-commerce conversions.
BUT DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Of course we’re going to tell you we’re great (it’d be weird not to, right?), but if you want to disregard all the preceding prose, we totally understand. To ensure you’re getting a well-balanced overview of who we are, we’ve rounded up a panel of clients to give us the full Idols treatment, and offer their uncensored, unedited views on who we are and what we do.
Southern Write have been integral to the success of our growth and are our trusted brand voice and content developer/advisor. In particular, our marketing efforts have paid off in the digital space, with some of the major social media channels approaching us to develop benchmark studies.
Rob is a wordsmith in the true sense of the word. Literally doing magic with words!
I can highly recommend him for any type of copywriting.
Southern Write has made such an impact to our digital activities, that I can’t imagine what we would have done without them. Rob and his team have always been willing to go the extra mile on all the projects and have shown such a huge amount of passion and commitment to our brand that we view them as part of our team.
Diaries of a Barefoot Businessman Chapter 33: The Dexterity Dilemma
Fake it till you make it. That’s the underlying principle that guides any entrepreneur’s decision making process. After all, how are you supposed to compete with larger, more established operations without blurring the lines of truth from time to time? Sure, you might...
Diaries of a Barefoot Businessman Chapter 32: The PowerPoint Predicament
For anyone with even a passing interest in earning a decent living, there are a few critical skills with which one must be somewhat familiar: the ability to create and respond to emails, the basic capacity to cobble together a document of sorts and the wherewithal to...
Diaries of a Barefoot Businessman Chapter 31: It’s not you, it’s me
The entrepreneurial journey is a series of exciting firsts – your first client, your first employee, your first positive profit margin. Now these are all events well documented by those now at the peak of their powers, who nostalgically look back upon their roads from...