I don’t like admitting how many years I’ve been a copywriter – it makes me sound old (I started young, OK?). But of course the benefit of experience means you’ll be working with someone who can nail a brief and make deadlines. Someone who can be part of a team, lead a team or fly solo. Someone who can write effective copy tailored for any media – from traditional to digital.

A bit of background

While completing the Associate Diploma in Professional Writing & Editing at RMIT, I wrote for various arts and entertainment street press then started working as a copywriter and found my niche.

Since then, I’ve worked for a range of major international and boutique agencies – from specialists in direct marketing (DM) and digital to through-the-line – in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. I also freelanced consistently in London for nearly seven years, including long term team leader and joint creative director roles.

My DM background has proved invaluable in today’s digital and social media environments. I continually invest time researching the latest digital trends, with a specific interest in locative media and convergent media on portable platforms (tablets and smartphones).

My experience covers a broad mix of clients and industries, including:

1. •Travel and tourism
   

2. •Arts and entertainment
   

3. •Telecommunications
   

4. •Cars
   

5. •Charities & governments
   

6. •Health and wellbeing
   

7. •Small-to-medium businesses.
   

Quite frankly, I just love writing. So I really enjoy large assignments like websites, blog series, specialist print projects and those long copy jobs that in-house creative teams often don’t have time to do. But I also enjoy utilising my marketing and strategic skills to find the best solutions for clients who want to build their business and develop relationships with their customers.

Check out the services I offer and see what makes me different from all the other copywriters out there. 

Awards

It’s rare for a freelancer to receive industry awards, but every now and then the hard yards pay off. I’ve been credited as ‘copywriter’ for the following:

ADMA Finalist – Australian Direct Marketing Association award for effectiveness - travel & tourism, 2008. Agency: CumminsNitro. Client: Velocity (Bonus Points integrated campaign).

ADMA Silver – Australian Direct Marketing Association award for most effective fund-raising campaign for charity, 2001. Agency: edm. Client: World Vision Australia.

AWARD Finalist – Australian Writers and Art Directors award for best creative execution in Direct Mail, 1994. Agency: K&D Bond. Client: Optus Mobile.

Other stuff about me

My love of film, photography, music and writing steered me to the Victorian College of the Arts School of Film and Television where I completed a Post Graduate Diploma (Documentary) in 2001. This broadened my skills, particularly in scriptwriting, but also in screen production and the art of visual storytelling. With the emergence of convergent media platforms such as tablets and smartphones, these skills are becoming increasingly valuable.

My student films (Reflecting Humanity – the Paintings of Allan Baker and Art Gets Unstuck-Up) were selected for screening at the International Film Festival of Fine Arts (Hungary 2002). Art Gets Unstuck-Up was also short-listed for best student film at the Asolo Arts Film Festival (Italy 2002); selected for screening at Art on the Rocks (Sydney 2007); and archived by Screen Australia (previously the Australian Film Commission).

I have contributed feature articles for film and television industry publications and write the occasional travel feature. I published my first blog in December 2003. In 2005, I entered my first short story competition (the Nicholas Shand/Byron Echo) and came runner-up to Miles Franklin nominated novelist and Walkley-Award winning journalist Sarah Armstrong. I was chuffed.

I have had the honour of teaching writing (including copywriting) at Box Hill Institute and also a higher education subject (Writing Angles - Popular and Professional) at RMIT.

I began my Masters in Creative Writing and Digital Media (specialising in locative & convergent media) at RMIT in 2010 and upgraded to PhD candidature in 2011. My research blog can be found at www.ewritersjourney.com. But it’s a slow process getting through my studies because my clients always come first!

If you’d like to see some samples of my journalism or creative writing, just drop me a line.

© 2012 Kaye E. Blum