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Mango -  Head of Marketing

Head of Marketing & Growth role at fast-scaling B2B SaaS company focusing on outbound, inbound & automation.

I’m currently a consulting Head of Marketing & Growth at MangoMap, a bootstrapped cloud-based mapping company from the UK. I oversee both marketing and outbound sales. I built most systems from scratch and have since been scaling outreach over the previous 4 or so years in a leadership and execution capacity.

Key Results

Launched the product marketing playbook and built the outbound sales development team.

Grown revenue by 20%+ each year on a bootstrap budget.

Managed and drove entry to the greenfield franchise market, repositioning as the leading “franchise sales & territory mapping platform”, quickly hitting $1 million+ in sales and beyond to become one of the world’s leading providers. Client wins include brands like UFC Gym, F45 Training & Anytime Fitness.

Tripled inbound lead flow and qualified pipeline in one quarter following deployment of demand generation strategy with LinkedIn and Facebook Ads

The Challenge

Mango needed a versatile marketer to build and take full ownership of their sales, marketing & communications functions.

They needed a defined sales system for strong, predictable growth along with impactful messaging and marketing activity to support it - none of which they’d had before.

I also had to address problems with messaging, build out the funnel, be creative with automation technologies and develop all systems for the first time - a big challenge.

Core competencies required:

Implementing a comprehensive growth strategy - inbound & outbound

Creating effective messaging for target verticals

Building all marketing & sales systems from scratch

Building out a team

Marketing automation and digital advertising

The Solution

I was contracted to work alongside the CEO to scope and implement outbound sales and inbound marketing systems and build a functioning team that would deliver consistent growth.

Outbound Sales

When implementing the outbound sales system, I set about:

Researching brands to create relevant messaging

Designing and deploying a full enterprise sales process - from lead generation to email templates & call scripts

Scoping SDR & AE roles by making calls myself and the creating handover points and the full funnel

Working with Account Executive to develop the closing process

We created a unique offer and message based on detailed user and market research.

We used the SPIN selling framework to build a sales process and mapped it the chosen CRM, Pipedrive. 

We hired the first SDR and Account Executive after running the system to test strengths and weaknesses. We then set about creating all the required marketing assets, including: 

Sales funnel

Call scripts, questions for each call, and handover points

Cold email templates and messaging documents

Proposal documentation 

KPIs and metrics to measure impact in the funnel

We selected the greenfield market of franchising to target first and prove the system.  We now have more logos than we can fit on our landing page, with hundreds of new client wins over the past 4 or so years.

Inbound Marketing & Automation  

Supporting the sales system, we developed our marketing infrastructure and onboarding messaging while honing the funnel and deploying automation technologies to drive scale.

Content & Demand generation

I designed a content strategy and production system, deploying across paid social to drive demand in our target verticals as well using retargeting techniques to nature aware leads that’d already visited our website. We tripled inbound lead flow in one quarter following content launch and have maintained this level every quarter since. Marketing and sales now work in unison to drive awareness in our target markets and warmer sales introductions.

Advertising

I am responsible for advertising & PR across all digital platforms.

We have garnered millions of paid impressions across social media all hyper-targeted to our Ideal Customer Profile, which has a had a deep impact on our high-intent inbound enquiries and a growing reputation as the industry’s leading choice for franchise brands in core markets of Australia, Singapore and now increasingly the USA. 

Key Results

Launched the product marketing playbook and built the outbound sales development team.

Grown revenue by 20%+ each year on a bootstrap budget.

Managed and drove entry to the greenfield franchise market, repositioning as the leading “franchise sales & territory mapping platform”, quickly hitting $1 million+ in sales and beyond to become one of the world’s leading providers. Client wins include brands like UFC Gym, F45 Training & Anytime Fitness.

Tripled inbound lead flow and qualified pipeline in one quarter following deployment of demand generation strategy with LinkedIn and Facebook Ads.

[3creations]

AIA - PR/Communications

I was a consultant for the AIA Group, helping them with PR, marketing and communications.

THE CHALLENGE

AIA required help forming and delivering effective, professional marketing communications. They needed an expert adviser to help devise and ideate key messages and deliver them to the general public and media.

THE SOLUTION

I was contracted to provide tailored communications support related to AIA’s core brand promise of helping people live healthier, longer, better lives - everything from digital assets to creative and media releases.

I have also been assigned speech-writing duties for the in-country and regional CEOs, ensuring they stay on-message when they are out presenting in public.

CREATIVE BRIEF

The ultimate aim of our communications strategy, that runs through all marketing, is to position AIA as a leader in promoting healthy lifestyles.

We worked in conjunction with key partners Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, a leading English Premier League team, and AIA Global Ambassador David Beckham, and utilise a variety of channels - social, digital, media and more.

RESULTS

EXAMPLE MEDIA RELEASE

Below you will find an example media release we did for the company’s 100-year celebrations, marked across all 18 of their markets.

AIA Cambodia Celebrates AIA Centennial: 100 Years with 1 Promise—Helping Cambodians Live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

In 1919 Cornelius Vander Starr began an insurance business in Shanghai, China. 100 years on from those early origins, AIA has become the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. AIA Cambodia, as part of the AIA Group, is proud to be celebrating this significant 100-year milestone. It has been a courageous journey of pioneering spirit. A 100-year journey of extraordinary growth and success. And, of course, our journey continues.

AIA Cambodia held an all-day event at Phnom Penh’s Sokha Hotel & Residence yesterday in celebration of the insurance group’s AIA Centennial. With a theme of “100 Years with 1 Promise”, the event included a variety of activities to reinforce AIA’s commitment to helping people live healthier, longer, better lives.

AIA Cambodia CEO Richard Bates said: “We are proud to be celebrating an important milestone in the history of the AIA Group, a 100-year journey that has impacted millions of lives for the better. I’m also particularly excited to be marking our Centennial by rolling out our new 100 Football Fields initiative, which will provide 100 schools across Cambodia with improved playing fields and equipment to help instil a love of football and healthy living in the next generation.”

AIA Cambodia’s new Corporate & Social Responsibility initiative will provide 100 primary schools across the country with improved football fields, with each eligible school also receiving 2 goal posts, 4 A-boards, 10 footballs, 30 bibs and 40 cones. Primary schools can apply and learn more about the programme by going to the AIA Cambodia Facebook Page.

Attendees of the event were also offered a free health check-up and consultation to check their vital signs and markers for kidney and pancreas disease, two critical illnesses that have recently been added to AIA Cambodia’s first-of-its-kind life insurance product, Samrab Chivit. The plan also includes cover against a range of other critical illnesses, including cancer, stroke, liver disease and all major organ transplants.

Elsewhere there was a Healthy Living Gallery offering valuable tips on nutrition, physical fitness, mental wellbeing, work-life balance and living environment. There was also a Family Corner with colouring, statue painting, Twister, Air Hockey, Dunk Tank, Snag Golf, magic sessions, and exotic animal shows. The theme of healthy living was further enhanced by live football drills along with mountain climbing, trampolining and Yoga sessions led by qualified instructors.

The event centred around a 1KM run by a team of AIA100 Champions, a collection of special individuals affiliated with AIA, including staff, customers, doctors, nurses, athletes and celebrities, who each passed along the AIA Centennial Baton to symbolise the group’s 100-year journey.

The AIA Centennial Baton is a metaphor for AIA’s 100-year journey and will travel across all of AIA’s markets; from Cambodia, the youngest business, all the way back to Shanghai where the story began. The Centennial Baton features life policy no. 0001 issued by founder Cornelius Vander Starr as well as technology to track the steps and distance that the baton will travel.

AIA Group’s Regional Chief Executive Jacky Chan, who flew in specially for the event, said: “AIA’s origins can be traced back to 1919 in Shanghai, and to see the business flourishing in a new market like Cambodia makes everyone at AIA extremely proud. As we look to the next 100 years, we feel our commitment to helping people live healthier, longer, better lives could not be more relevant.”

FUTURE

The 2-year contract ended in October 2020.

[3creations]

LG - Brand Positioning

Defining messaging and brand positioning for LG’s OLED technology.

THE CHALLENGE

LG is the original designer of OLED - the world-famous screen technology that provides breathtaking, high-res imagery.

They had licensed OLED to many other brands to use in their high-spec TVs and gadgets, but LG wanted people to know that they were the original designers and innovators.

THE SOLUTION

LG wanted to launch a brand marketing campaign to inform people they were the innovative designers of OLED - and that others were just imitators.

I was contracted by a Singaporean marketing agency to help LG define key brand messaging & positioning statements as the bedrock of a brand marketing campaign in their home market of South Korea.

CREATIVE BRIEF

They wanted the complete opposite of the generic taglines common to most standard marketing messaging.

LG wanted a poetic line that positioned them as the originator of the technology. They also wanted this to be achieved by using imagery of nature, such as:

Rivers

Flowers

Water

Waves

The brief had already beaten a series of marketers before I was contracted, so I was under a lot of pressure to deliver something they liked within 24 hours, which I managed to do in the examples below.

RESULTS

I carried out comprehensive research and interviewed a number of LG’s senior executive team, producing 4 brand positioning statements.

The winning positioning was:

OLED started waves. Others followed downstream.

This slogan was utilised across TV digital and outdoor advertising in an Autumn campaign.

The other 3 options I submitted were:

Option 2

OLED is the sea, others sail upon.

Option 3

The footsteps of OLED – where others tread.

Option 4

OLED is the flower. LG is the seed.

FUTURE

I continue working the Singaporean creative agency on an ad-hoc basis, helping them with messaging, digital marketing and creative briefs.

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Amazon - Messaging

Defining product messaging for the Amazon Echo voice-controlled speaker range in the UK market.

THE CHALLENGE

Amazon were launching their Echo voice-controlled speaker range and needed text for their biggest UK partner, Currys PC World, with thousands of physical stores and significant web presence.

THE SOLUTION

Contracted by Dixons Carphone, the biggest tech retailer in Europe, to create product messaging for the Echo range.

CREATIVE BRIEF

Use existing Amazon brand TOV to make the product attractive while explaining its many advanced features for a non-technical buyer.

RESULTS

What is Echo Plus?

Echo Plus is an AI-driven speaker you interact with using your voice. You can ask questions, control smart home appliances, access news updates, play music plus loads more just by asking questions. The answers come instantly, and it’s completely hands-free.

Echo Plus offers 360-degree sound output and picks up your voice with clarity wherever you are in the room. Thank to Amazon’s AI brain Alexa, based in the cloud and with machine learning capabilities, Echo Plus gets to know your likes and dislikes and becomes more in-tune with your lifestyle the more you use it. New features are being added all the time, which instantly update, and it’s a great, simple setup for starting your smart home or making use of your existing smart home appliances.

Get your smart home set up

Echo Plus has a built-in smart home hub, so you can connect a variety of smart devices, from washing machines to light switches, and control them with your voice. To connect smart devices to Echo Plus, ask Alexa to “discover my devices”. All compatible appliances will be simultaneously connected, so you can check the washing machine, turn off the tumble dryer and dim the lights down low for movie night - all from the comfort of your sofa.  

Hundreds of devices to sync with

Echo Plus works with hundreds of different devices - from smart locks and TVs to thermostats and remotes. You can choose from a variety of manufacturers, such as Amazon’s Fire TV, WeMo, Insteon, Nest, ecobee and Wink.

Want music? Just ask

Echo Plus delivers crisp, clear audio and responds to all sorts of music requests. You can choose playlists and specific songs, and also let Alexa choose for you based on genre. For example, say “Alexa, play some relaxing classical music,” and Alexa will automatically select a playlist from your preferred music player, such as Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio or TuneIn. You can also enjoy your favourite podcasts, radio shows, audiobooks, news updates plus more. And now with multi-room music, you can play the same song across multiple compatible speakers, and even listen to different songs in different rooms throughout your house.  

Hands-free calls and messages

The built-in microphone and speakers let you make calls and send messages directly from Echo Plus hands-free. What’s more, the person receiving the call or message will see your number like it’s from your phone, so long as they have a compatible Echo device or the Alexa App. You can also use Drop In to send messages through compatible devices, whether it’s telling your family it’s breakfast time or telling the kids to go to bed - all with just a simple request to Alexa.

Advanced voice recognition

Echo Plus has seven microphones to effectively hear your voice wherever you are in the room, even if music is playing, thanks to noise-cancellation and beamforming technology. Simpy say “Alexa” and Echo Plus will respond.

Echo skills

Order food from Just Eat or Dominos. Get a ride from Uber. Hear the latest travel information from National Rail. Or track your workouts with FitBit. With Alexa,  

there are thousands of Skills to make your life easier, and new Skills are being added every month. You can find a complete breakdown of Alexa’s skills in the Alexa App, plus ratings and customer reviews to give insight into Skills you never knew were possible.

Machine learning

Alexa is Amazon’s AI brain that powers all the amazing functions on the Echo Plus. Alexa is based in the cloud, so you get updates as soon as they roll out, making Alexa smarter all the time. Alexa also learns about you - your tastes, dislikes, how you talk and common requests. Recent updates include calling and messaging, multi-room music plus thousands of other Skills from third-party developers which you can find in the Alexa App.

FUTURE

We continue to have a strong relationship with the Dixons Carphone creative team and continue to work on ad-hoc projects whenever consultancy services are required.

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Smart - Senior Marketing Pro

Owning communications, coordinating brand refresh and managing new website design/build.

THE CHALLENGE

Smart Axiata, Cambodia’s biggest telco with more than 8 million subscribers,  required a senior marketing professional to help them:

Coordinate their brand refresh & create new brand assets

Manage the design and build of a new website with a fresh brand voice

Oversee all marketing communications

They also needed someone to formulate and approve all digital adverts, messages and marketing campaigns - a tough job in such a busy marketing team and, in hindsight, a little too much despite its success.

THE SOLUTION

I was contracted to manage and be the central contact for our design agency, Jacob Jensen, for the brand refresh, and the web development agency, Nivas, that had been selected to build the new website.

I had to meticulously coordinate each project to ensure delivery was on-time and to budget while contracting local photographers to produce new brand assets while fulfilling my main role in leading all communications.

CREATIVE BRIEF

Switch existing web assets to new brand look

Ensure new website build reflected new brand look

Create a new Tone Of Voice and implement on every page of new website and across all communications

Contract local photographers to create new brand photos

RESULTS

Website Project Management

I managed the design and development of the new website build from initial ideas to launch, working closely alongside a web design agency based in Europe.

I had to provide the brief and scope of work, ensuring the marketing team’s needs were met when the website was implemented as well as create all messaging and manage translations.

The website needed to be built for ecommerce, have a complete redesign to match the new brand look and be rewritten with a modern voice.

We added engaging new features, a slick interactive design plus a variety of added sections to ensure the website was the best and most vibrant in the country.

OWNING MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

I was responsible for all marketing communications - including SMS messages, Facebook ads, Google adverts, website plus lots more.

Example Ad for “Believe in Yourself” Campaign

Here’s a message for the ambitious, the driven, the dreamers. Wherever you are.

You may be having a rough day, week or year.

And at times you may think your dreams are just out of reach. If only for a second.

But possibilities are everywhere. Look around. Believe. And you’ll see a light to guide your way.

We believe in you. But today, you need to believe in you too.

So go ahead. Paint that painting. Design that dress. Share your music with the world. Whether on Facebook or Instagram. YouTube or SnapChat - share it to the world and turn your vision into reality.

And with Smart’s fastest, widest 4.5G network and latest technologies, we’ll help you share, reach for and realize your dreams.

Because if you act today, you can create tomorrow. In whichever way you choose.              

Believe in yourself. As only you can make your dreams come true.

Live. Life. Be Smart.

BRAND REFRESH

As part of the website design and build, we engaged a design agency to create new brand guidelines and a cleaner, more modern look and feel for Smart.

More lifestyle elements were added along with photography themes that were more natural and youth-oriented.

The brand guidelines called for natural shots showing Smart in the real world.

FUTURE

After finishing my contracted work, I remained on as an adviser to Smart Axiata for another year before switching to consult AIA Cambodia.

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Yellow Tree - Marketing Strategy

Delivering fast growth through branding, launch marketing strategy, TV coverage and digital advertising.

The Challenge

Launch a new vegetarian-themed restaurant on a newly opened shopping centre that was experiencing a low number of visitors.

Timeframe: 2 months

The Solution

A comprehensive marketing launch plan implemented by our expert team including:

Brand and logo design

Competitor analysis

Digital marketing strategy and campaign management

Content strategy

National TV coverage

Press coverage

Photography

Negotiations with meal delivery companies

RESULTS

We designed a detailed marketing strategy with the key message:

Eat Beautiful. Look Beautiful.

The brand focus was beautiful photography, healthy living and robust digital marketing campaigns with weekly competitions for engagement.  

Within a few days of our launch, we successfully achieved a full restaurant with hundreds of thousands of people reached through digital, TV and media.

DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Reached 300,000 people over 2 months - triple our target!

Engagement of 25,000 over 2 months - 2.5x our target!

700+ social media followers

~5000 USD return on $200 monthly ad budget

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

The team designed a detailed content strategy around healthy living and nutrition and posted daily, handling all comments and messages.

BRAND & PHOTOGRAPHY

Beautiful photography was a core part of our marketing strategy, as we eat with our eyes first. We produced hundreds of colourful, crisp images that were used for marketing purposes and the menu design.

PRESS COVERAGE

We carried out detailed research, finding the best media to target for outreach. We also did all content writing, photos and negotiation with key contacts.

Our first target was FoodBuzz, one of the most popular channels for food lovers.

We also went for a more general audience in the viral news site Khmer Load and combined with a Valentine’s Day Special Offer.

TV COVERAGE

A core part of our strategy was delivering mass brand awareness through TV adverts to supplement our more targeted digital and media efforts, such as on CNC News.

We did all the outreach and liaised between both parties to ensure the report was aired on-time and to budget.

FUTURE

We had a huge success and full restaurant following launch with a huge buzz across social media. The client did not proceed past the 3-moth launch phase, but we wish them best of luck in the future.

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Hilton - Performance Marketing

Facebook ads campaign for Hilton Hotels Autumn promotion in Japan, South Korea & Guam.

THE CHALLENGE

Hilton Hotels wanted to run an Autumn promotion in Japan, South Korea & Guam offering citizens short staycations at a discount.

They had devised a special offer of between 25%-50% off selected rooms and dining and wanted to run a Facebook and display ad campaign in the target countries in both English and the relevant domestic language.

THE SOLUTION

I was contracted by a Singaporean creative agency to create a series of highly effective ads that reflected the beauty of Autumn and the exceptional service and dining on offer at Hilton Hotels.

CREATIVE BRIEF

Hilton provided crisp imagery that contained all the beautiful elements of Autumn - brown leaves, cool weather and themes centred around quality time with family.

Language had to match the fresh, cosy feeling of Autumn while keeping the premium elements of the Hilton brand. We also had to stay focused on the 25-50% discount and they also wanted to incorporate the idea of “dancing” to reflect fun and happiness.

RESULTS

Display Ad Messaging

Frame 1 – Autumn Season

Autumn Adventures

Dance in the beauty of Autumn

Dance into an Autumn getaway

Sale - 50% OFF

Frame 2 - Staycation

Staycations to Remember

Frame 3 - Dining

With Delicious Dining

Make your taste buds dance with delicious food

Facebook Ads

Post

Take an autumn break and enjoy up to 25% off rooms at any Hilton hotel in Japan, South Korea and Guam. Guests can also enjoy 25% off dining each night. Ends 25th September, 14:00 (JST).

Headlines

Discover new experiences

Explore Japan

Experience South Korea

Uncover Guam

Enjoy an Autumn Staycation

Link Description

Get up to 25% off rooms!

FUTURE

The campaign was a big success and I continue to work with the Singaporean agency to this day on new and exciting projects, particularly in digital marketing and creative briefs.

[3creations]

Dixons Carphone - Web Build

Working with a team of 4 writers + 2 web editors on a new ecommerce website for the biggest technology retailer in Europe.

THE CHALLENGE

Carphone Warehouse were behind on ecommerce rivals like Amazon.

They were investing heavily in digital solutions and needed someone with expertise in web-based marketing, messaging and SEO to come in and help them develop and deploy a brand-new website designed specifically for ecommerce.

They had to find someone to manage content production for hundreds of products, maintain each brand’s unique TOV and deliver on time.  

THE SOLUTION

I was contracted to redefine their tone of voice and manage the content creation process with a team of 4 writers (myself included) for the entire website.

I also had to assist in ensuring the sales journey was user-friendly and optimised as well as work closely with the wider project team, which included UX designers, web editors, coders and designers.

CREATIVE BRIEF

They wanted to modernise their messaging and brand look. The website had to be:

SEO friendly

Assist buyer on their path to purchase

Balance the TOV of the brands they stock

Delivered on time despite the vast scope of the project!

RESULTS

After the website was launched in April 2016, in the 26 weeks running to October 29 the company beat half-year profit projections by 19% (at £144 million) and had a record breaking Black Friday.

Total revenue was £4.9 billion.

You can see a good example of the work we did by looking at the Samsung S7 edge.

SAMSUNG S7 EDGE

We introduced an interactive section where customers could tap different parts of the phone on-screen to get information about all of its different features.

There was also a more in-depth section where people could learn more about the device through a series of drop-down menus.

Text: With Quad HD resolution and measuring in at 5.5-inches, the S7 edge display is beautifully detailed and colourful – great if you want to experience immersive virtual reality with the Samsung Gear VR headset. It’s functional too, as the wider dual-curved edges let you easily access apps, contacts and even snippets of the latest news.

Text: The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has an incredible new 12MP camera. Its revolutionary Dual Pixel sensor focuses instantly, and is the fastest of any phone on the market.

We also implemented a comprehensive breakdown of features as well as a live feedback section for views from real users.

FUTURE

I have since done a variety of other projects for the Dixons Carphone Group and have continue to have strong relations with their creative team to this day.

[3creations]

Cambodia Daily - Feature

A feature on the use of toxic skin-whitening creams in Cambodia and its cultural significance.

I was a full-time Associate Editor at the Cambodia Daily newspaper for more than one year. 

Whitewash

The desire for lighter skin carries a heavy health risk.

By Laurence Stevens

Standing in her small beauty salon in the narrow corridors of Phnom Penh’s Phsar Kabko, Srey Mao taps on her smartphone as she explains, step-by-step, her $30 skin-whitening treatment.

“First, I put on the cream and leave [it] for two hours,” she says. “Then I wash off and pat the skin dry. Over the next three days, the skin peels off and it becomes whiter, which is when it is most painful and itchy.”

At her busiest, Ms. Mao applies her skin-whitening creams on 30 women per month; male clients prefer to use the cream at home. Asked why this painful, time-consuming treatment was so popular, her response is unequivocal. “Whiter skin is more attractive.”

Ms. Mao’s belief is shared by many. The desire for fairer skin goes far beyond the borders of Cambodia and underpins a thriving global industry. Worldwide, the market for skin lightening cosmetics is predicted to grow to $23 billion by 2020, according to a study published last year by market research firm Global Industry Analysts.

Growth is predicted to be particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, with revenue projected to increase at a rate of 11.2 percent per year.

In Cambodia, the use of skin-whitening creams has been shown to carry significant risk as they often contain toxic compounds, predominantly mercury, but also lead, arsenic and salicylic acid, which can burn the skin in too-high concentrations and lead to Reye’s syndrome, a condition that causes, among other symptoms, swelling of the liver and brain.

A study published last year in the U.S.-based Journal of Health & Pollution found that in Cambodia, “there is widespread use of skin-whitening creams containing levels of mercury that exceed…ASEAN guidelines by up to 35,000 times.”

Many creams are produced locally—often by vendors who then refill empty brand-name packaging with their own concoctions—or imported from Thailand and Vietnam, the study says.

Thomas Murphy, the study’s lead researcher and a retired government scientist from Canada, said about 1 in 5 skin-whitening creams sold in Cambodia are contaminated with mercury, a statistic common to the rest of Southeast Asia.

“It’s a common level of contamination,” Mr. Murphy said. “This is a regional problem.”

The ASEAN guideline for mercury content in cosmetics is 1 microgram per gram. When levels reach 1,000 micrograms per gram, 27 percent of people using the cream report outbreaks of dermatitis, according to the study. Continued application of mercury-contaminated creams can lead to “kidney damage…neurological toxicity and skin disorders,” it notes.

In an email, Mr. Murphy outlined two deaths in 2011 connected to the Vietnamese skin-whitening cream Bao Dam, which he said likely contained too much salicylic acid. Yet, he wrote, “in 2015, we were able to buy Bao Dam creams in markets in Phnom Penh that still contained salicylic acid with more than five times the allowed level.”

One person at risk of buying such a cream is Sovann, a 23-year-old from Phnom Penh who did not give his full name because he did not want people to know he used skin whitening products. While still a fraction of the total market, the Asian market for male cosmetics is predicted to be worth $2.16 billion this year.

“I buy five or six different creams from the market and then mix them all together,” Sovann said. “I apply the mixture to my face every night, or five times a week if I am busy.”

He said his whitening routine had caused his skin to become irritated, itchy and sensitive to sunlight, something he remedied by applying sunscreen each morning.

Informed of studies that have linked a heightened presence of mercury in men to a loss of fertility, Sovann replied, “I am aware of the risks, but it works and makes me look more handsome.”

Cultural Pressure

Historically, skin tone and social status have been intertwined in Cambodia, one of the reasons why many in the country use skin-whitening creams today, said Saphon Somolireasmey, a doctor and the director of the philosophy master’s program at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

The Khmer term “khmeng sre,” or ”countryside child,” is a commonly used pejorative associated with poverty, darker skin and laboring outdoors in the sun, she said.

“The phrase…insinuates an ugly appearance and inferior social status, whereas white skin is considered as a sign of beauty and wealth,” she wrote in an email.

Dr. Somolireasmey also noted the centuries-old Cambodian tradition of “chol mlub,” or “entering shade,” a historical rite of passage for girls. Upon entering puberty, they were once locked in the house, out of the sunlight, possibly for months at a time, and taught the skills required to be a good wife. One of these skills was how to keep their skin light.

“Women are expected to have smooth, tender and yellow skin (bright skin) when they apply turmeric powder and some other traditional medicines on their skin,” Dr. Somolireasmey wrote, referencing the old practices. “The length of Chol Mlob could last anywhere from three to six months, depending on family class.”

Chul mlob is practiced little, if at all, today. But the underlying ethos that whiter skin is synonymous with higher social status and beauty has survived, and is now reinforced by television, social media and advertising, she wrote.

Images “promote the ideal beauty of women as being slim, tall, and white,” she said.

While many skin-whitening treatments in Cambodia are home-grown, the desire for whiter skin has not been overlooked by Western cosmetics manufacturers.

Beiersdorf, a German company that owns the Nivea skincare brand, sells a range of face washes, moisturisers and deodorants in Cambodia, all promising a skin-whitening effect.

When asked if whitening messaging on their products supported cultural beliefs that whiter skin is more socially attractive Beiersdorf claimed that their products were aimed at giving men and women confidence in their own skin.

“Beauty in Asia is connected to a pale complexion, which is associated with youth,” a company representative wrote in an email. “Our messages are geared towards giving the consumer confidence to be the best themselves and feel at ease in their skin.”

Thida Khus, a prominent women’s rights activist in Cambodia, said that such comments were both misleading and unethical.

“It isn’t associated with youth, it is about beauty,” she said. “These companies like Nivea who are coming to Cambodia, they know the country; they are aware of the market research.”

“I think it is just so inhumane to get somebody to change their skin color to suit somebody’s role and standard,” she said.

Pressure from advertising—not just from Beiersdorf, but from many other foreign and domestic companies—has created an environment that drives people, often with low income, to the markets where more dangerous whitening products abound, Ms. Khus said.

Bootlegging and Regulation

The main challenge in tackling the spread of potentially dangerous skin-whitening creams is widespread bootlegging and lax regulatory controls, said Mr. Murphy, the researcher.

In Phnom Penh’s Phsar Thmei, a vendor said she made her own skin-whitening cream by importing a base product from Thailand and then adding her own “ingredients” to the mix.

Asked how she could guarantee the safety of her cream, and whether it was certified by the Health Ministry, her demeanor turned frosty.

“I have been doing this for seven years. I learned in Thailand,” she said, declining to give her name. “I only make small amounts, so I don’t need to tell the Health Ministry. I know what I am doing.”

Ly Sovann, the Health Ministry’s spokesman, said he did not know what the current certification and regulatory process was for cosmetics, referring questions to Heng Bun, director of cosmetics at the ministry’s department of drugs and food.

Dr. Heng did not know either, and referred questions to an employee he named only as Sivouch, who said that all companies had to “follow Asean guidelines,” without elaborating.

Srei Pisei Huong, a lecturer and researcher of cosmetology at the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh, said there were no special rules governing the sale of cosmetic whitening creams in Cambodia.

“All the cosmetics product selling in Cambodia needs to have a registration number from ministry of health,” she wrote in an email. “To get the registration number for any cosmetic product, you need to provide the product’s sample, and the product’s technical documents (such as product composition…) to the department of drugs and food.”

Asked if there were any ongoing checks or regulation, she replied, “I don’t know about that.”

Mr. Murphy said that in his experience, ongoing quality control was almost nonexistent.

“As far as I am aware, there is no ongoing testing here,” he said. “They do monitor mercury, but not often.”

Mr. Murphy said more could be done by the government, while acknowledging that manufacturers and dealers likely would find workarounds to keep costs down and their products on market shelves.

“The vendors aren’t stupid. They will just be more careful if there was a ban,” he said. “I am more interested in the education aspect. People need to know what is in these creams.”

Ms. Khus, the rights activist, said that cultural pressure and a lack of knowledge about the dangers of skin-whitening creams was the ultimate crux of the problem.

“The government needs to be doing more,” she said.

However, for Ms. Mao, the market vendor, the issue was about profits.

“I have heard about the risks,” she said. “But if people want to do it, then it is good for business.”

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Cambodia Daily - News

A news piece on low-carbon energy and emissions for The Cambodia Daily newspaper.

I was a full-time Associate Editor at the Cambodia Daily newspaper for more than one year.

Lack of Incentives Leaves Low-Carbon Energy in Question

By Laurence Stevens

Cambodia has a “unique window of opportunity” to reduce its carbon footprint by making energy production and transportation more environmentally friendly, according to a study published earlier this month.

The study, published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy and worked on by Royal University of Phnom Penh researcher Chanrith Ngin, says that Cambodia produced an average of 0.31 metric tons of carbon dioxide per citizen over the course of 10 years from 2001 to 2011, predominantly due to a large rural population that remains unconnected to the national grid.

This figure makes it one of the lowest carbon generators in Southeast Asia, well below Thailand at just under 4 tons per person, and Vietnam at about 1.2 tons, according to the study, “Assessing the potential of a low-carbon future for Cambodia.”

Cambodia could reduce this figure with a shift toward hydropower dams and urban planning initiatives, which have already included “outlining a system of buses, a sky-train, walking paths, and biking trails,” the study says.

The country could also take advantage of its numerous waterways and look to invest more in rail to improve both its transportation network and the poor quality of its air, attributed in the study to the high number of secondhand vehicles clogging the country’s roads.

Improving air quality has already been shown to be a pressing concern. Cambodia was ranked 148th out of 180 countries for air quality by the Environmental Performance Index last year.

The study says the high volume of secondhand vehicles is also economically damaging, particularly in Phnom Penh.

“Congestion (along with lax respect of traffic laws) in the capital city is costing the country $6 million a month (from cost of petrol and lost job productivity),” it says.

Can Vichet, program manager for the Cambodia Climate Change Network, warned that while hydropower projects were good for reducing emissions, there was always the risk of human and environmental costs.

“Hydropower is a useful area, but I think [the government] need[s] to do proper assessments and get harmonious balance between people, profit and climate,” Mr. Vichet said on Sunday.

As of 2014, the country’s five operational hydropower dams provided the single largest contribution to the country’s power supply at about 60 percent, the study says.

However, previous dam construction in the country­—along with another 17 currently identified sites plus 16 more undergoing assessment, according to the study—has drawn ire from conservation groups.

The Lower Sesan II dam in Stung Treng province, which is close to completion, has been marred by accusations of illegal logging, forced land evictions and depleted fish stocks.

Tin Ponlok, secretary-general of the National Council for Sustainable Development, said that Cambodia’s recent ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change had initiated the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) plan, which details how the country will reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change.

The INDC is not legally binding and is reliant on foreign donorship money, Mr. Ponlok said, adding that Cambodia would aim to reach its goal outlined in the INDC as reducing emissions by 3,100 gigagrams of “carbon dioxide equivalent” by 2030.

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Cambodia Daily - News

News piece on fish deaths linked to fertiliser run-off from a sugarcane plantation.

I was a full-time Associate Editor at the Cambodia Daily newspaper for more than one year.

Official Says Fertilizer Caused Fish Deaths; Probe Continuing

By Laurence Stevens & Van Roeun

A provincial official on Thursday said tests have concluded that sudden fish deaths in Preah Vihear province’s Stung Sen River last month were caused by fertilizer runoff from a nearby sugarcane plantation, but the environment minister later said the investigation was ongoing and other culprits were still being considered.

Ea Sokha, the provincial environment department director, said that tests on river water conducted by the Environment Ministry on Monday had revealed high levels of fertilizer residue.

“We conclude that the fish deaths were because of fertilizer runoff,” Mr. Sokha said, adding that the ministry would investigate whether the company, Chinese-owned Rui Feng, used banned fertilizers on their crops.

Mr. Sokha said that several Chinese-owned sugarcane plantations operating in eastern Preah Vihear had illegally constructed a blockade across the O’Preal river, a tributary to the Stung Sen, to hold water to irrigate the sugarcane.

After two days of heavy rain in March, water overflowed the blockade, spilling onto the plantation and soaking up the fertilizer, which ultimately killed the fish, he said.

However, Mr. Sokha’s version of events was contradicted by Environment Minister Say Sam Al, who on Thursday denied that tests had uncovered any concrete proof of the sugarcane company’s culpability in the fish deaths.

“We’re not very clear at this stage. It is still under investigation,” Mr. Sam Al said. “It might be runoff from a nearby farm, but we’re not sure.”

Mr. Sam Al said the next most likely cause of the deaths was a poisonous plant species living along the river, which locals had told him bear fruits every six or seven years and poisons the water when the fruit falls from the branch. The identity of the plant was unknown.

“It is better to wait for a while. Give us one more week and we will look at every possible cause,” he said.

Villagers living along the waterway had previously accused Rui Feng of dumping chemicals into the river and killing the fish.

Rui Feng could not be reached on Thursday for comment.

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Cambodia Daily - Analysis

Analysis piece on erratic weather and its potentially negative impact on Cambodia’s agriculture.

I was a full-time Associate Editor at the Cambodia Daily newspaper for more than one year.

Erractic Weather Portends Future Farming Woes

By Laurence Stevens

Record low temperatures and unseasonable rainfall over the past week were a glimpse into the potential, intensifying effects of climate change in Cambodia, experts said, a phenomenon that studies suggest could seriously hinder future agricultural productivity through flooding, unpredictable rains and warming of up to 5 degrees Celsius by 2050.

Khieng Sochivy, manager of the NGO Forum SYD, which focuses on human rights and climate change, said heavy rain over Khmer New Year was an occurrence he had never before seen.

“I live in Cambodia almost 50 years. This year…looks like rainy season,” he said. “This is already a sign of climate change.”

Evidence confirming his belief is growing. A 2014 research project examining the impact of climate change on the Lower Mekong region found “the annual temperature…could increase as much as 3°C to 5°C [by 2050] and cause dramatic changes in the ability of certain crops, fish, and livestock species to be productive.”

The eastern plains of Cambodia are given special mention, and are forecast to experience the country’s highest surge in temperatures, of up to 5 degrees Celsius. This will inhibit the region’s ability to grow cassava, soybeans and maize, the study says.

A report by the German Society for International Cooperation, released in February, found about half of Cambodia’s roughly 9 million economically active citizens rely on agriculture for income and food security. All of them are potentially exposed to the consequences of changing weather, the report says.

Those consequences include drought, flooding, unpredictable rains and tropical storms, all of which impinge on agricultural productivity, according to the report.

For Touch Vannay, a 45-year-old tuk tuk driver whose family owns about 2 hectares of rice fields in Prey Veng province, the heavy rains are already a concern.

“The rain came really early this year,” Mr. Vannay said. “[In Prey Veng] we have had flooding.”

Mr. Vannay said that his family members, who live and cultivate rice fields in Ba Phnom district’s Rong Damrei commune, were worried because early rain makes crops susceptible to armyworms. The destructive pest thrives in periods of drought followed by heavy rain, according to Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

“It is very unpredictable,” Mr. Vannay said.

Can Vichet, the program manager for the Cambodia Climate Change Network, said that Cambodia’s agriculture sector is susceptible to climate change due the country’s lack of irrigation infrastructure and reliance on erratic monsoon rains.

“Most farmers fail to cultivate because they rely 100 percent on the rain,” he said. “Currently, irrigation systems are not considered adequate.”

Cambodian farmers are beholden to planting seeds at traditional periods of the year, the legacy of a bygone era when rains were supposedly more predictable in their cycle, he said.

“Traditionally, farmers plant their rice crop in May. If it doesn’t rain, then their entire crop is wasted, and they lose all the money they paid for the seed and materials,” he said.

Domestic climate change is not the only factor creating a tough commercial environment for the country’s farmers. In August and September, a sudden slump in global rice prices created a crisis in which Cambodian farmers struggled to turn a profit on their crop, with many unable to sell at all.

Following farmer protests, Prime Minister Hun Sen sanctioned an emergency $27 million cash injection for the rice sector, even appealing to the country’s more monied citizens to buy large volumes of Cambodian rice to help the industry get back on its feet.

The episode is indicative of a wider problem within the agricultural sector, which has deviated from growth to stagnancy over the last 14 years.

After steady expansion of 5.8 percent each year from 2003 to 2013, the country witnessed sluggish growth of less than 1 percent through 2015, contributing zero to GDP growth, according to World Bank data.

A new World Bank report, published on Thursday, found that agricultural performance improved slightly last year, with rice yields increasing 8.9 percent from the year before, largely due to settled weather, the report says.

Miguel Sanchez Martin, Cambodia’s senior country economist for the World Bank, said that climate change was not specific to Cambodia, and that the issue would continue to threaten the country and required action.

“It is not an immediate risk, but it needs to be addressed soon,” Mr. Sanchez Martin said. “Cambodia should look to increase productivity and diversify crops…and improve irrigation,” he said, adding that despite a boost in yield last year, a drop in global commodity prices had affected growth and would continue to pose future risk if the recommended steps were not taken.

One possible challenge to boosting productivity is that higher temperatures have been shown to affect more than just rain cycles, also potentially worsening the working conditions and productivity of millions of the country’s agricultural workers.

A study into the effect of heat stress on sugarcane workers in Kompong Cham province, currently undergoing peer review, found that a temperature increase of less than 2 degrees Celsius decreased worker productivity by 42 percent, due in large part to heat exhaustion.

Kongkea Phan, who is dean of the science and technology faculty at Phnom Penh International University and led the research, said that the study signposted a potentially huge problem if the climate warms over the next 30 years as expected.

“The study can apply to rice, sugarcane and cassava workers, as the workers are out in the sun all day,” Mr. Phan said, adding that more data was needed to help inform government policy on how to improve Cambodian agriculture’s economic viability and health guidelines.

Lord Reasmey, spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry, said he was aware of the country’s climate change problems, and that the ministry had plans in place to try and negate repercussions in future.

“Cambodia has experienced climate change since 2002 when there was a drought due to an El Nino,” Mr. Reasmey said, referring to the El Nino weather system, which oscillates and therefore temporarily shifts climate patterns. The extent of the shift determines the weather in the Pacific Ocean and countries along the equator, including Cambodia.

Mr. Reasmey added that the government had initiated a climate change action plan that included public information campaigns, research into drought resistant seeds and a bid to diversify the country’s crops.

“[We are] increasing awareness of the risk in the agricultural sector to our people and making them understand about climate change,” he said.

Mr. Vichet, of the Cambodian Climate Change Network, said the government, possibly through the Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry, would do better at informing farmers about the optimum time to plant their crops.

Mr. Sochivy, of Forum SYD, agreed, but also acknowledged that the Agriculture Ministry and National Committee for Disaster Management had disseminated information to increase awareness.

“The people have more knowledge about climate change…but they still lack the ability to transform their activities, and need help from the relevant authorities,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Ouch Sony and Phan Soumy)

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Zaman - Opinion Writing

A piece exploring social attitudes towards Aspberger’s Syndrome, an Autism-spectrum disorder. 

I was contracted to cover UK politics for Zaman, the biggest news organisation in Turkey before it was shuttered in a crackdown.

Society Has a Long Way to Go Before Understanding Aspberger's

By Laurence Stevens

It would be hard to overestimate how often human beings rely on non-verbal cues such as body language, tone of voice or facial expressions to gain information on another’s state of mind or being. 

How many times have you been in a situation where you instinctively knew to leave someone alone when upset, that someone was telling you a lie or even the old chestnut of everything certainly not being “fine” despite your partner’s assertions to the contrary? As with many psychological definitions, it is hard to get an iron-clad statistic, but there are notable examples such, as Dr Albert Mehrabian, who thought the percentage of communication in the nonverbal bracket to be a staggering 93 per cent. Whatever the true figure, all estimates show that an overwhelming majority of our communication is through subconscious and instinctive means.

Imagine, then, if you had trouble reading these fundamental cues, and the problems that this would cause as a result. You would have problems understanding social situations, customs and the fundamental process of building rapport with another person. If people had no understanding of your problem, then this would cause you anxiety in social situations, possibly making you withdrawn and introverted, cutting you off from others even further. There is also a chance that you would be attacked or ignored for something that you had very little control over. The reality is that people who have Asperger’s syndrome face this situation every day of their lives and, with April 2013 being autism awareness month, I think it is apt that some attention be cast upon this often misunderstood condition.

Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect around half a million people in the UK, with a slightly more common propensity within the male sex. The identifying features of Asperger’s syndrome are difficulties with social interaction, communication and what is termed social imagination. For example, a person with Asperger’s may find it difficult to understand certain jokes as their brains work on a very literal level. They have difficulty knowing when to start and finish a conversation and what topic to choose. Due to not understanding certain unstated social customs, they may say something that is perceived to be offensive or inappropriate when it is merely an attempt at parity with others. Resultant of these circumstances, people with Asperger’s often find social interaction an anxious experience that can make them withdrawn and appear aloof, in turn leading to difficulties in building and maintaining friendships. In regards to social imagination, this term does not mean that they lack creativity, but that they have trouble imagining what others are feeling and thinking and how to respond accordingly. They may have trouble as children playing imaginative games and prefer logic and routine, for example. The exact cause of Asperger’s is currently unknown and there is no recognised “cure” or treatment for the condition.

Though Asperger’s syndrome is on the autism spectrum and has certain similarities with autism, people with Asperger’s often do not have the learning difficulties associated with autism and are often of average or above average IQ. Certain learning difficulties are common, such as dyspraxia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but with encouragement and support, people with Asperger’s syndrome can lead normal, fulfilling lives. Despite this fact, many people with Asperger’s face difficulties growing up that often stem from others’ ignorance and group mentality, where differences are taken as a focal point for others to rally round and castigate.

Figures from the National Autistic Society state that 40 per cent of children on the autism spectrum suffer at the hands of bullies when growing up and that one child in five has been excluded from school. The study of autism and Asperger’s has come a long way in the last two decades, and new research is continually providing new information about the condition. One slight worry, however, is how a leap of this information to the mainstream has yet to occur and, in some cases, there seems to be unfounded assertions being propagated to an uninformed public that can be seen to promote prejudice.

If we look at the most recent high-profile media stories that have concerned or been connected with Asperger’s or autism, then in my estimation they include Andres Breivik, the Norwegian mass murderer; James Holmes, the American teenager who killed 12 people in a Denver cinema; and possibly Gary McKinnon, who was wanted by the American government for hacking FBI files in search of evidence of UFOs. When Professor Ulrik Fredrik Malt of the University of Oslo, a leading Norwegian psychiatrist, stated in court that “it is plausible that there is Asperger’s, Tourette’s and a narcissistic personality disorder” with regards to Breivik, it was instantly seized upon by a number of newspapers and media outlets. In regards to James Holmes, Joe Scarborough of MSNBC on his morning show stated that he immediately knew what type of person it was who committed the crime, stating: “As soon as I heard about this shooting I knew who it was. I knew it was a young, white male probably from an affluent neighbourhood, disconnected from society.” Scarborough went on to say that Holmes was “probably on the autism scale”. Not only do these statements propagate a completely distorted view of autism and Asperger’s, but they also relay and reinforce questionable rhetoric to the public. Surely one must question the logic of one who thinks and then goes on to state in a national news broadcast that mass murderers are of a certain type and “probably” in some way on the autism scale despite having no information to back their point.

The case of Gary McKinnon also raises certain dilemmas. The public support he received was staggering and it was surely the correct decision by Home Secretary Theresa May when she chose to refuse deportation orders. However, the fact that it took 10 years of campaigning to get this result and how it highlighted another high-profile case of an individual with Asperger’s syndrome in a criminal investigation again added fire to an overall misguided interpretation of what the condition is. These three cases combine to paint a rather damning verdict upon the condition, especially when combined with a rather uninformed public. The same can be said of the portrayal of Autism and Asperger’s in popular culture.

When I spoke to someone who works with people on the autism spectrum, she commented on how TV shows such as “The Big Bang Theory” and the BBC’s “Sherlock” “glamorised” certain aspects of high-functioning autism and Asperger’s, ignoring the mass majority of autistic people who have severe learning difficulties. She also believes that although certain documentaries, such as Louis Theroux’s “Extreme Love” for the BBC and Channel 4’s “Born to Be Different” showed a more “real” edge to the condition, they were in fact “watered down” for public viewing. Overall, when you have stories about Asperger’s and autism that only ever really get covered in extreme circumstances, such as those surrounding Breivik; with a glamorisation of the more positive aspects in popular culture; and with a “watered down” middle ground, how do you increase the likelihood of an informed public?

A new study led by Connie Kasari, the educational psychologist of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, has yielded some interesting results on the matter. The study found that the most effective way of integrating children with autistic disorders was by educating their classmates to understand the condition, as opposed to the received wisdom of one-on-one tuition with an adult. In the group where this practice was applied, it was found that autistic children spent less time alone in the playground and had a significantly higher number of their peers consider them a “friend”. Though there were still problems with social interaction, the children had a less anxious time and were better able to integrate.

I think the conclusions of this study act as a great metaphor for the debate as a whole. Besides those with affected family members and those who work with people considered to be on the autism spectrum, I feel that there is a relatively ignorant and misguided conception of the disorder. Better interaction, therefore, will inevitably breed better understanding.

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Hertz - Landing Page Copy

A vast website re-write project for Hertz, one of the biggest car-rental companies in the world.

The Challenge

Hertz was implementing a large website redesign and ecommerce project and therefore needed new messaging for its thousands of destination pages.

Each page had be enticing, written in Hertz’s new TOV and SEO-optimised.

The Solution

I was contracted to work on the New Zealand website and tasked with writing landing pages of around 1000 words each with detailed sections on what people can expect from the city.

Results

Hertz at Rome 

A fusion of rich history, indulgent Italian fare and chic shopping hubs, makes Rome one of the world’s most captivating cities. It’s also a city of contrasts. Imposing ruins from bygone ages stand next to glitzy shopping districts, while quiet churches filled with ancient art are only a stone’s throw from thronging, characterful piazzas.

Wherever you go you’ll find more ancient structures to admire, more museums to explore, and more enticing aromas to tempt you through restaurant doorways. No matter how many times you visit, you’ll leave with a sense that you’ve only just scratched the surface of this wonderful place.

To help make exploring easier, we have around 30 hire car pick up locations in Rome. We offer a wide selection of hire cars, from reliable family vehicles to sporty models.

Driving in and Around Rome

‘All roads lead to Rome’ goes the saying, and a variety of main roads and motorways do feed in to the city, as you’d expect of a place that was once the very centre of the world. There’s convenient access for both arrival and departure, whether you’re going to Naples in the south or Milan and Florence in the north.

If you’re heading north, then you’ll be using the E35/A1. If you’re heading south, you’ll need to use the A1/E45. To reach the east coast, take the A24 which cuts through the beautiful Parc National du Gran Sasso, a mountainous, green area with some of the best views in Italy. The A90, or Grande Raccordo Anulare as it’s more commonly known, snakes around Rome offering access to all its different suburbs, and is the road you’ll initially use for most of your onward travel.

Many parts of central Rome are pedestrianised, namely the Trastevere and Centro Storico districts where only residents can enter. If you need to access these areas to reach your hotel, then you must provide your details to the hotel check-in staff so that they can notify the authorities. If you don’t, you may face a fine.

There are plenty of parking lots in Rome, but if you do manage to find a place on the street, it needs to have white lines to show it’s a free spot. Blue lines indicate that it’s pay and display, whereas yellow lines mean that the spot is reserved.

In Italy, you drive on the right side of the road. The speed limit in towns and cities is 50km/h. Outside of built-up areas the speed limit is 90km/h. On motorways, or the Autostrada, the speed limit is 130km/h. There are a variety of toll roads in Italy, which you can find out more about online.

A Quick Guide to Rome

Rome is more akin to a treasure trove than a city, with its priceless artworks, venerable monuments and sheer magnificence. Every turn you take in this illustrious city reveals another aspect of Rome’s culture to experience or antiquity to explore.

A glimpse of the old world

Relics around the city tell a tale of great empire, old-world gods and forgotten traditions. The crowning glory of them all is the Colosseum, a powerful metaphor of Rome’s prestige, engineering skill and barbarity. Stand among the ruins and imagine the eyes of up to 50,000 spectators bearing down on you. Hear the roaring cheers and imagine the adrenaline running through the veins of armour-clad gladiators, battling bloodthirsty tigers on the very grounds you stand upon.

A testament to the skill of Roman architects and craftsmen, The Pantheon stands almost as proud today as it did when it was built nearly 2,000 years ago. Once inside, your gaze will be drawn upwards to the feat of sculpture that is the domed ceiling, the largest unsupported dome in the world with its eye – or oculus – at the very centre.

Let your curiosity guide you around the streets of Rome to discover other gorgeous examples of antiquity. The Renaissance-era marvel, St Peter’s Basilica, is a stunning collaboration between famed architects, including the legendary Michelangelo himself. If you’re feeling energetic, clamber up the 138 Spanish Steps, or pass through the intricately carved Arch of Titus.

The art-beat of Italy

You can’t visit Rome without paying homage to the series of awe-inspiring ceiling frescoes at The Sistine Chapel – more impressive in real life than in print or on TV. Work your way from one end to the other, admiring the interweaving paintings Michelangelo carefully crafted over four years. Take a moment to appreciate the detail, skill, passion and perseverance behind the masterpiece. The most famous panel of all? The breath-taking panel of the Creation of Adam, plucked from the Book of Genesis and turned into an image that transcends religion.

The walk to the chapel is long, yet worth taking your time over as you can see a variety of artwork from legendary painters such as Raphael and Botticelli. Grab an audio guide to accompany you as you drift through, which illuminates the fascinating history of these great works.

A Roman feast

Rome is home to a variety of famous Italian dishes that you must try when you’re here. Bite into deep-fried risotto balls bursting with delicious fillings, known as suppli. Take them to go and you can snack on the move while continuing your exploring.

When in Rome, eat pizza like the locals – and sink your teeth into crispy, thin bases loaded with tasty toppings. Pizzeria Da Remo on Piazza Santa Maria della Liberatrice, is a firm favourite. Don’t let its humble appearance deceive you - people queue around the block to get a taste of this authentic speciality. There are no reservations, but queuing for the gooey goodness inside is all part of the experience.

You should also make time to try some pasta carbonara - a heavenly mix of smoked pancetta in a rich sauce made from cream and eggs. One of the most popular places for carbonara is Flavio al Velavevodetto in Testaccio. Tuck into tubes of rigatoni pasta, piled high with parmesan cheese and served in the indulgent, creamy sauce. When in Rome, as they also say…

Whether you’re planning on exploring the city, or venturing out into the surrounding areas, car rental in Rome makes it simple and convenient. It’s a city of such riches you won’t be able to wait to return.

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Dixons Carphone - Content Manager

A contracted position to oversee the copy and content for a new phone insurance brand. 

The Challenge

Carphone Warehouse had built a whitelabel technology for phone insurance. All brands needed to do was implement their brand colours and they had a functioning phone insurance company - but it first needed to be tested.

The Solution

Dixons Carphone launched a new phone insurance brand to test their whitelabel technology. I was brought in as Marketing Content Manager on a 4-month contract for Hiccup, the brand they had created.

My role was to:

Create a content strategy to drive SEO and engagement.

Write new landing pages

Develop brand and TOV

Manage a team of writers & social media marketers and edit all written content.

Results

Web page copy example:

Phone insurance from just £1.99 per month. Helping to protect the Galaxy (smartphone)

Protecting a Galaxy is a big deal. But here at Hiccup, we can protect your Samsung Galaxy from just £1.99 per month.  

Once we accept a claim, we guarantee a door-to-door replacement phone within one working day.  That's just in time to avoid a case of "smartphone withdrawal".

We insure a wide range of Samsung phones - from the S3 and S4, to the Galaxy Alpha and Note 3.  

All Hiccup policies are underwritten by Aviva, and every smartphone we fix or replace is approved by Samsung - so there'll be no hidden charges or nasties.

So, if you encounter one of life's little hiccups, we'll be there with the remedy. From as little as £1.99, your smartphone will be where it belongs - safe, covered, and snug as a bug in your pocket.

Rationale

The TOV was quirky and fun to counteract the dry nature of phone insurance.

Future

The test project was a success and the whitelabel technology now underpins an array of smartphone insurers across Europe. The brand Hiccup was discontinued at the end of the 4-month project.

Due to the success of the project, I was re-contracted to oversee the content for the core Carphone Warehouse brand on a much larger project, which you can read about here. 

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Radio Taxis - Creative Copy

Naming and branding a new premium Black Cab account along with example ads and creative. 

The Challenge

Radio Taxis, a London Black Cab company with over 60 years of history, wanted a new, elite-level account for their most valued clients.

The account would include priority service and introduce a cashless service, which was quite rare back in 2014.

The Solution

My previous agency, eight&four, were tasked with devising and defining the new premium offering, and I was given the task of creating the campaign DNA, name and positioning.

Results

My task was to name the account and provide a strapline that reflected the premium nature of the product. 

Name

Why?

Short, snappy and simple.

Underlines this is a “Black Cab” experience - differentiates it from the minicab market.

Links nicely to the premium associations of the colour black/black card e.g. AMEX Black.

Straplines

Rationale

These straplines summarise the core benefits of the account's premium offering - London heritage, the iconic nature of the Black Cab, and the efficiency of the service. 

Advertising and web page copy

"Don't have time to wait? The Black Cab Account is designed for you. 

With a priority hotline to over 2,000 London Black Cabs, our service skips the queues, jumps the traffic, and gets you there in style.  

We redefine the Black cab experience; making it cashless, convenient, and elegant. Black Cabs come directly to you, wherever you are in London on a priority basis. What's more, all you have to do is present your card, and pay at the end of the month with a direct debit or bank transfer. 

To experience the fastest way of journeying London, sign up by calling our knowledgeable team on 01254869574 or visit RadioTaxis.com/BlackCab Account.

The Black Cab Account

Your driver awaits"

Rationale:

We focused on the iconic nature of the Black cab and picked out its primary USP of being allowed in the bus lanes (meaning a quicker journey time). 

Banner adverts

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Local Gov - Anti-Smoking Ad

An anti-smoking advert for Milton Keynes Council - concept, scope and copywriting. 

The Challenge

Milton Keynes Council required a hard-hitting, creative advert to support a stop-smoking initiative. 

The Solution

An agency I previously worked for, eight&four, were asked to produce two advert concepts based on a shocking statistic that MK Council had provided. 

Results

Concept 1 - Cigarette Roulette

This idea made us of a six-chamber revolver which would be loaded with 3 cigarettes to highlight the stat "1 in every 2 smokers dies of a smoking related disease". 

Rationale

Focused on the stat “1 in 2 smokers die prematurely”, using a Roulette theme for the creativeto push this message home

Central image would be a revolver, with small, lit cigarette ends as bullets in two of the chambers and one more about to be put into the barrel - showcasing the “1 in 2” effect.

The final advert would need some bespoke photography to be visually powerful, with a lit cigarette end being slotted into a 6 bullet chamber.

Simple and immediate in its effect, the imagery arouses the “Russian Roulette” theme – a concept both evocative and shocking.

Concept 2 - Football Cage

Rationale

With the World Cup on, football seemed a natural theme to utilise, especially when targeting a young male demographic.

The concept was based on the stat “You are 4 x more likely to quit smoking with support than going it alone”.

The advert would contain a “cigarette” in goal trying to save a penalty. As the person is stepping up to take the penalty, there is a crowd behind cheering them on - which represents the Milton Keynes support team.

The viewpoint of the advert puts the viewer in the role of the penalty taker.

The roaring crowd behind emphasises the power of support when faced with reaching a difficult goal – the metaphor the penalty represents.

Smoking adverts are predominantly shocking in nature; we wanted to create something that empowers the person to take action, not scares them.

The final version included the copy: 

If your goal is to quit smoking, we're here to cheer you on.