Editor In Chief & MD
Little Black Book - LBBOnline
London
Topic: Hitting the Headlines and Building Your Brand
‘If we build it, they will come’ might have worked for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, but in the world of advertising even the most award-winning creative leaders understand the value of self-promotion and working with the media. For ambitious creatives at the beginning of their career, though, the prospect of navigating the industry press landscape and putting yourself out there can seem daunting. LBB’s editor in chief Laura Swinton shares advice on how to build your profile, insights about what the media is looking for and inspiration about how make it work… your way.
About Laura:
For over a decade, Laura has been the editorial driving force behind the growth of Little Black Book. Joining when Little Black Book was a little known industry challenger, under Laura’s leadership the platform has grown from a challenger to a truly global news and information resource that celebrates creative marketing in all its forms and brings voices from marketers, agencies, makers and platforms across the world together in the creative conversation.
Laura grew up in Scotland, where her first forays into journalism included a newspaper about the social comings and goings of her cuddly toys and a work experience stint at her local paper, age 15. Laura’s journalistic career has been a vehicle for her insatiable curiosity and nosiness. As an undergraduate, she studied Chinese with Politics, inspired and intrigued by China’s 19th and 20th century history. She studied Magazine Journalism at the prestigious City University in London and got a taste for creative B2B writing at Promo News, the music video industry magazine. She then joined shots as a reporter, where she immersed herself in the production environment and creative advertising.
After a hiatus studying for a degree in psychology and working as a freelance writer, Laura joined Little Black Book in 2012, bringing a deeper understanding of neuroscience, human behaviour and the psychology of creativity.
Outside of work, Laura is a serial hobbyist and can often be found enthusiastically having a go at some newly-acquired passion or another. She lives in a seaside town in the south of England with her partner and her schnoodles, Bonnie and Curie.
From ‘Hitting the Headlines and Building Your Brand’ Talk:
• The key to standing out lies in finding a niche, be it through unique expertise, a passion, a cause, or a compelling personal story.
• For those creatives who may find the prospect of self-promotion daunting, here are these reassuring words of wisdom: When it comes to sharing your story with the trade press, remember, you have nothing to lose. The worst-case scenario is that they might overlook your email.
Creative LIAisons Comment:
Creative LIAisons is a brilliant event and one of the most valuable training opportunities in adland.
For over a decade, Laura has been the editorial driving force behind the growth of Little Black Book. Joining when Little Black Book was a little known industry challenger, under Laura’s leadership the platform has grown from a challenger to a truly global news and information resource that celebrates creative marketing in all its forms and brings voices from marketers, agencies, makers and platforms across the world together in the creative conversation.
Laura grew up in Scotland, where her first forays into journalism included a newspaper about the social comings and goings of her cuddly toys and a work experience stint at her local paper, age 15. Laura’s journalistic career has been a vehicle for her insatiable curiosity and nosiness. As an undergraduate, she studied Chinese with Politics, inspired and intrigued by China’s 19th and 20th century history. She studied Magazine Journalism at the prestigious City University in London and got a taste for creative B2B writing at Promo News, the music video industry magazine. She then joined shots as a reporter, where she immersed herself in the production environment and creative advertising.
After a hiatus studying for a degree in psychology and working as a freelance writer, Laura joined Little Black Book in 2012, bringing a deeper understanding of neuroscience, human behaviour and the psychology of creativity.
Outside of work, Laura is a serial hobbyist and can often be found enthusiastically having a go at some newly-acquired passion or another. She lives in a seaside town in the south of England with her partner and her schnoodles, Bonnie and Curie.
• The key to standing out lies in finding a niche, be it through unique expertise, a passion, a cause, or a compelling personal story.
• For those creatives who may find the prospect of self-promotion daunting, here are these reassuring words of wisdom: When it comes to sharing your story with the trade press, remember, you have nothing to lose. The worst-case scenario is that they might overlook your email.
Creative LIAisons Comment:
Creative LIAisons is a brilliant event and one of the most valuable training opportunities in adland.