Communications, journalism, writing, PR and marketing consultancy

I’m a senior communications professional, journalist and writer with wide experience of working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. I have specific experience of working for and with membership and supporter-based organisations, helping them to plan strategically and influence at the highest level.

An enthusiastic and committed advocate of communications and its key role in organisational and business success, my experience of working with complex stakeholder groups, and an ability to see the bigger picture, can help you realise your business and organisational goals.

As a writer and journalist, I am skilled in all aspects of copy planning, procurement and delivery and have worked extensively across a number of sectors. Whether its news, features, opinion, thought leadership or even speech writing, I can provide services in all these areas. I am also an accomplished presenter and speaker, either online or in person.

As a consultant, I will work to get to know your business or organisational needs and offer you down-to-earth, practical advice and solutions that can deliver real, added value to your business or organisation. I’m passionate about helping people communicate better using all available techniques. Check out the links at the top of the page to find out more about my areas of expertise and how I might be able to help your organisation.

I’m always happy to talk, so if you think I can help you, give me a call on 07791 997602 or email me at [email protected]

About Me

I enjoy stakeholder mapping and strategic development and am skilled in the latest communications techniques including social media. I am media trained and also able to train others in dealing with all aspects of the media.

I have spent most of my working life in media, communications and journalism and have worked at a number of senior levels in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

Working for a leading national trade association, a campaigning charity in the health sector and a high-profile national environmental charity, I have held responsibility for all marketing, communications and public affairs strategy. I have developed and delivered organisations’

Communications and lobbying strategies, working closely with chief executives and board members. I have also led successful corporate rebranding programmes, including the development of a number of new websites and have also led reorganisations of communications and public affairs teams.

I have also edited a leading business magazine and website reporting on the construction and infrastructure industry, including its people, politics and projects, both in the UK and internationally.

In all the organisations I have worked for I have helped to expand profile amongst key stakeholders including the media, politicians, members and the public and private sector. I have also led the development and delivery of business development, marketing and communications activities and put in place strategic plans. 


Communications

I’m a senior communications professional, journalist and writer with wide experience of working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. I have specific experience of working for and with membership and supporter-based organisations, helping them to plan strategically and influence at the highest level.

An enthusiastic and committed advocate of communications and its key role in organisational and business success, my experience of working with complex stakeholder groups, and an ability to see the bigger picture, can help you realise your business and organisational goals.

As a writer and journalist, I am skilled in all aspects of copy planning, procurement and delivery and have worked extensively across a number of sectors. Whether its news, features, opinion, thought leadership or even speech writing, I can provide services in all these areas. I am also an accomplished presenter and speaker, either online or in person.

As a consultant, I will work to get to know your business or organisational needs and offer you down-to-earth, practical advice and solutions that can deliver real, added value to your business or organisation. I’m passionate about helping people communicate better using all available techniques. Check out the links at the top of the page to find out more about my areas of expertise and how I might be able to help your organisation.

I’m always happy to talk, so if you think I can help you, give me a call on 07791 997602 or email me at [email protected]

Media

As the former editor of a leading construction and infrastructure business magazine and website, I know what makes a story and can give advice on how best to position news and features to give what you want to say the best chance of being published.

I am also used to dealing with the media on a daily basis and have over time developed strong links with key journalists in the local, regional and national media. Over my career, I have gained an understanding of the differing requirements of national and local journalists and have worked with national press and TV when promoting key issues nationally.

News stories can arise quickly, sometimes at weekends and evenings, and I am used to dealing with new and apparently conflicting priorities and resolving these. As a skilled media trainer, I can help organisations prepare their people to appear on television, radio or to talk to the press in a way that will get their message across in an accessible and jargon-free way.

As the media landscape expands with the inclusion of social and hyper-local media, the importance of keeping up to date with the latest developments grows ever greater. I pride myself on keeping abreast of new methods of communication and look to apply these appropriately when working with clients.


Social Media

Hardly a day goes by without there being some mention of social media on the television, in the papers and increasingly on the radio. It often sets the agenda as well as shapes it. Its role as a disseminator of information is of course well known but many organisations simply don’t know where to start when it comes to using social media strategically to help develop their business or to communicate with their communities.

I have developed social media strategies for organisations and helped to cut through the confusing array of jargon and mystique that can surround new media. By offering practical and down-to-earth advice and assistance, I help organisations work out how to use and embrace social media as a key communications and engagement tool to get their message across to the people and organisations they want to influence.

When using social media it is crucial to see it as part of your organisation’s overall communications strategy and not a separate entity to be ‘farmed off’ to the fringes. I can help organisations and businesses make the most of this developing media sector and give them the confidence to get involved in such a way that it increases exposure and enhances reputation.

As an enthusiast for social media, I love to talk to organisations about it too! Follow me on Twitter at @WalkersRambles or email me at [email protected] I also take phone calls on 07791 997602.

 

Strategy

“We need a strategy for that” – how many times has a manager or chief executive uttered those words when seeking to address a problem? And how many times has the final strategy become the end in itself, destined to hide on a shelf or in a drawer, never to see the light of day again?

I believe in strategies, very strongly, but as a guide to action and most of all, as a practical map to increasing the profile and influence of organisations in a rapidly changing business and regulatory environment.

During my career to date I have been closely involved in business and corporate planning on a strategic and tactical level. I have planned, written and implemented business plans, organisational marketing and communications strategies and relaunched a number of websites. Working closely with chief executives, senior management teams and board members, I can help organisations to identify their key stakeholders and the best ways of engaging and communicating with them.

I’m a firm believer that the strategic planning process should involve the widest possible layer of an organisation or business and that as well as being rigorous, it should also be an enjoyable and, dare I say it, a fun task to do.

Membership

I have a particular experience and passion for membership organisations and the positive role that they can play in organising communities of interest in the social, business, voluntary and charitable sectors.

Having chosen to work for membership and campaigning organisations for most of my career, I have developed a keen understanding of the challenges that such organisations face and also the opportunities available for those that communicate and engage effectively. I have developed and implemented membership benefit schemes, supporter engagement strategies and affiliate programmes that have increased membership, influence and income, often in difficult and challenging markets.

Skilled at ‘joining the dots’ across organisations and by applying the latest communications techniques, I can help membership and campaign groups, whether charities, trade associations or membership bodies, to make the most of their supporters to build and extend their influence thereby increasing member satisfaction and retention.

A keen member of a number of groups in my spare time, membership is a real passion of mine. To find out how I can help your organisation increase its profile, grow its membership or even develop a scheme from scratch, email [email protected] or give me a call on 07791 997602.


Contact Me

Contacting Andy Walker is easy. It should be – I work in communications after all!

Speaking is good, so you can ring me on my mobile on 07791 997602.

You can also email me at [email protected] I aim to reply to all emails within half a day, so you won’t have to wait long to hear from me.

Finally, for those of a social media persuasion, you can also get in touch via Twitter at @walkersrambles at any time or you can track me down on LinkedIn, which is often a good place to find out what I’ve been up to.

Whichever method you choose, I very much look forward to hearing from you. I hope you’ll find me honest, approachable and easy to get on with and, hopefully, someone that you would like to work with.