My Connection Statement

I work with FMCG marketing professionals in Melbourne by redesigning the branding and packaging for their products so they not only align with their brand vision but inspire the visual language beyond the logo and packaging design.

About Me - My Biography

I started my career working in marketing at L’Oreal in the UK on brands such as Laboratoires Garnier, Maybelline and Lancome. Staying in beauty I then moved to The Body Shop head office in London where I had first hand experience in creating and redesigning some of their in-house beauty ranges. Loving the creative process and working with designers prompted a move to a branding design agency where I stayed for over 6 years working on brands across Europe and the UK. After having my son I decided to try and balance work with family so moved to a smaller agency. Soon after my second son was born we felt the need to get out of London and my husband was offered a job in Sydney. In 2011 we moved the whole family over to Australia and once settled I took a job at what was then the largest packaging and branding agency in Australia, Cowan. In 2012 they offered to relocate me to their head office in Melbourne to run the client service team with my husband as the Creative Director. Family illness back in the UK meant we only lasted a year in Melbourne before heading back to the UK. I went back to work for my old agency in London running the Diageo account team which was a great opportunity to work on a global business and global brands. However missing Melbourne and the Australian lifestyle had us plotting our return so in November 2014 we moved back to Melbourne and started up The Mill Brand Design. With no clients and no income we were motivated to do new business, contacting companies who we identified as needing packaging redesigns. Some of those clients are still our clients today.

My Expertise

I am originally from the UK and have been fortunate in my career to work on branding and packaging for brands within some of the largest companies globally such as Unilever, GSK, Diageo and Procter & Gamble.

My first agency role was at Design Bridge London, one of the top three branding and packaging agencies in the UK. With considerable exposure to brands and working with inspiring creatives and strategic thinkers, I had enviable on the job training early on in my career which significantly shaped my understanding and problem solving skills for both large and small brands.

When I moved to Australia, I worked for one of the largest branding agencies in Australia and led their client service team on projects for Mondelez (Philadelphia), Simplot (Edgell, Birds Eye), Asaleo Care (Sorbent), Sanofi (Telfast, Nature’s Own) to name a few.

Today I work with both large and small clients on both setting the strategic direction as well as the branding and packging design.

Side Note:

Packaging design is offered by a large number of agencies claiming to be experts in a wide variety of marketing materials but in fact it is very specific. Packaging is a moment of truth for consumers, it’s at that point of purchase that they decide to buy your product or not. And unlike many other mediums it’s continually competing with it’s competitors. So understanding what to communicate on pack and using visual assets to tell part of the brand story is a complex and subtle art that we are true experts in.

 

My Passions

I love exercise and how it makes me feel, from yoga to tennis, to HIIT workouts and walking on the beach.

I am also a foodie, and from our experience of working on packaging we see all the time what rubbish some of these companies put into their products and so I make a lot of things from scratch. I am more the family baker and leave all the nightly dinners to the other chef in the family, my husband.

 

 

 

My Interests

Yoga, tennis, walking, my gorgeous springer spaniel.

I love reading fiction, a real escapism.

Baking.

How I Can Help Other Members

Whilst I don’t mind helping with branding questions, where my real expertise lies is with packaging for products be it redesigns/launches/innovation. Everyone is a consumer but consumers don’t always know what’s right for them until you tell them.

Why I Became a HerBusiness Member

I find it very difficult to market our services to businesses and haven’t quite found a methodology or way to do new business.

I am also quite alone in the business as my business partner (also my husband) is the creative and doesn’t have time to help me think of ways to promote the business.

I need to push myself out of my comfort zone, I seem confident and self assured but quite honestly I am lonely in business and afraid to put myself out there, a true introvert.

My Member to Member Offer(s)

Free 30 minute phone chat to consult on branding or packaging design issues.