Laura Connolly

Experience

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  Stonegate Group

  Jun 2014 - Feb 2015

  Team Leader and Sales & Events Coordinator for Slug and Lettuce

  - Promoted, hosted, organised and managed bookings and events as sales coordinator and increased sales to beat our yearly sales target. - Organised and hosted the re-launch event for Slug and Lettuce Canary Wharf. Took charge when a problem arose on the night, using my initiative to come up with a quick solution.

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  Mantle Group

  Mar 2015 - Oct 2016

  Customer Service

  - Launched a new venue in Brisbane and trained new staff members.- Increased sales in the venue as one of the top 5 highest sales generators on a regular basis.- Liaised with new brands to promote their product, winning an award for highest gross sales of the Heineken brand. - Represented the company at corporate events such as the Brisbane's Night Market as a result of my strong communication skills, and ability to networking and liaise with stakeholders.

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  The Final Step

  Nov 2016 - Jun 2017

  Administrator

  - Managed calls and emails from clients for help with technical issues or ordering requests to ensure effective communication and to build strong relationships with clients. - Provided marketing and administrative support for Data Security events: used Eventbrite to monitor event attendance; proofread marketing emails and used mail merge to send out information to attendees; ran reports on campaigns; monitored the events inbox; created marketing materials and prototypes.- Exported this data to show our results and liaised with a third party research agent to ensure we were following the best marketing structure. - Researched marketing materials and negotiated with suppliers to secure the best price. Created prototypes to send to suppliers before ordering. - Hosted at the events and provided feedback to speakers as part of the Data Secuity post-event briefings.- Managed procurement and purchasing. Liaised with and sourcing suppliers to get the best prices and services for clients and quoting, ordering and checking invoices and order confirmations for errors. - Worked with the ConnectWise database and other systems such as Labtech, OneNote, IT Glue, Excel and Quosal. Show less

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  The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

  Jun 2017 - Oct 2018

  Enquiries Officer

  - Managed a team of eight during management absences, operated CRM Dynamics database, presented updates to internal stakeholders, created induction material and trained new staff members.- Managed publication and marketing material requests by phone, email and social networks, guaranteeing members faster response times.- Created and implemented first ever, company-wide employee recognition scheme as part of the Employee Scheme Working Group.Key achievements:- Led on a Cross-Directorate Corporate Members Service Review, constructing assessments for better ways of working and executing corporate-wide culture changes.- Used first-contact member insight to assist the Marketing Team with the redesign of the student recruitment programme as part of the Student Recruitment Group. Show less

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  Gordon Ramsay Restaurants

  Oct 2018 - Oct 2019

  Social Media Executive

  - Managed all social media channels for seven restaurants, prioritising effectively to create engaging content, re-purpose existing content, plan campaigns and carry out community management across all social networks.- Worked under pressure to define and execute individual marketing campaigns and strategies for each restaurant with an outward-looking, creative approach to achieve results.- Acted as first point of contact for all restaurants regarding social media content and as the day-to-day face of the marketing department across all London restaurants.- Reported monthly on KPIs and campaigns to demonstrate individual success.- Managed third party influencer and photography collaborations with established brands like the NBA, Bacardi, Fever-Tree and Bookatable.- Experience with Canon DSLR and editing using Adobe photoshop and mobile apps.Key achievements:- Wrote copy and created assets for large digital audiences of over 1.5 million followers, contributing to the annual increase of table bookings by 106%.- Successfully reached annual KPI targets with 250,000 new followers, 150 influencer visits and 6% engagement.- Researched and engaged with social media trends to create exceptionally strong campaign content: my #BeefWellingtonMonth video on Gordon Ramsay's channel was the best performing post of all time (4M views). Show less

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  Planet Eat Media

  Oct 2019 - Jan 2021

  Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager

  - Successfully managed the planning, design and day-to-day implementation of the social media marketing and digital strategy from inception to completion, in line with the Director’s vision.- Mentored and trained Marketing Executives and Graphic Design Interns and deputised for the Director.- Delegated tasks to the Digital Team, ensuring deadlines were met and monitoring the quality of creative assets.- Copywriting for social media, email and website platforms to accurately reflect each of our brands and their individual messaging and to engage our followers and target audiences.- Tracked and analysed marketing metrics and FB advertising, reporting on a monthly and quarterly basis, using this to develop future content strategy.- Built and maintained excellent relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders, briefing presenters and commercial sponsors to deliver filming projects within deadlines.Key achievements:- Worked well under pressure to launch Planet Eat within a tight two-month deadline.- Used creative thinking to diversify and adapt to ensure the success of both businesses during the uncertainty of Covid-19. Improved the online delivery service for their sister company Parson's Nose, increasing web traffic by 979% (13,000 visitors). Show less

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  Parson's Nose

  Oct 2019 - Jan 2021

  Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager
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  Tastemade

  Jan 2021 - Sept 2022

  - Successfully led the EMEA Content Team, creating a global content strategy whilst supporting the Content Director to expand into new territories, build social media communities and reach ambitious KPI targets.- Managed content budgets and established talent fees in line with overall company budget and revenue targets.- Analysed performance metrics for editorial and branded campaigns to influence future content and track ROIs.- Ideated and filmed social-first content, delegating to the editorial team to produce engaging content. - Integral in the success of a multi-million pound, international Pinterest deal by pitching concepts, contacting talent, assisting with event organising and managing the campaign implementation.Key achievements:- Built and championed a brand new talent strategy, finding and nurturing new content creators for both editorial and branded content, resulting in an increase in engagement and branded deals. - Won multiple awards for exemplifying the company's core values, including a culture award by a senior colleague for my role on the Culture Committee, where I promoted social events during remote working and “brought a sense of togetherness for us all”. Show less - Managed all UK social channels including copywriting, brainstorming, producing and posting content. - Led on the transition of content in an ever-changing digital world, facilitating the increase of asset creation from 6 assets/month to 48+ assets/month by leaning into social-first and talent-led content.- Created a Content and Production Team editorial workflow and chaired monthly meetings to streamline processes between teams, facilitate a higher volume of content and ensure consistency of assets. - Worked closely with the Sales, Branded Partnerships and Production teams throughout the campaign process, from ideation and production to posting and performance analysis.- Researched and analysed trends, consistently tapping into these to promote brand awareness and reach our target audiences through storytelling.- Appointed as Acting Content Lead from December 2021 - March 2022.Key achievements:- Promoted to a newly created role of Content Lead, EMEA.- Drove revenue up by 30%, exceeding revenue and view targets despite the challenges of Covid and the cost of living crisis. Show less

  • Content Lead, EMEA

    Apr 2022 - Sept 2022

  • Content Manager

    Jan 2021 - Mar 2022
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  Our Cooking Journey

  Oct 2022 - now

  - Copywriter, content creator and video editor for all food and travel social media accounts and website, building an engaged online community of over 1.2M followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Threads. - I create branded content for a number of high-profile brands including Grana Padana, Prosecco Doc, Mutti, Fratelli Beretta and Filippo Berrio.- I advised on product development for Fratelli Beretta ready meals in the UK. Travelled Italy, America and Asia to undertake food research and produce content for personal projects.

  • Co-Founder

    Sept 2017 - now

  • Career Break

    Oct 2022 - Jan 2023
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  Tastemade

  Feb 2023 - Dec 2023

  Creative Producer & Social Content Producer

  - Managed the day-to-day strategy for the multi-million dollar Tastemade EMEA & Pinterest collaboration.- Ideated and developed shows in a variety of lifestyle categories, sourcing over 110 creators for 34 shows across the EMEA region, managing outreach, contract negotiations and content production.- Monitored a dedicated budget and ensured costs were tracked accurately, negotiating with talent, agents and production teams. - Worked closely with global production and post-production teams to write briefs, create decks, execute shows and lead creative approvals from pre-production to post-production. -Worked alongside the Senior Content Director to organise creator events in English, German and French. - Saved over £60k in talent fees, exceeded the creator number target and delivered assets well in advance of due date. Show less

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  Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  Feb 2024 - Oct 2024

  Senior Social Media Manager - Food & Farming

  - Produced, commissioned and published high-quality, audience-focused digital content for key announcements and campaigns across Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.- Wove digital storytelling into innovative content, writing storyboards for videos and animations.- Conducted insight and evaluation to measure impact and reach our target audiences.- Task managed social media managers and producers and worked collaboratively with a range of colleagues in the press office, external affairs, campaigns team, policy and the private offices of senior leaders and ministers.- Built relationships with other government departments, partners, stakeholders and influencers to enhance the reach of our key messages online and support on sensitive policy areas.Key achievements:- Founded the Centre Of Mobile Excellence where I applied my knowledge of production and social-first content creation to up-skill and empower colleagues across the department to produce strong digital content.- Volunteered to lead on the transition to a new scheduling platform, assisting with the procurement process and working to tight deadlines to organise the training and onboarding process for 10 departments.- Brought my influencer management experience to the role, creating content with female farmers and mental health ambassadors for International Women’s Day and the National Farmer’s Union Conference. Show less

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  Gymkhana Fine Foods

  Oct 2024 - Feb 2025

  Senior Social Media, Content & Partnerships Manager

  - Responsible for developing and executing a compelling organic social strategy, crafting engaging content for key social platforms, email, and web, while also leading strategic initiatives and driving impactful campaigns.- Built influencer and brand partnerships across a range of verticals and successfully negotiated a year-long ambassadorship with a key influencer.- Formulated company-wide processes for content creation, including the introduction of a content calendar, shoot schedule and producer briefing documents and the establishment of a network of freelancers.- Directed videography and photo shoots, working to tight deadlines to ideate and deliver always-on content as well as elevated, scalable content and campaigns such as Fine Dine-In Fridays.- Generated top-line weekly marketing reports on performance, learnings and optimisations.Key achievements:- Strong growth on key platforms including 60% growth on Instagram in the first 3 months. - My Waitrose product launch video was the best performing content of all time on Instagram. - Effectively launched a multi-faceted influencer gifting program, achieving a 35% share rate on social media. This initiative, combined with the festive content strategy, helped drive the highest DTC sales to date.- Part of team that won Best New Product Development at the Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards. Show less