The branding brains of the operation

Released_marketing_and_design_manager — Ever wondered who’s behind Released’s colourful and enticing branding and social media presence?

It’s Christina, our marketing and design specialist. Her talents aren’t limited to our business, either—along with her team, she oversees digital marketing for an array of lucky clients.

In her three-plus years on the team, Christina has become an integral cog in the wheel. Her talents allow us to offer digital marketing solutions alongside our other business support services, making Released even more of a one-stop-shop.

With a bachelor of business (in marketing and management) and varied experience in the field, she knows her stuff. Read on to find out more about what she does and how she does it:

What might a typical day look like for you?

“Once the craziness of getting everyone out the door and dropping the little ones at school is over, I head to Released HQ and work from there. Although I can work from anywhere, it’s nice to be in an environment where I can collaborate with colleagues and meet with clients. I find it easier to focus!

We use ClickUp as our productivity management platform, so I often start there to see what’s on the agenda for the day. There’s not really a typical day in this job—I might be talking to a new client and meeting with my team to plan for the month, or head down designing a brand colour scheme and logo for most of the day.

Mid-afternoon is school pick-up time, and if there’s more to do I will get it done after the kids are in bed. The flexible nature of what we do works very well around family life!”

What’s your strength/specialty when it comes to Released’s operations?

“Part of my job is overseeing the branding and marketing of Released itself, along with our “sister” company FreeUp. I love our bright, fun, and colourful vibe and have so much fun creating ideas and content that represents us and what we do. Our website is my baby. Don’t tell my three human kids that, though.

I am also a POD leader, looking after a team that includes marketing assistants, VA, and a copywriter. It’s my job to get the vision from our clients, create strategies, and guide the team to implement them: creating images, writing content, scheduling, analysing, monitoring and other tasks. Basically, if you’re seeking marketing-related help from us, you’ll hear from me!”

Moving to the client side—how does your work help Released clients to make their business better?

“By getting their name and brand out there! We have so many wonderful clients who want to grow their business and get new customers on their books. That’s where my team and I come in.

My job starts with meeting the client and getting a feel for their business. To promote a company and tell their story, I need to understand what they’re about. We talk about their values, the type of customer they’re targeting, and the messages they’re looking to get across. I offer advice on which advertising channels would work best for their goals and what their marketing package could look like. Strategising and coming up with the most effective way forward is a big part of what I do for our marketing clients.

Some clients need more of a design service than a marketing one—we also offer logo and branding design, flyer or newsletter design, website design, and more. It’s so fun to be able to flex my creative muscles and help people put an image to their business that matches what’s in their head.”

What’s your top tip (as a marketer) for a tradesperson starting their own business?

“Call Released and ask for Christina! Beyond that, I’d say the first thing you should do is make sure your Google My Business profile is filled out. It’s a free tool that you should definitely be taking advantage of as it can increase your internet street cred and improve your local SEO, giving your company legitimacy when people search for you.

Additionally, you should have a website and social media presence from the start, even if they are fairly simple. They can grow with you.”

Finally, what’s your favourite part of working at Released?

I really do like the coffee machine, especially as we’ve recently upgraded it. The people are pretty great too—it’s a pleasure to work with so many wonderful humans!

My role presents so much opportunity to excel, to grow my skill set, and to challenge myself. I’m very thankful for it.”

Take it from our team

Here’s what other Released team members had to say about Christina:

“Christina is a fantastic leader and so good at holding the vision for our clients then communicating it to us so we can help make it a reality. She’s always ready to help, to explain, and to put in the time to make sure things are perfect. We appreciate her very much!”
“It’s a pleasure to have a POD leader who’s so dedicated to both us and our clients. She’s always on top of making sure that they’re getting the results they want and that we have what we need to get things done. She’s always ready with a smile and to lend an ear.”

And our clients…

“Christina is incredible at what she does, I could not recommend her more highly. Her work really speaks for itself as I have lost count of how many people have complemented us on our marketing. Her friendly and approachable demeanour coupled with a broad skill set and her drive for results are a force to be reckoned with in this ever changing industry.”
-Zarah Strongman, Total Plumbing and Gas

Keep an eye on the blog for more team member profiles, and feel free to book a quick chat with Kellie if you’d like to find out more about how the team can help your business.