Jackie Harris Biography

A few words on my sordid past

When it comes to marketing, I know where the bodies are buried. I’ve been doing this for a long time. Originally I was a media hustler for giant IT brands such as BT, IBM and HP - it was my job to get positive stories into the national and international business media. To do that well I had to be able to think creatively, clarify the messages, find obscure angles, and write tons of copy - and I had to do it fast. I can't tell you how many times I ended up editing content on my laptop in the back of a cab on my way to a press briefing. But that's one for the memoirs...

Try not to spook the shareholders...

Later I moved into analyst relations, which essentially means using PR techniques to keep share prices stable. Again, I had to be able to write lots of copy that could influence and persuade industry analysts to think and focus on the client's important messages and to make sure nobody spooked the shareholders.

There’s only one way to be heard above the noise

I moved out of London to live in the English Lake District just as social media and digital marketing were taking off. It was exciting, but there was just one teensy-weensy problem.

The noise from millions of pieces of content being posted on multiple platforms every day is deafening and it’s harder than ever to be heard and noticed.

I’m going to say this only once…

Consumers (b2b or b2c) don’t buy the best products or services. We buy the ones we can understand the fastest. This means we’ve got to get to the point -FAST. In just a few seconds we have to:

  • Make it clear what we offer and how it makes their life better.

  • Build authority, empathy & trust.

  • Tell them what action they need to take to get the desired outcome.

This is essentially my ethos.

  • Clarity is essential - we get seconds to grab someone’s attention.

  • It’s not about you (or me), it’s about the customer. So speak directly to them.

  • Being consistent is more important than coming up with big marketing stunts or gimmicks.

Clear the clutter, speak in plain English, and tell the customer how you can help them. If you can do those things, you’ll be better than about 80% of your competitors.

What about my credentials?

  1. I’m an experienced communications consultant that has worked with leading IT & B2B brands such as IBM, BT, HP, Cap Gemini, KPMG, Dell, Sun Microsystems - plus other b2b organisations in engineering, cybersecurity, the nuclear supply chain, livestock & land management, law, accountancy & financial services.

  2. I’ve got a BA in marketing and an MA in creative writing, which means I’ve invested time and effort in honing my craft.

  3. With the exception of best-man speeches (I don’t do gags), I can pretty much cover any situation where you need written content.

  4. I'm a member of the Professional Copywriters Association, and all my training courses and materials have been accredited by Open Awards, which essentially means that I've been checked out to within an inch of life, and if I start producing rubbish, I get kicked out.

6 lesser known facts about moi...

  1. I've co-written a play that was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 not so long ago. It was called Heft Like the Herdwick.

  2. I had a Singing Elvis wedding in Las Vegas - I think everyone should get married in Vegas at least once.

  3. As a student I dressed as a punk and carried a kettle as a handbag (don't ask)

  4. My mate Liz and I once climbed up onto the stage at the Glasgow Apollo when The Boomtown Rats were singing Mary of the Fourth Form. We were carried out of the building by bouncers.

  5. My friend Charlo and I ran the Amsterdam half marathon and we were actually in last place - people were packing up. We got a motorcycle police and fire engine escort into the Ajax Stadium and a standing ovation as we staggered around the edge of the inconic stadium to the finish line to get our tin foil capes and medals.

  6. I spent a summer working in Paris as an apprentice to a tempramental French Chef who was teaching Cordon Bleu to rich Americans. I once tried to buy ducks in a horsemeat-only butchers (boucheries chevalines). I was the laughing stock of the Rue Mouffetard Market for the entire summer.