Proud to Be the New EC Local Nottingham Ambassador

At Creationz Marketing, one of the things I’ve always been passionate about is helping businesses connect with the right people, access the right support, and build meaningful relationships that help them grow.

That’s why I’m delighted to announce that I have taken on the role of EC Local Nottingham Ambassador, taking over from Greg Simpson of Press For Attention, who has done a fantastic job championing the Nottingham business community over the years.

Supporting Businesses Through Meaningful Connections

For over 24 years, I’ve worked in marketing across both traditional and digital channels, helping businesses of all sizes develop strategies, improve visibility, and achieve sustainable growth. Throughout that journey, one thing has remained constant: businesses thrive when they have access to the right support network.

Whether it’s finding a trusted supplier, gaining expert advice, sharing challenges with peers, or simply having a community to lean on, the power of connection should never be underestimated.

As the new Nottingham Ambassador for EC Local, I’m looking forward to helping local businesses build those connections and become part of a network that genuinely supports one another.

Why EC Local?

EC Local is built around a simple but powerful principle: business is better when people help people. The community brings together business owners and professionals who are committed to supporting each other to work ON our businesses rather than in them.

A Natural Fit with Creationz Marketing

Since launching Creationz Marketing, I’ve had the privilege of supporting hundreds of businesses and our mission has always been to make marketing more accessible and help businesses understand what works for them, regardless of their size or budget. The marketing landscape has definitely changed but ehat hasn’t changed is my passion for helping businesses grow and giving people access to the support they need.

Looking Ahead

If you’re a business owner looking to expand your network, build valuable relationships, and become part of a supportive local community, I’d love to have a conversation about how EC Local could help.

Let’s Connect

If you’d like to find out more about EC Local Nottingham, upcoming meetings, or how to get involved, please get in touch.

When people think about exhibitions and trade shows, they often focus on what happens during the event itself.

But in reality, successful exhibitions are built long before the doors open.

Last week, the Creationz Marketing team travelled to Düsseldorf to support clients exhibiting at Interpack 2026 — one of the packaging industry’s largest international trade shows.

While visitors see a polished exhibition stand and a busy event environment, what they don’t always see is the months of planning, coordination and problem-solving that happens behind the scenes.

For this particular event, preparation had been underway for around nine months.

That included:

• supplier coordination
• stand planning
• logistics and shipping
• accommodation management
• registrations and exhibitor badges
• team coordination
• event preparation and scheduling.

International exhibitions are complex environments, especially across an eight-day show schedule with additional set-up and breakdown days.

What makes exhibitions successful is often not just the stand itself, but the ability to manage countless moving parts while remaining flexible and responsive on-site.

That is why event support matters.

At Interpack, the Creationz team supported both stand set-up and opening day activity, helping observe attendee interaction, visitor behaviour and the types of conversations taking place.

This type of insight is incredibly valuable because events are not only opportunities to showcase products or services — they are also opportunities to learn.

Understanding:

• how visitors move through the stand
• which messaging creates engagement
• what questions attendees ask
• where conversations naturally happen

…can help businesses improve future exhibition strategy significantly.

One of the most important lessons from large-scale exhibitions is that events should never be viewed as isolated activities.

The most effective businesses use events as part of a wider marketing strategy:

• before the exhibition
• during the event
• and long after it finishes.

With Interpack now complete, attention already turns to the next exhibition in Lisbon for SnackEx in just a few weeks.

And as always, the planning has already begun.

Recently, the Department for Education (DfE) found itself at the centre of a social media storm – not for fixing the childcare crisis, but for how it tried (and failed) to say sorry.

Instead of a sincere apology for ongoing concerns around early years funding, staffing, and support, the DfE released a tongue-in-cheek statement that many felt was lifted straight out of the Aldi marketing playbook – cheeky, flippant, and designed for laughs.

Only, no one was laughing.

Parents, providers, and professionals across the country voiced their anger at what felt like a tone deaf, ill-timed, and insincere approach. Because here’s the thing: Aldi can just about get away with this tone in its marketing, the DfE can’t. And as marketers, we really need to stop assuming that copying someone else’s style is a winning strategy.

Aldi’s marketing is built on humour, cheek, and risk. I am a fan of their marketing team as a whole because they don’t just post and ghost, they get in with their with Whitty one-liners and respond to comments.

Everyone is in on the humour. Their audience expects playful banter, meme-style posts, and the odd “sorry-not-sorry.” That tone is part of a long-established brand identity.

The Department for Education, on the other hand, is literally responsible for the future of children in the UK. The weight of its responsibility means the public expects empathy, accountability, and clarity, not a PR stunt.

This is the key lesson for marketing teams everywhere: What works for one brand won’t necessarily work for yours.

We see it all the time. A business sees a viral trend, a quirky campaign, or a big brand’s social media moment and thinks: we should do that! But what gets missed is the why behind the success. Aldi didn’t just throw out a witty apology and hope for the best. Their tone is consistent, they know their audience, and they rarely stray too far from what their customers have come to expect.

The DfE’s post got views, comments, and shares, but for all the wrong reasons.

In marketing, not all visibility is positive. As my good friend Greg Simpson from Press for Attention always reminds me: not all PR is good PR.

There’s nothing wrong with trying new styles or formats in your marketing. In fact, it’s essential to keep things fresh. But you must read the room. Understand your audience, your industry, and the emotional temperature of your stakeholders.

When something doesn’t land? Don’t double down. Don’t gaslight your audience. Hold your hands up. Learn. Apologise properly. A genuine apology can build trust, a flippant one can destroy it.

As marketers, our job isn’t to copy what’s trending it’s to connect. Yes we can learn from new trends, I am not saying we cannot try new things but we need to communicate with the right people, in the right way, at the right time.

Yes, learn from others. Yes, take inspiration. But always bring it back to your brand, your values, and your audience. How have your audience come to engage with you.

If your tone doesn’t match your mission, your marketing will miss the mark.

I’m so excited to share that I recently had the opportunity to be featured on Erewash Sound Radio! Sally Peacock and I chatted so much that it was split into two episodes to appear on the Erewash Radio Business Show. I loved every minute and Sally really put me at ease.

Over the two shows, I got to talk about my journey with Creationz Marketing, how it all began, and the incredible businesses I’ve had the privilege to support over the years. I also shared something I’m truly passionate about, helping business owners build their confidence in marketing through my our Marketing Mentor Hub.

In the first show, we chatted about how Creationz began over ten years ago and how it’s grown into a trusted partner for so many small and medium-sized businesses across the UK.

With more than 24 years’ experience in marketing, I’ve seen the industry evolve so much and the one thing that’s never changed is the need for joined-up, practical marketing that really makes a difference.

From social media and email marketing to content, design, and strategy, I’ve always believed marketing should be simple, effective, and accessible. Whether it’s consultancy, a project, or ongoing monthly support, Creationz has always been about helping businesses get the results they deserve — without the jargon or overwhelm.

You can listen back to that first interview here:

In the second interview, I shared more about a new chapter that’s really close to my heart — the Marketing Mentor Hub.

Over the years, I’ve met so many amazing business owners who are passionate about their work but often struggle to know where to start with marketing or how to keep it consistent. The Mentor Hub was created to change that.

It’s a mentoring service designed to give business owners the space, support, and structure they need to take control of their marketing with confidence. It’s not about doing it all for you, it’s about guiding you, keeping you accountable, and helping you make smart marketing decisions that work for your business.

Through one-to-one mentoring sessions, I help you identify what’s working, where to focus your efforts, and how to create a plan that actually fits your goals and your time. It’s honest, practical, and totally tailored to you.

You can listen to the second interview here:

Being on the radio was such a proud moment, not just for me personally, but for Creationz as a business. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, how many amazing clients we’ve supported, and how much passion still goes into everything we do.

Marketing can feel overwhelming at times, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether through Creationz Marketing or the Marketing Mentor Hub, my goal is the same: to help businesses grow, thrive, and feel confident in their marketing choices.

If you’d like to find out more about the Marketing Mentor Hub or how Creationz Marketing can support your business, I’d love to have a chat.

There’s something powerful about stepping away from the everyday and immersing yourself in a room filled with over 1,200 fellow entrepreneurs. That’s exactly what happened at the National Entrepreneurs Convention at the ICC in Birmingham, hosted by EC Circle – two days of learning, listening, and thinking differently.

And yes, there was even a superhero theme running through the event – and we all left feeling a little more like business Avengers!

From the moment the doors opened, it was clear this wasn’t just another business event. It was high energy, packed with takeaways, inspiration, and a whole lot of practical insight.

Conversational Marketing with the Zoo Keeper: Who knew animal metaphors could simplify such complex ideas? A session full of fun but packed with actionable insight on the power of tone and approach in communications.

Joe Wicks: The Body Coach himself! Hearing Joe talk candidly about fitness, business growth, and lessons learned from scaling his brand was a standout. It’s not every day you get business tips and life advice from a national fitness icon.

Email Marketing & Stepping Out of Comfort Zones: This session challenged us to stop hiding behind what feels “safe.” A timely nudge for all of us to stretch a little further in our marketing. I still have E.I.E.I.O going through my head – thank you Kennedy!

If you haven’t yet come across Stefanie Sword-Williams, please look her up. Her session hit a raw note. I found myself welling up – not because it was sad, but because it was true.

Her message? Stop being Humble! We don’t need permission. We don’t have to wait to be invited. Advocate for yourself. That really hit home for me. Sometimes you just have to hear something at the RIGHT time!

With so much valuable insight packed into every hour, I’ll be breaking down key marketing takeaways over the next few weeks from SEO and paid ads to email marketing, website improvements and beyond. The learning doesn’t stop with the event. It feeds straight into how Creationz supports SME businesses across the UK.

This convention wasn’t just an event, it was a reminder to invest in ourselves, take bold steps, and never stop learning. It’s easy to get buried in day-to-day delivery, but these two days re-lit that creative fire.

I’ll be sharing more actionable insights that you can apply straight into your own marketing strategy – whether you’re just getting started, or ready to step things up.

Let’s keep the superhero spirit alive, because your business deserves to stand out, fly high, and make its mark.

On Sunday, our very own Emily Roberts swapped her desk for a parachute and took a leap (quite literally) for charity.

Jumping from 14,000 feet, Emily completed a thrilling skydive at Langar Airfield to raise vital funds for Safe and Sound, a Derby-based charity that supports children and young people affected by exploitation.

At Creationz Marketing, we’ve had the privilege of working closely with Safe and Sound and have seen the life-changing impact they have on vulnerable families.

When Emily began to work with them and learned more about what they do, she knew she wanted to do something bold to raise awareness – and what better way than jumping out of a plane?

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our clients, friends, and wider community, Emily has raised over £1,000 so far – and the donations are still coming in! Every penny will go directly towards protecting and empowering young people across Derbyshire.

If you’d still like to show your support, you can donate here:

We couldn’t be prouder of Emily for taking on this challenge with so much enthusiasm (and bravery!). It’s been amazing to watch the Creationz community rally behind her and this important cause.

Emily truly took marketing to new heights – and reminded us all what can happen when passion meets purpose.

Thank you to everyone who donated, shared her story, and cheered her on!