Brand Strategy Consultant & Copywriter | Sydney, NSW | January 2024 - Present

My writing connects brands with consumers. I have over 15 years of experience, much of it in digital and brand work. My specialties include building brand stories, naming brands, giving voice to a brand, ad campaign creation, marketing collateral, and conceptual work.

Recent projects

  • Helping outdoor gear and apparel company Marmot find their north star by creating a new brand statement and writing copy in a new brand voice

  • Redefining the heritage brand Coleman to help new consumers discover the joy of getting outside

  • Revitalize the iconic Australian brand Esky with new content for Bunnings.com.au to improve sell-through with proven tactics including Above-the-Fold imagery and new product descriptions that improve SEO and align to new Esky brand guidelines

  • Create B2B content marketing for health insurer BlueCross BlueShield that demonstrates how they show up for HR leaders so they can be their for their people — empowering everyone with actionable, accessible information and tools to improve outcomes

You can reach me at 0479 182 469, 917-704-0481, or rockycthompson@gmail.com. 

Newell Brands   |   New York  |  June 2021 — December 2023
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR - COPY

  • Creative lead and writer over Newell Brands’ Outdoor & Recreation business segment covering over $1B in sale each year.

  • Along with design partners, create and manage brand and eComm creative strategy for Marmot, ExOfficio, Coleman, Contigo, bubba.

  • Partner with corporate teams including Industrial Design, Marketing, Product Development, Production, and Merchandising to elevate our brands.

  • Manage a team of talented copywriters and freelancers through branding work and daily, direct-to-consumer copy creation.

  • In-house Clients: Marmot, Coleman, ExOfficio, Contigo, bubba

Simple Truth   |   Chicago  |  August 2017 — June 2021
SENIOR COPYWRITER

  • Developed, presented and sold through new ad campaigns for a variety of clients for digital, print, television and out-of-home.

  • Created several new brands from conception to execution based on internal research and strategy work. This includes naming, giving voice to the brand, creating print and digital marketing collateral, and internal and external brand launches.

  • Clients: Allstate, Baird & Warner, The Scion Group, Avalon Bay, Hollister, TRC, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Mercury Cruises, Northern Illinois University

Lindblad Expeditions   |  New York  |  2010 – August 2017
COPYWRITER

  • Digital Copywriter: As part of an in-house ad agency I wrote all copy for Expeditions.com, plus weekly marketing emails, third-party emails, banner ads, and content marketing pieces.

  • Direct Mail Copywriter: Wrote 15 direct mail pieces a year including long form 32-page brochures, postcards and compact gatefold pieces.

  • Advertising Copywriter: Concepted and wrote digital advertising, magazine & newspapers ads, and tradeshow merch & handouts.

  • Organic Social Media Manager: Strategize, plan, write, produce, post, analyze and optimize all social media content for Lindblad Expeditions Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube.

  • Paid Social Media Manager: Build audiences and ads for a multi-touch, always-on paid social media campaign.

  • Community Manager: Build & maintain relationships with top Instagram influencers in the travel space; plan & execute Facebook Live events from remote corners of the world; cultivate consumer-generated content.

  • Content Curator: Content manage retail landing pages and over 2,000 videos to maximize sell-through.

Backcountry.com   |  Utah & New York  |  Jan 2005 – May 2014
COPYWRITER, BLOGGER & EMAIL MARKETER | JAN 2005 - MAY 2014

  • Wrote and content managed the Steep & Cheap daily dose, a funny daily email that had over 300,000 daily readers at its peak.

BLOGGER | AUG 2006 - AUG 2013

  • The sole editorial voice of the largest online outdoor gear retailer.

  • Created a bold, love-it-or-hate it blog that appealed to the core Backcountry customer in over 7,000 posts humorous, relevant posts.

COPYWRITER | JAN 2005 - JULY 2006

  • Wrote thousands of retail product descriptions that drove sales, conveyed brand messages, and targeted niche audiences for several Backcountry brands.

  • Composed story-based product descriptions about highly technical gear that converted browsers to buyers.

The New York Times   |  New York
DIGITAL PRODUCER & EMAIL MARKETER | DEC 2007 - APRIL 2009

  • Built emails in HTML, trafficked ads in newsletters, studied & reported on successes.

  • Created and managed a Google AdWords campaign to monetize unsold email ad inventory, which resulted in a 15% increase in revenue over ad networks .

  • Managed the largest email marketing verticals: Travel, Fashion & High-end Retail.