Biography // Paul Brown

Paul is a multi-disciplined senior creative and marketing professional, practising internationally since 1998 across a wide range of sectors. He has produced and delivered successful work consistently throughout his career. The following is a brief summary of his historical career including his English creative agency Bluemoon - 1998 to 2010. Paul can provide digital evidence in respect of each career progression including course work from his design and multi-media honours degree course 25 years ago when he first work on an Apple Mac computer.  The following links provide a sample of this work. View the Bluemoon folio for design, brand, interactive media and website work prior to 2010.

Samples

• 2021 SEO & SM marketing campaign development - search terms ranked #1 to 5    https://bit.ly/3uWkfCD
• 2021  Liberation Day - full website design and planning (PDF)   https://bit.ly/3e3ylvG
• 2020  Collenette Jones (accountancy), successful design of mobile friendly website  https://bit.ly/3e7Ncpb
• 2019  Social media channels integration with business process and artwork developed for Kings Premium Health   https://bit.ly/2KZoRlh
• 2018  www.itchyfeetoffshore.com  - largest CI recruitment website with advanced database driven online vacancy function
• 2018  GTMetrics website optimisation success (independent measurement)   https://bit.ly/382WMpl
• 2018 New international finance brand Interben (for Nordben)   https://bit.ly/3bUtg6m
• 2017 www.paulsmotors.gg  website with advanced vehicle stock selector working with ŠKODA UK 
• 2016 Premium product mobile website developed for  www.channelislandceramics.com
• 2016 Luxury Gold brand development for Insight Vacations.  LINK
• 2010 to 2016 Carey Group highlights
        - Paul Brown work priorities snapshot 2014.  LINK PDF
        - CG Group marketing activity record.  LINK PDF
        - soft rebrand (with BWi).  LINK PDF
        - corporate brochure - simplified -  CG Luxembourg.  LINK PDF
        - international mobile optimised website (multiple regions) (with BWi).  LINK PDF
        - Connect - bespoke intranet application, multi-region (with Submarine).  LINK PDF
• Bluemoon Creative Design folio.  LINK PDF

Fine Art & Graphic Design Degree
Following an early career in UK banking and regional television, Paul studied Fine Art at Harrogate College in North Yorkshire, before he gained a BA Hons degree in Graphic Design & Multi-media at Bradford University, studying under David Hockney alumni, Grant Devine. During his second year at Bradford, he was instrumental in the formation and successful launch of the student design agency After Hours which led to the university receiving an international grant (and further recognition). 

International Project Success
During year three at university, Paul produced his first international work, a 12 PP product brochure for fluid engineering specialists Sulzer, headquartered in Switzerland. This was to promote a new specialist pump valued at + £1million per installation.  Paul was required to present the design and a print production budget / contractor to the CEO and his board of senior engineers in order to 'sell' the solution. This meeting was held at Sulzer's UK office in 1996 and the brochure remained in international circulation for the following eight years (with minor spec updates). 

Broadcast Media
Paul was recruited in principle during the third year of his degree by an independent broadcast production company, Imago, based in Yorkshire. Imago were an ambitious boutique agency with high production values and cutting edge technology who encouraged Paul to excel. The company had international ties and provided early exposure to heavyweight media projects. In 1997/8 Paul produced creative for Music Television (MTV) in the USA, Sedco Forex (multi-national oil) France and British Airways through the London creative agency Fitting Images. 

Touch Screen Kiosk
Paul now combined graphic design with digital media including video and animation which he applied to touch-screen kiosk applications for Zanussi and Polygram. This led to work with interactive CD (later DVD), including The Great Highland Bagpipes, working with Scottish Heritage and the Glasgow Piping Centre. Paul was invited to present the product at its public launch and appeared on BBC Scotland with music producer Dougie Stevenson of BGS Productions... the internationally famous 'Scotdisc' label. 

Paul became an 'adopted Scotsman' for the next eleven years producing graphic design, product packaging, DVD video and exhibition stands for Scotdisc including several projects for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, a number of which were presented to their CIC, Her Majesty The Queen.

Digital Video - early adoption with Apple and Avid
Having deployed Quicktime digital video on the bagpipes project and also on a ground breaking interactive CD for US Pharmaceutical major Allergan, Paul contacted Apple Computers in 1997 and invited them to work with Imago on the development of a digital video edit suite to replace the Betacam tape process (SOP at the time, although slow and expensive). Video specialists Avid were invited to support the project and the triumvirate produced England's first desktop digital video edit suite. 

Imago subsequently published The Whitepeak Way, an hour long retail video for tourism edited entirely on a built to order, dual motherboard Power Macintosh 9600 computer with RAID array for data and a flashed M.S. Windows GPU driving two 20" monitors. Apple would later release their own video edit software in 1998 which became the global industry standard, Final Cut Pro.

Website Design & Production
Imago began producing digital video immediately for website streaming, and quickly moved into website design and production. Paul, now lead creative with a team of five in support, had early design success with deployments for outdoor clothing brands Karrimor and Berghaus.  This interest in digital communication has continued with over two decades of website deployments, most recently acknowledged with the acceptance of his design / SEO / SM support for the official website of the 2021 Liberation Day events for The States of Guernsey (LD2021_design.pdf). Please see the link list below for further design and planning examples. 

Bluemoon Creative Agency
Between 1999 and 2010, Paul went independent, launching the successful Northern creative agency Bluemoon providing design solutions for a wide range of national and international clients including Tesco, M&S, Puma, Scotdisc, RBS, Sulzer and Hesco Bastion. The implementation of cutting edge data technology, including a dedicated web server and an early adoption of Apple Mac Pro computing, positioned the Yorkshire based agency well for 'digital change' projects.

Website Application Development
In 2000, Paul's web based data application for UK social housing (which provided 24/7 web access, a content management system and touch screen kiosks for outreach communities) won five national technical awards including 'Best Use of Technology'. It was subsequently adopted by several local authorities and commended by Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.  Over the next two years Paul successfully developed the housing application for Bradford, Lincoln and Wakefield councils which led to a partnership with housing software specialist Comino PLC, including the design of their new local authority brand, Universal Housing. 

At the 2000 International Housing Exhibition in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Paul's design for a 'Cyber Cafe' concept won the 'Stand of Show' award for Comino promoting a good deal of industry press coverage, which led to several further project enquiries. 

Marketing - Northern Foods PLC
In addition to his work as a professional designer, Paul has worked with international brand, marketing and communication teams since 1996.

Paul's extension into marketing as a lead contributor (beyond than design and production) came working closely with the Foxes Biscuits product team. A significant project he instigated was the transition of traditional photography / dark room / transparencies to a fully digital, web server based solution. A food product could be in the studio, dressed and shot by 11 am, executive approved (remotely) and circulating across Europe to retail partners by the early afternoon. The system removed duplication, reduced cost and time providing the team with far greater control of brand assets and the latest approved images.

The consultancy work extended to parent Northern Foods PLC, with Paul providing both design and communication input to multiple sub brands over several years including major campaigns and a rebrand of international label Elkes Biscuits in 2006. Paul developed the brand and packaging for a muffin product exclusively for Tesco PLC working in close support of the NF marketing team to determine the requirements and then present a benefit proposal and samples to Tesco buyers / executive which led to a new contract. Some of these products remain on supermarket shelves to this day. 

Marketing - Puma International
On similar lines, Paul closely supported the UK senior team of Puma, the internal sports company, between 1999 and 2003. This included corporate and sports events (presented as a member of their executive marketing team) and the production of marketing materials in support of key products such as the King Puma football boot.

With Marketing Director Dale Buckland, Paul launched the UK sub-brand, the Puma Sports Outlet, an initiative to sell significant numbers of end of season stock. Two channels were developed - a retail 'factory' store open to the public on a multiplex off the M62 and a 'retailer only' monthly promotion which offered significant discounts and benefits for taking product 'dumps', often drip sold through eCommerce websites with the time pressure removed.  This effort was a significant success for Puma, solving the chronic problem of dead stock due to new seasonal product arrivals. 

International Marketing - Carey Group 2010
In 2010, Paul entered offshore HNW Private Client and Commercial finance with Carey Group based in their Guernsey HQ, having been recruited by Chairman Kevin McAuliffe. He spent the next five years managing and developing the brand, marketing, PR and digital comm's output for nine offices across Europe. 

Paul successfully directed a digital transition programme which delivered organisational improvements and benefits including significant cost reduction.  Year one began with establishing close relationships including the CFO, IT and two external partner agencies. A new international website was designed and deployed successfully alongside the adoption of central management and a budget.  Social media policy and support were instigated and comms channels developed including Mondaq for press circulation.

In year two, the development of a web based 'Print On Demand' function reduced group annual print production costs by 75% - rather than buying / holding brochures, stationary and product print locally, each office office could browse and order stock centrally through a secure online facility with a turnaround of 24 hours. Blank stock was pre-printed and digitally over printed only on order. The print contract length was two years for which the supplier also provided a significant discount. 

Year three included the task of developing a new intranet for the Group. This included a secure internal communication environment to promote inter-office communication, lower response times and encourage closer relationships across the group. Paul designed a solution in 2013 which essentially provided Carey Group's own Facebook - every member of staff had an account profile and could contribute freely to discussions from their desktop PC, laptop or mobile device. Private groups and executive 'rooms' were also featured.

Paul worked directly with the CFO and senior executives of the group, managing the budget and group activity with the two external agencies in support. He provided a monthly activity and performance review (with detail for each international location), and presented at the bi-annual senior executive meetings (Geneva, Zurich, Luxembourg, London) During his tenure as Senior Marketing Executive he organised a number of international client conferences.

In 2015, after re-structuring the marketing function, developing the international Carey Group / UK pension's websites and delivering the group intranet, he successfully re-launched the brand, reporting directly to senior partner Graham Hall of Carey Olsen and Carey Group CEO Simon Cole.  

Carey Group HNW Financial Event with CFO Jim O'Keefe
and Geneva CEO Rudolf Kaufmann, Geneva 2014

Global Marketing Director
An appointment as Global Brand & Marketing Director for Insight Vacations followed in 2016 when he directed the launch of Luxury Gold as a stand alone premium 5 star tour brand.  Paul worked closely with the Canada based digital team developing the group website and Salesforce CRM. During the 2016 Paris terrorist attacks, he led the IV crisis management team from Guernsey working with Brett Tolman, Chief Executive of parent group The Travel Corporation.  TTC includes Red Carnation Hotels and Contiki, a mobile centric brand targeting the under 30's through largely digital communications.

Submarine Digital Developer
In 2016, Paul was invited to join Submarine as lead creative, marketing and client executive - a return to the sharp end of web application development, digital communications, social media and SEO which brought his design, innovation and technical skills back onto the forward edge... once again working at a boutique agency for multiple clients on a dozen projects at any one time. Full circle.