Anna Scaife
Founder and marketer, 22 years. Brand, PR, e-commerce and growth, built from the inside of a business rather than from a brief.
What I am looking for
2 to 3 days a week, as a fractional marketer for founder led brands, in arts and cultural marketing, or in a wellbeing and facilitation role. Available now, in person in south west London or central London, or remote.
Profile
I started Anna Lou of London in 2004 on a stall on Portobello Road and have run it for 22 years, from a market pitch to Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Liberty, to Isetan and Takashimaya in Japan, Printemps in Paris and Henri Bendel in New York, with a Topshop concession and a shop on Carnaby Street along the way.
Every part of the marketing has been mine to do. Positioning, press, photography, e-commerce, email, search, social, trade and licensing, all of it on the only budget I have ever had, which is a small one. I know what moves a number and what only looks like it does.
My degree is in theatre, which is where the instinct for an audience came from, and I have never really stopped working on how something lands in front of people. Alongside the brand I work somatically with founders and senior people on how they carry pressure, and I facilitate groups. The two halves are not separate. The people I coach are the people I have been.
What I do
Marketing and brand
- Brand positioning and repositioning, naming, tone of voice, and the whole visual and verbal identity
- Press and PR, with coverage earned rather than bought, and a working method for pitching journalists directly
- E-commerce on Shopify, from product and category structure to checkout, discounting and conversion
- Search, email and lifecycle marketing, analytics, and the reporting that tells you which channel actually pays
- Wholesale and trade, buyer relationships, line sheets and international distribution
- Licensing and brand partnerships, from first approach to commercial terms
- Product development and production, including in house CAD, 3D modelling and made to order manufacture
Wellbeing and facilitation
- One to one somatic and nervous system work with founders, executives and senior teams
- Group facilitation and reflective practice, including a weekly donation based group I run in Twickenham
- Corporate wellbeing programmes delivered on retainer to operational and office teams
- Experienced in TRE, Brainspotting, IFS and breathwork
- Founder mentoring on strategy, pricing, positioning and what to stop doing
Experience
Anna Lou of London
Handmade personalised jewellery. Built and led every function: design, production, marketing, press, e-commerce, wholesale and licensing. Stocked by Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Liberty, Isetan and Takashimaya Japan, Printemps France and Henri Bendel New York. Licensed partnerships with Disney, Hello Kitty, Nokia and Ray-Ban. Appeared on QVC in the UK and Japan. Represented the UK at the British Embassy in Tokyo. Moved the business off stock heavy wholesale onto lean, traceable, made to order production.
Anna Lou Wellness
One to one and group work with founders and senior people on pressure, recovery and how the body carries both. Resident in house practitioner at The Hare and the Moon, Twickenham, with weekly one to ones and a donation based group. Also publishes a weekly letter and a wellness magazine.
Balloon Aloft, Australia
Ongoing retainer delivering staff wellbeing, nervous system regulation and performance resilience work to operational and office teams.
Soul Circus Studios
Children's intellectual property development studio. First property sold to Candy Castle Animation. Flagship series in development with Sinking Ship Entertainment.
Angel & Dove, Scandibaby, Balloon Aloft, independent founders
Positioning, pricing, channel strategy and marketing plans for small founder led businesses, with the work done rather than handed over as a deck.
Recognition
Observer Future 500 Award, retail category. Finalist, Exporter of the Year, UK Fashion and Textile Export Council. Finalist, Accessories Brand of the Year, Company Magazine. Adviser to Fascinating Business.
Education and credentials
Degree in theatre. Trained in trauma informed coaching, ICF and CPD accredited.