brand & business development, marketing & communications consultancy to all kinds of creatives from large-scale architecture practices & design studios to individual artists & creative directors

 what we do

client servicing & business development

This often involves asking some big questions; what types of work would we like to do more of? How can we win those projects? How can we encourage repeat business?

I help creative individuals and companies nurture strong relationships with their current and potential clients, commissioners and collaborators. Sometimes it requires encouraging a shift in mindset from project-based to long-term client relationship, or from a supplier to a partner mentality. I write strategies, then move towards planning and guiding people through the steps they need to take in order to reach their business development goals. The process often starts with brand and positioning workshops to flush out and define these goals and this is combined with researching competitor behaviours and analyzing sector activity and trends.

Next comes practical new business help such as how to stay mindful of ‘distraction’ projects and instead always keep the overarching desired direction and vision in clear focus. Hands-on involvement includes pitch preparation, proposals and advice on high level, ongoing and proactive client servicing.

Marketing strategy

Nine times out of ten communications activities are done in order to attract attention that ultimately will lead to new clients, more exciting projects, customers or commissions. But it can be a slow journey to the holy grail where you can solely rely on word of mouth to get attention and win new projects. While waiting for that to happen putting in a bit of effort into marketing can help things along.

Whether you’re an artist, designer, architect or consultant, or a curator, maker or writer, we all need to think about developing a profile at some point. For some, it’s seen as a necessary evil and the sheer range of potential communications channels can seem daunting.

But before even starting to use PR and social media, launching or updating your website, and wondering which events might be the most useful , I’ll help you carefully consider exactly what your aspirations for marketing, why you’re doing it, who you want to get in front of and how much of your time it’ll take up.  Marketing enables growth but it’s important to think about the messages you’re putting out into the world, the reputation you’d like to grow and how to structure the communications activities in a way that’s manageable, realistic and most importantly, enjoyable (or at least, less of a chore).

I can deliver a comprehensive marketing strategy that will:

• Assess your brand by listening to the founders and key voices within the company to understand the overall brand direction and ambitions

• Clarify the core messages of your offer

• Make recommendations on defining language, tone of voice and the visual expression of the brand and what you do

• Advise on a digital, social media and content strategy that best suits your brand’s personality

• Suggest the publications and platforms that are the best fit with your stories will be the most relevant and guide media relations

• Analyse the profile-building activities of your competitors

• Let you know which events, organisations, networks and influencers will benefit you, and explain how to get in front of them

reputation development & profile building

If you’re doing great work but no-one knows, you should probably tell people, but who and how?

 As well advising on content marketing and tone of voice for the channels that you can control such as your own website and social media, I make strategic recommendations for how best to increase your chances with those you can’t control.

PR and communications consultancy includes connecting individuals and creative companies to organisations, media, networks, events, influencers and awards schemes to make sure their great work, talent and thinking are in front of the right people. This also includes copywriting, ghostwriting, editing and commissioning academic texts in arts, architecture and culture.

Trends, Intelligence & insights

Finding the time to stay up to speed with the latest thinking, opinions and research relevant to your work and projects can be hard. So I do it for you. Heyday’s trends and intelligence is a neat little package that aggregates, simplifies and collates a wealth of thinking and ideas into an easily digestible, completely bespoke package for clients.

Through a combination of desk-based research and reading, conversations and attending conferences I draw on experts - forums, think tanks, academia, studios, practices, policy-makers, lobbyists, researchers, trade fairs and biennales. Specialist areas are design, architecture and urbanism, regeneration and city growth, housing and the public realm, shifts in arts and culture, retail, fashion, music and travel. Research can be briefed to bear in mind a particular current project or subject area, or be a more general report.

 past & current clients, projects & collaborators

Adjaye Associates, ANNA, Architecture Foundation, British Council, Bureau Betak, Büro Ole Scheeren, Casson Mann, Central Saint Martins, David Chipperfield Architects, Dazed & Confused, Design Like you Give a Damn, Designersblock, Fashion in Film, Fondation Cartier, Foxall Studio, Gaia Art Foundation, Google Creative Lab, House of St Barnabas, Hyper Island, IDEO, Institute of Contemporary Art, International Society of Typographic Designers, joinedupdesignforschools, K-2, MONA, Nike, NLÉ, Norwegian Arts Abroad, Nowness, onedotzero, Open House, Paris Opéra Ballet, Pentagram, Peter Rose + Partners, Peter Saville, RSA, Sebastian Conran Associates, Selfridges, Studio Jenny Jones, Studio Museum, Harlem, The Bomb, The Future Laboratory, The Hambledon Gallery, The New Craftsmen, Royal College of Art, The Sorrell Foundation, United Visual Artists, Universal Everything, Whitechapel Gallery, Wolff Olins

 dionne’s bio

Heyday is me!
I am a communications, business and brand development specialist based in London focusing on the creative industries. Over the last 25 years I have been lucky enough to work with some of the most respected names in international design, architecture and culture. Roles have varied from strategic marketing, client relationship development and communications consultancy to editorial, media relations and curating which have led to establishing and maintaining a wide network of contacts in the creative industries, arts and culture in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

My work has also included commissioning content for books and special projects, and collaborating with writers and curators on exhibitions and events such as TEDx and ‘Design Like you Give a Damn’ at the House of St Barnabas, Slow Tech: Designs for Digital Downtime at Protein Gallery, curated by Henrietta Thompson and DESIGNING_SOUTHAFRICA’S ‘A Nation Under Construction’ for the 2012 British Council International Architecture and Design Showcase.

I have a Master’s from the University of London Institute of Paris and a BA in English Literature and History of Art from the University of Leeds. Outside of work I love music, literature and photography and a hobbyist travel concierge specialising in hotel, food and drink recommendations for friends.