PORTFOLIO Cora Benzie, Writer & Content Marketing Expert

cora.benzie@gmail.com

VISIT SUFFOLK Destination Marketing

 I have been managing Visit Suffolk’s content marketing efforts since January 2014, when the groundbreaking ‘Take me to Suffolk’ campaign was launched. The campaign centred around an interactive map (http://www.takemetosuffolk.com/) whose concept, visuals and user journey I was instrumental in producing, and which E-consultancy described as their “favourite feature [of Visit Suffolk’s site] and arguably one of the most important tools on any tourism website.” To drive traffic to the map, and to Visit Suffolk’s main website, I deployed an intensive three-month content strategy consisting of over 40 blog articles, images, map itineraries, competitions, tweets and posts. The campaign was an incredible success, generating a 32:1 return on investment and bringing an extra £1.2million to Suffolk’s economy. Then in autumn 2014, after an interim period during which I continued to deliver carefully planned and create content across Visit Suffolk’s channels, the second campaign was launched. The objective of ‘The Other Side’ campaign was to further increase tourism visits to Suffolk by showing the county’s other, more mysterious side. The map was re-skinned to look spookier, and populated with a series of short films about Suffolk’s ghost stories, myths and legends. Once again I created an intensive content strategy for the campaign, the backbone of which was a series of blog articles, supported by videos and competitions.

You can read all of the articles that I have written for Visit Suffolk at http://www.visitsuffolk.com/suffolk-stories/, or follow the links below to read a few of my favourites: http://www.visitsuffolk.com/suffolk-stories/curious-history-brewing-suffolk/ http://www.visitsuffolk.com/suffolk-stories/french-cooking-in-suffolk/ http://www.visitsuffolk.com/suffolk-stories/ipswich-cultural-revolution/ http://www.visitsuffolk.com/suffolk-stories/guide-suffolk-beaches/      VISIT MOROCCO Brand Tone of Voice

 In 2014 I helped my company win a 5-year contract to market the country of Morocco as a tourism destination. I was tasked with creating the brand tone of voice for Morocco, and providing some examples of copywriting, which you can see below. MOROCCO Close your eyes and imagine a country of colours. Imagine crimson, gold and stone, deep, cool blue and the brightest green. Imagine crystal seas, rich soils, mountains and deserts. Imagine a warm breeze blowing across your skin, carrying a myriad of scents up to your nose, each one beckoning you in a different direction. Imagine the sound of voices ringing in prayer, of glasses tinkling, of soft footsteps walking down ancient streets. Imagine

the heat of the sun, and the cold smoothness of tiles on your fingertips. This could be Morocco, but you’ll never know until you get here… MARRAKESH Marrakesh is an ancient city, a place where losing yourself and finding yourself can mean much the same thing. Once inside the red sandstone walls of the old city, the medina and its bustling streets draw you in, the intoxicating sights, smells and sounds of the market delivering something new at every turn. Several times a day the call to prayer rings out from one of Marrakesh’s hallowed mosques, reminding you that you’re in a deeply spiritual city. There is grandeur here, too, in the form of great palaces or riads of marble and mosaic, with pools and plants at their centres… MOROCCO’S ATLANTIC COAST Stretching south from Casablanca hundreds of miles to sun-soaked Agadir at the foot of the Altlas Mountains, Morocco’s Atlantic Coast is a paradise of golden sands, coastal lagoons, cliffs, coves and surfing spots. You’re free to go wherever the wind takes you: unwind completely at the stunning beach resort of Mazagan, or find happiness in Saidia, Morocco’s Blue Pearl. The historic coastal town of Essaouira with its picturesque fishing port and traditional medina entices those seeking to experience Morocco’s culture, as well as long, glorious days on the beach…

CHAMPAGNE BOLLINGER Web Content / Article Writing

In early 2013 I wrote several articles for Champagne Bollinger’s ‘Life Can Be Perfect’ online magazine. The objective was to promote a selection of hotels, restaurants and bars where the Champagnes can be enjoyed. You can read some of the articles at the following links: http://magazine.champagne-bollinger.com/en_UK/in/fjp3seyu4-christmas-in-paris http://magazine.champagne-bollinger.com/en_UK/in/ne2wtbg34-rose-for-valentines http://magazine.champagne-bollinger.com/en_UK/in/h3y11wx46-by-the-glass-in-london THE NATIONAL TRUST Content Marketing Campaign, ‘Remember When’

In spring 2014 I worked on a campaign for the National Trust called ‘Remember When.’ The objective was to promote the National Trust’s sites in Essex using the emotive concepts of remembering and making memories. I was tasked with creating a three-month social media content strategy, deployed via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and writing a series of web articles, which were published on the National Trust’s website. You can read some of these articles at the links below: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355831188534/ http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355835215881/ http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355832555830/ http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355833967494/

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355832168662/ http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1355834123757/   VISIT NORWICH Destination Marketing Campaign, ‘City of Stories’

In autumn 2014, I played an integral role in Visit Norwich’s acclaimed ‘City of Stories’ campaign, aimed at increasing domestic tourism to this beautiful, cultural city. During the course of the campaign Facebook likes for the City of Stories page went from zero to over 10,000; the campaign was picked up by national newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent, and over 750,000 people were exposed to the campaign online. My task was six-fold:

• Helping to plan the City of Stories campaign, which used Norwich’s UNESCO literary credentials as a springboard to tell the little-known stories that make it such a fascinating place to visit.

• Writing 12 articles on different Norwich themes, including literature, nightlife, architecture and food.

• Commissioning 12 short stories written by external writers to run alongside these articles, plus poetry, flash fiction and artwork created by the people of Norwich.

• Managing 12 weekly competitions.

• Planning and managing the extensive social media arm of the campaign, encompassing three months of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram activity.

• Writing 84 mini-stories of 200-300 words about Norwich. These formed the backbone of the campaign and were posted daily on Facebook.

You can read the 12 articles I wrote and the accompanying short stories on here http://cityofstories.co.uk/article/through-the-eye-of-the-beholder/ (the chapter numbers run down the right hand side). Below is an example of one of the 84 mini-stories I wrote about Norwich during the course of the campaign. This one was typical of the campaign, receiving 366 likes and 68 shares with no Facebook advertising. STORY FORTY-SEVEN: WHO’S FRANK? On an evening’s venture through the Norwich Lanes, you come across Frank’s Bar on Bedford Street. Its windows are glowing invitingly. Who’s Frank? you wonder – and then the thought is gone, as a rush of warmth greets you from the open door, and you step inside. No need to order at the bar, simply sit yourself down. No free tables? No problem – you can share one, and maybe even make some new friends. There are board games to play, but on a night like this conversation is better. All around you people and smiling and laughing. The waiter comes to take your order; it’s a tough choice. Cocktails or coffee? Fine wine or local beer? You order a drink, then pick up the food menu. You see dishes inspired by Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy, India, Argentina, Lebanon and more, and nothing over £12. The music at Frank’s Bar is funky and familiar, the kind of music you wish you had in your Spotify. The waiter sets down your drink, and you ask what time they close. “Not till 2:30am,” he says, “and we’re open again tomorrow for full Englishes and an afternoon film.” You smile. Whoever Frank is, you think, he knows how to run a bar. *Frank’s Bar is actually run by Ella Williams and James Wingfield, but being modest folk they’re happy to let Frank take the credit.

DOVE SEO web article series

In 2013 I produced a series of web articles on self-esteem for beauty brand, Dove. The brief was to produce seven SEO articles on a variety of supplied topics, with each article being optimized for three relevant search terms. Though no longer online, you can read one of the articles below: DOVE’S FEMALE ROLE MODELS Keywords: Inspirational women – 4 times Female role models – 4 times Inspiring women – 5 times Who are the inspirational women in your life, and why do they inspire you? That’s what we at Dove have been asking ourselves of late. In our mission to create a world in which beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety, we’ve been searching for the female role models that we think are inspiring women all around the world to feel beautiful in their own skin. MICHELLE OBAMA When it comes to inspirational women, the First Lady of the United States is one woman whose influence reaches around the world. As well as the small matter of helping her husband win the presidency and managing her own successful career, she has devoted much of her time to supporting people and causes that need it. And if inspiring women makes you look that radiant at 50, we should all be doing it!

LENA DUNHAM Since Lena Dunham’s Girls first aired in 2012, she has been inspiring women everywhere to love their body type whether or not it conforms to the beauty “norm” created by the media. Jessa, Marni, Shoshana and Hannah (played by Dunham) are four normal young women with different body types, and though they encounter many problems as they stumble their way through life, body confidence is never one of them. JENNIFER LAWRENCE Like her on-screen character Katniss Everdeen, an undisputed modern heroine, Jennifer Lawrence is a female role model to millions of young women. She also knows that being a female role model is a responsibility, and has vowed never to starve herself for a part, and to always maintain a fit, strong, healthy body. We love you, J-Law! SHERYL SANDBERG As Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most influential and inspirational women in the world. Her book Lean In has been inspiring women to break down personal and social barriers and strive for leadership, which we think makes her a beautiful female role model for women of all ages. CAITLIN MORAN How could we not love Caitlin Moran? She’s funny, feisty and one of the most inspirational women in the British media, having written for The Times for eighteen years despite having no formal education. Since it was published in 2011, her award-winning book How to be a Woman has been inspiring women with advice on everything from Botox to babies, as well as making them laugh. A lot. THANK YOU FOR READING… If you would like to discuss a potential project, or get a reasonably priced quote for copywriting, social media management or content marketing strategy, I’d love to hear from you! Don’t hesitate to contact me at cora.benzie@gmail.com.