Curriculum Vitae

Bill Hunt

Freelance PR Creative Director and Web Designer based in the UK

Top performing PR & digital communications consultant with strong proficiency in business, sales & marketing who maintains a proven track record of continued success, as well as realising concurrent professional growth.

Known for creating innovative marketing and PR campaigns designed to entice new customers, retain existing relationships and promote company brands.
Excellent communicator with the ability to nurture and cultivate strategic relationships necessary for on-going business development. Ability to leverage existing networks to drive cohesive business objectives and meet KPIs.
A motivational leader with the capacity to overcome challenges, exploit opportunities and encourage a positive working environment; has an innate ability to influence others and produce dynamic and long lasting results.
Self-motivation, education, diverse experience and loyal dedication have helped create a powerhouse of problem-solving skills, expertise in maximising productivity and other resources.
HTML and WordPress web designer with proven experience since 2005.

2010 - Present

PR, Web Designer and Digital Communications Consultant

Clients: think-inc, Pathways for All People, Fruitcake Films, RJVN8, Sean Smith, Toshiba Europe, Optimax, Sun Online, Global Analytics Holdings Inc, Mustard Communications, Digital Entertainment Group Europe, Revenge Ink Publishing, Progressio, Dr Michael Bott – Consultant Psychiatrist, Paul Atkinson – hypnotherapist and EMDR Consultant, Alex Reid

Oversee a diverse portfolio of clients in multiple sectors including ICT, finance, publishing and entertainment to increase brand awareness online and offline
Pan-European Media Consultant for Toshiba Europe, assisting in product launches, media relations, event organisation and European agency co-ordination
Creative consultant for PR agencies including Taylor Herring, Bottle PR and Mustard Communications, providing digital and creative oversight

2009 - 2010

HAVAS PR

Creative & Digital Director

Clients: Peugeot, British Army, Standard Chartered Bank, RBS, ASDA, Manchester Arndale, Reckitt Benckiser

Built business opportunities by introducing digital PR strategies and secured key accounts for on-going development
Liaised with account teams to source new accounts, discuss best practices to approach and converted leads into customers through informative online and offline PR campaigns
Trained staff and clients on the benefits and future of digital development and mentored junior staff members to instil a digital mentality within the company
Coordinated and managed Peugeot’s marketing campaign designed to increase coverage and attract new customers through social media: ranked 7^th most viewed YouTube channel worldwide and gaining 12 million YouTube video views
Carried out the digital PR campaign to publicise the British Army’s recruitment campaign ‘Start Thinking Soldier’, generating 136 pieces of online coverage

2007 - 2009

BCW Global

Associate Director

Clients: Atkins, The Partners, Speedo, Piczo, SellaBand, Streakr, digital proposals for many C&W clients

As Associate Director in Cohn & Wolfe’s Digital and Technology division, I also headed up their online PR specialism. To help it along, I came up with and marketed a sub-brand “Wolf Bytes”
The role developed to involve both looking after C&W’s online clients as well as contributing the digital strategy to clients across all C&W divisions

2005 - 2007

Freelance PR Consultant

Clients: Japan Films, Sony Ericsson, The Photo Imaging Council, Mustard Communications, Brita Water Filters, TK Maxx, Beattie Communications, Marks & Spencer, Specsavers, Wilkinson Sword

Assisted in devising Sony Ericsson’s activity plans in 2009 for Walkman and Cybershot categories to assess past PR / marketing initiatives, review feedback and implement changes to future campaigns;
Communicated with clients to understand campaign requirements, assess their target markets, researching overcome competition
Provided consultation to clients on digital strategies and their advantages; created email, social media and PR campaigns to increase brand awareness and generate revenues

2001 -2005

The Village

Creative Director

Clients: Nikon, BMW (Mini), FHM, BT Global Services, TIME Magazine, The Talent Foundation, Tribal DDB, Riot Entertainment

As co-founder of the Village I developed the agency’s creative function, events and marketing; designing the company website and credentials. I wrote all consumer new business proposals and came up with consumer ideas to develop existing tech and corporate client business.
Account work included co-devising the strategy and carrying out the evaluation for the Mini launch campaign and trade PR for new media agency Tribal DDB on campaigns including Volkswagen and the Guardian.
Media relations campaigns included European broadcast coverage of the Iraqi conflict for TIME Magazine, FHM’s High Street Honeys (PRWeek finalist), and the Bridget Jones Diary SMS service (PRWeek finalist, reaching 53 million).

Additional Clients

Kellogg’s | Motorola | BT | Spotcast Communications | Sonera Zed | NatWest | Walkers Snack Foods | British Army & Army Cadet Force | National Drugs Helpline | Chupa Chups | DTI | NMEC | Trebor Bassett Ltd | Raymond Weil | Guinness World of Records | CIC Video | Valpak | Photo Imaging Council | Blueback

About Me

I'm interested in graphic and illustrative design and love building websites, filming, interviewing, producing and editing. I'm a technology addict who also loves travelling and taking photographs with my faithful Leica TL2 and Leica Q.

I have worked as photographer for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, and in 2005 hosted a solo exhibition of pictures taken in Auschwitz at the Art of Propaganda Gallery. I then set up a website (www.auschwitz-birkenau.org).

Pictures taken in Auschwitz are also promoted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Some pictures have been published in 'A Guide to Great Photography' by Peter Bargh, one has appeared in a book about the Bloomsbury group, and another on the cover of 'A Little Piece for Mother', a Holocaust-themed novel by Barbara Towell. I have also taken behind the scenes pictures for a Sean Smith music video, with one of my pictures now used on a CD sleeve.

I am founder member of the Atlantic Council of the United Kingdom, WordPress Mentor for those starting out in website design, and photography mentor for users of Ricoh GR III and Leica cameras.

Awards and Distinctions

PR Week Award Finalist: The Bridget Jones Diary SMS and FHM’s High Street Honeys Campaigns.

PR Week Best Promotional Campaign.

Food Marketing Bronze Award, Marketing Magazine.

PRCA Commendation.

Education

University of London

BA (Hons) 2:1 Philosophy and Theology

Contact

You can read my CV here. These campaigns include campaign strategy, media relations, social media campaigns and websites I've designed. I now work as a consultant for many PR agencies, on idea generation, affordable and professional web design, SEO and social media management. If you would like to discuss how I may be able to help to promote your business or design your website, please drop me a line.

“Thank you very much for the huge amounts of effort which I know have been invested, and for sticking with one of the most difficult of all tasks – a year round campaign….the client will have been suitably impressed.”
David McLaren
Chairman, Hill and Knowlton

“…we have established a new level of awareness of the ACF among journalists – we couldn’t have done it without you – many thanks.”
Brigadier John Neeve
General Secretary, ACF

“Bill is one of the most creative people I know. Give him any project and he’ll come up with a range of ideas for PR campaigns, some of which are unusual, yet will always create awareness, capture the imagination and are do-able. Bill has an amazing mind and can look at a problem like no-one else I know. He is totally in tune with current trends and thinking. Oh, and he’s a great guy and fun to have around as well!”
Elaine Swift
Head of Press & PR, Nikon

“Bill is a delight to work with. He is creative, committed and a true team player. You can always rely on Bill to produce imaginative plans and execute to deadline and budget. He’s a great motivator and has a high work ethic. I’d be delighted to have the opportunity to work with Bill again.”
Gladys Elia
Managing Director, Cohn & Wolfe and International Communications Adviser

“Bill was talking all things digital long before most of us knew our blogs from our tweets. He has that rare knack of combining great creativity with compelling execution. I had the pleasure of working with Bill at Cohn & Wolfe and quickly realised that he was a rare talent indeed. Catch him while you can.”
Paul Maguire
PR & Integrated Communications Consultant

“Bill you are amazing, do you know you stand out among all those I work with, you’re conscientious, nice and professional; and you go way beyond the call of duty. You have really restored my faith in people.”
Amita Mukerjee
Author & Founder, Revenge Ink

“…an ability to come up with creative ideas that are not only quirky and original but also workable makes him a very unusual and valuable PR person. Bill is persistent, communicates well and has developed some close relationships with influential journalists.”
Virginia McLean
Professor of International Public Relations, Syracuse University

“Bertie was a heroic campaign – fun, targeted and very effective. This campaign generated great exploitation of a human interest idea.”
Beverley Kaye
Chief Executive, The Rowland Company

“Bill has his finger on the pulse. His imagination is and drive are rivalled by few. Anyone who has the opportunity to work with Bill is very lucky. He is an asset to any team or company.”
Julia Hanley-Gordon
Engagement Manager, Equal Experts

“Venerable publishing house Penguin Group … made a tech-savvy move through a partnership with teen-oriented community site Piczo.”
CNET.com

“The stunt was judged to be an unprecedented success by Trebor Bassett and the media. It captured the imagination of the media, fitting in well with the requirements of news desks for light stories.”
Hilary Freeman
PRWeek Magazine

“Bill’s ‘practical creativity’ has hugely impressed me. He consistently comes up with interesting, imagination-grabbing ideas. His ability to combine big thinking with practical effectiveness strikes me as pretty rare.”
David Taylor
Head of Thought Leadership, Siren Communications

“Many thanks for all the great work you have done for us. If we are able to come back to you with more work as a result of new account wins we will do so immediately.”
Sally Fearfield
Founding and Managing Partner, Starfish Communications

“…one of only 20 decent PR people in the industry.”
Tricia Phillips
Business & Careers Editor, The Mirror

“You played an important part in creating ‘Get Some Attitude’. You showed great determination, for this I am immensely grateful.”
Lt Steve Thomas
Marketing Officer, ACF

“Thank you for all your hard work on Simply The Best CITV. I and the team especially appreciated your enthusiasm and ideas, and it was a pleasure working with you.”
David Alpin
Editor, LWT

“I want to say a big thank you for the excellent work you have done in gaining such quality coverage for Bertie at Sotheby’s. It just goes to show what hard work, persistence and a belief in the character can achieve.”

– * –

“Congratulations on the excellent coverage achieved with the balloon during the London Marathon. I believe the media value alone would have more than paid for the cost of the balloon.”
Bruce Burnett
Marketing Director, Trebor Bassett

“Bill really showed initiative and refused to be beaten (by me or the system) and found a way…the result was the most brilliant branded TV coverage. A delighted client – even their MD noticed it and was enthusing.”
Pippa Sands
Managing Director, Sandpiper Communications

“Lovely to work with you and you’ll certainly be top of my list for any future freelancing.”
Wendy Akers
Managing Director, Wendy Akers PR

“Bertie at Sotheby’s was an excellent piece of opportunism, showing an originality usually lacking in PR companies. The idea to hold live radio interviews with ‘Bertie’s Manager’ was in a different league to press releases.”
Ian Jowell
BBC Radio Sheffield

“I was intrigued and amused by your ‘flannel’ promotional pack … it has certainly registered.”
Patrick Barrow
Managing Director, Public Relations Consultants Association

“The beauty....is it is a PR agency that has the balls to address our industry’s bull. When more agencies and independent PR pros start doing the same, we can fall out of the police lineup and into the bank line.”
Editor
Cornerbarpr.com