About Into The Woods Marketing
I’m Veronica, I help businesses figure out their marketing and make it work better.
My background
I have worked in marketing since the 00s, starting as sales and comms support, working my way up to head of marketing and now as a marketing consultant.
Before I knew about marketing, I wanted to be a journalist and I spent my school and university holidays working part time and doing newspaper internships. I studied English Language and Literature at the University of Leeds and after graduating, a temp job turned into a marketing support role.
Studying English was great for my copywriting skills but didn’t teach my anything about business. So, a few years into my career, I went on to study the Level 6 diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, where I learned all about marketing theory, planning and management.
I worked as an in-house marketer for 12 years in a range of sectors: public sector tech, charity, environmental health, e-commerce and property. My roles spanned companies and teams of all sizes, in markets all around the world. I was a generalist marketer, usually working across a number of divisions and managing their campaigns, collateral, events, communications and content.
During my time in-house, I received a lot of training in coaching and mentoring, and early in my business journey I completed an ILM Level 5 certificate in coaching and mentoring.
I love to share my marketing knowledge and experience; you’ll find my marketing, copy and PR insights on the blog and my newsletter on Substack. I’ve taught courses through Alt Marketing School and I’ve worked with Girls in Marketing as a trainer and mentor.
Who I work with
I work with established small to medium businesses alongside their existing marketers.
For many businesses, marketing support usually looks like an expensive consultant or a junior in-house hire. I am neither of these things.
I won’t work with you every day, because you don’t need it right now. I keep my client-base small, so you get my attention. And if you need a full-time marketer, I’ll help you make the transition. I mentor your marketing team to help them get up and running.
Into The Woods Marketing is not a side hustle or a stepping stone. It’s my business, where I do my best work, giving you access to my marketing brain and my network in a way which is flexible and affordable.
Into The Woods Marketing is fully insured through Policy Bee and I have a contract with each and every client, no matter the size of the project. It’s also a climate positive business through Ecologi, which means that my carbon footprint and travel is offset, and I have a company forest.
Marketing strategy
Having worked in several industries, with all kinds of products and services, I have marketed many weird and wonderful things. The approach, however, is always the same.
Everything starts with the customer, a marketing strategy and plan. When I meet a new client, we’ll talk about their business and brand before looking closer at their product/service and customers. We agree on goals and a plan of action.
I’ll always be honest if a freelancer with a different skill set or an agency with more capacity would be better suited to your needs.
Marketing mentoring
I believe that every marketer should have a mentor. Somebody who is your sounding board, to push you when needed and listen when times are tough. I have benefitted enormously from having several mentors throughout my career. As a marketing mentor I work with early-mid career marketers who are following the same career path as my in-house career.
My mentoring approach is to coach and listen, encouraging my mentees to think independently. I openly share my own experiences as a marketer, including what has worked, hasn’t worked and what I’ve learnt along the way. Our mentoring relationship will focus on setting goals, exploring your options and setting a plan of action.
I work with businesses as a mentor for in-house marketers.
The story of Into The Woods Marketing
Into The Woods started as an idea in 2015, prompted by the need for more freedom and flexibility, and fewer meetings and office politics. In 2016 I was offered an opportunity to work in e-commerce and gain experience in B2C marketing. I took the job and put Into The Woods on the back burner.
An eventful few years followed. I moved cities, I was made redundant and I bought a house as a renovation project. In 2019, I revisited the idea of going freelance, once more craving flexibility. I gave my three months’ notice at the start of 2020 and in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, became a fully-fledged marketing consultant.
Get in touch
If you would like to work with me, get in touch by email or find me on LinkedIn.
And if you’d like regular updates on how I’m growing this business and what I’m learning about marketing, then you would love my newsletter.