Digital Consultant: Creative + Digital Dialogues

Digital Consultant is the portfolio and blog of Susi O’Neill Consultancy. Based in Nottingham, UK, I provide creative industries and digital media consultancy for project management, partnerships, research and business development for commercial companies and cultural organisations.

Work, projects and clients include:

3 Form
Advantage West Midlands
BBC
Capital Interactive
EM Media
Media Archive of Central England
North West Vision
Pilot Film & Television Productions
Pixel-Lab
South West Regional Development Agency
South West Screen
Universal Music

Specialist: in new media, commercial music, digital and convergent media technologies (e.g. e-commerce, IPTV, digital distribution), television production, creative industries policy and regional development.
Highly skilled: in UK film production, radio production, computer games development, travel writing, music education, performing and visual arts.
I am a semi-professional musician.

Services

I am an approved supplier of business consultancy services for Business Link East Midlands and Business Link West Midlands. This can enable you to receive discounted consultancy or grants towards developing your business in some cases.

Having work through a plethora of technology and fashion changes in new media, particularly working in online video during a seminal stage, I am well placed to help your business develop its digital offering, through the following services:

For digital media businesses:

• Business development and growth – health check and holistic overview of your company’s needs for innovation, improved productivity, training, access to finance, and improving your strategy for commercial success.

For all businesses:

• Learn the option for integrating rich media content – video, audio, games and advertising – into your websites and digital platforms

• Understand and learn how to implement new platforms and technologies (including blogging, social networks, Web 2.0) and what benefits it can bring to your business

• Learn how to create better design, access, usability and improved productivity for your website

• Commision digital or moving image content, text or interactive content to enhance your website

• Trade online and learn how you can sell and distribute your content and products to a wider audience

For non-departmental government bodies, local authorities, consultancies and business support agencies:

• Creative industries and digital media policy development, project management and programme development for developing creative places and sector development
• Delivery of sector development projects, networks, specialist training and one-to-one business support diagnostic and company development

Company Background

I have worked since 2000 in a range of content, technology and support roles within digital media, particularly for entertainment, including writer and multi-media content producer roles for Universal Music, Snapper Music (independent record label) and Capital Radio. During the dotcom boom, I project managed many pioneering online campaigns including branded games, webcasts, SMS campaigns, rich email marketing, and launched several company website re-launches and product micro-sites.

As Head of New Media and Content for Pilot Productions (2001-6), the world’s leading producer of travel television, I was the editor and website manager of www.pilotguides.com, a content-rich text, audio and video travel and culture website. I established onsite marketing and advertising, multimedia streaming, affiliate management, set-up e-commerce facilities for retail of CD, DVD and videos and sold third party distribution of the company’s video content. I negotiated an international publishing deal and edited an in-house magazine and two illustrated travel books. In 2006, the company established a commercial IPTV channel. Between 2001-6, new media transformed from a loss making to a profitable division, accounting for 20% of the company’s turnover, with low overheads.

In 2004-5, I worked with several companies as an external consultant including 3Form (sales of branded game for interactive agency), iToors (specialist writer of iPod tour) and Tasting Places (website development and pay-per-click advertising campaign for tour guides).

In 2006/7, I began to work with regional media companies. As Business Development Executive for Digital Media at EM Media, I advised East Midlands digital media companies how to grow, innovate, train and develop their business, and advised all media businesses how to better deliver services and marketing through digital media. Clients included an IPTV start-up trading in China, an ambient broadcasting agency based in a rural area with skills needs, and several New Media Age Top 100 ranked interactive agencies. I worked with Media Archive for Central England to produce a new website to digitise and give wider public access to their video archive, and BBC New Media to bring Innovation Labs to the region.

In 2006/7 I worked for the media and creative industries teams at West Midlands and South West Regional Development Agencies on media and creative policy. I offered specialist advice from an industry perspective on new technologies/platforms including serious games and pervasive media.

Further information:

Download Susi O’Neill CV

To discuss a project or share an idea, please contact me, Susi O’Neill:
Email: susi@digitalconsultant.co.uk
Tel: 07981 222799