Meet Brandlective Communications Founder: Transforming Businesses

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 by Liz Rosling

Stacey Kehoe has worked in digital marketing and brand development for the last ten years. She’s a podcast host and editor of the SME marketing magazine The Vault, which has gained her media recognition and award nominations. Since establishing her first business, digital agency Brandlective Communications Ltd in 2012, Stacey has built over 500 websites, brands, and marketing campaigns.

Regularly hired as a consultant, social media trainer, and speaker, Stacey developed the Six-Step Digital Marketing Methodology after being approached by client after client let down by other agencies who failed to implement a strategy that generated the desired results. This methodology was published in her book Get Online: 6 simple steps to launching a digital marketing strategy for the non-tech savvy and is used at Brandlective to facilitate campaign development and enhance the speed at which their clients gain measurable results.

Stacey’s vision is for those with the entrepreneurial spirit to have the resources to rise above the noise, stand out from the crowd, and show their audience who they really are. These beliefs tie in with her commitment to equality.

Stacey is leading a movement called #1MillionDays. An initiative to reduce inequality through social, economic, and political inclusion of all people.

As part of our #WomenInSMEs campaign we were honoured to get the chance to interview Stacey about her experience and achievements to date.

1. Hi Stacey, it’s great to get the opportunity to chat – can you start by telling us a bit about Brandlective?

Brandlective is a digital marketing agency specialising in high-impact work that can genuinely transform businesses. We’re entrepreneurial, thoughtful and dedicated to the craft that we love. Our clients come to us for smart thinking, bold ideas which we consider the only way to get ahead in a digital world that changes daily.

2. That sounds really interesting, what made you want to start your business?

I always loved the idea of being a business owner, but I am actually an accidental entrepreneur. Following multiple redundancies, throughout the 2007-2008 financial crisis, I started a new career in sales and quickly realised that sales conversion rates have a direct colouration to excellent marketing.

I was working in an industry that was behind the times, choosing not to invest in any forms of digital marketing – and due to my previous experience with redundancies that scared me. Observing chaining market conditions and with a full believe that for a business to survive through any economic situation, they need to be innovative and embracing technology as it advances.

I became obsessed with building a digital brand for the company and over the course of 2 years transforming the business I was inundated with requests to help other traditional offline businesses transition online. It was at this stage that I incorporated my first business, Brandlective Communications Ltd, a digital marketing agency which predominately works with companies who are looking for a change and want to make bold moves with their digital marketing strategies.

3. What would you say have been your greatest successes and challenges so far?

My greatest successes to date include publishing my book, launching my podcast and encouraging over 500 businesses to date to embrace digital and build a significant presence online. My challenges revolve mostly around managing people. Ensuring I am serving my team and supporting them to be their best is a constant battle for me. Running a business means I always have a million things to do and prioritising time to invest in the development of the most crucial part of my business, our team, is something I am always trying to improve.

4. What would be your most significant piece of advice to female entrepreneurs just starting out in business?

Unfortunately, I think woman frequently undervalue what they have to offer. I would encourage female entrepreneurs:

To know that you are standing on a mountain of value – every experience you have had throughout your career (& life for that matter) adds value to your business. I saw a speaker present on entrepreneurship at a conference a few years ago that said that men will confidently pitch for business they think they have 40% of the skill to deliver. Where-as woman will opt out of business unless they have 90% of the skill required. We must have the confidence to put ourselves forward for every opportunity. There ARE customers out there that need what you have on offer, and they ARE prepared to pay well for access to it.

5. We couldn’t agree more, thanks Stacey. This leads me on to my last question, why did the campaign resonate with you? Can you offer a comment on why you think it’s important?

I am passionate about equality, and the campaign interested me because I think we need to showcase more successful female business owners. While women in the UK outnumber men by around 1 million, there are twice as many male entrepreneurs as females.

Owning a business offers lots of flexibility, and I would love to see more woman enter entrepreneurship. As a business we advocate for the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically goal 10; Reduced Inequality and part of the work we do for this involves supporting women in business.

At Brandlective we aim to give 1 million days of access to fundamental human rights, education and business training. The way we do this is by aligning our everyday business practice with a ‘giving impact’. For example, each time we sign a new client we pay for 1-day of a social workers wages who campaign for human rights in Cambodia.

For every website project we complete, we give 2-day’s business training to women in Malawi, and for every 30-day marketing contract we complete, we give 30 days of access to water, shelter and schooling to young children in developing countries. These are micro-impacts, but we hope that over the next few years these impacts will make a significant impact. Find out more here.

Connect With Stacey Kehoe

• Twitter: @StaceyKehoeUK

• LinkedIn: Stacey Kehoe

• Instagram: @staceykehoeuk

• Website: Staceykehoe.com

Connect With Brandlective Communications

• LinkedIn: Brandlective Communications

• Twitter: @brandlective

• Facebook: Brandlective

• Instagram: @brandlective

The Vault Podcast

• iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• Lee Lam Consultancy

• Halston Marketing

• Hewson Business Support

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