About

It all started when…

I took my first steps into the world of marketing in 2005 and I have never looked back. My manager at the time, Melissa Nobrega, gave me the best piece of career advice that has always stayed with me. ‘To get ahead in marketing, work on a contract basis and gain as much best practice and cross-industry knowledge as humanly possible. Don’t get stuck in a silo. Do this, and you will quickly get all the skills you need to be an amazing marketing leader.’

I guess it is this piece of advice that has led to the creation of The Digital CMO.

Otherwise known as Johanna (or Jojo to my friends), I am an active member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and I am passionate about shaping marketing strategy to meet human needs. I’m a level-headed and proactive marketing leader with an innate understanding of the transformational power of messaging. I have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and over 15 years’ experience in developing and implementing brand and product strategies for many clients across the B2B, B2C and B2B2C sectors.

With hands-on experience working with tech start-ups, scale-ups, local businesses and established brands, I am a bold C-level marketer who is not scared to get her hands dirty! From formulating go-to-market strategies, identifying personas and defining targeting and positioning strategies, pitching to VCs to setting social media strategies and managing the tactical implementation, I work best with brands and people I believe in.

Outside of work, I’m a keen runner, yogi, community volunteer and nutrition fanatic. Creating The Digital CMO brand took a leap of faith that has been both buoyed and rocked by ‘the pandemic’. Since Lockdown 1.0, I have been supporting some elderly and vulnerable members of my community in Norbury, South London, which has brought me joy in what has been a crazy time for us all. I can often be found pounding the streets of South London, training for my next marathon (Ibiza, 10 April 2021, 3rd time lucky) and I am always on the hunt for new running buddies!

Connect with me on LinkedIn

How I work

Every business is different, so getting under the skin of your business' needs, your current situation and what you want to achieve from our partnership is key.

Perhaps you are pivoting your business model and need some support aligning your marketing strategy and tactics to help you get to where you need to be? Or maybe you have a new offering you want to take to market?

Whatever your situation, we will work together to establish the best approach for you during our initial discovery session. Whether to work together on a monthly retainer basis, project basis or interim basis to get your team up and running - all of this will be agreed upfront.

I work best with organisations I become embedded with, so from day one, you can consider The Digital CMO to be the marketing partner you have always wanted to appoint. I've been an advocate of remote working for many years, which means less wasted time commuting and better use of time getting the job done to an excellent standard.

Using my experience of working both agency and client-side, I understand the silos and deadline pressures to get a project over the line on time and on budget.

You'll be working with a cross-sector marketing expert who is passionate about your brand and purpose. Just you working directly with myself and your team to deliver great results.

Values

In my career, I’ve worked for organisations of all shapes and sizes. I’ve worked on a full-time and fixed-term contract basis; I’ve been made redundant, and I’ve worked for organisations that have gone bust.

All of these experiences have been learnings, and they have shaped my moral compass. They led to me choosing to work on a freelance basis so I can dictate the values that work for me.

No nonsense, just honesty and transparency

I’m a firm believer in laying all our cards on the table from the get-go. I know from experience that the best (working) relationships are built on trust, and for that to happen, straightforward communication is vital.

Every day is a school day

I deliberately never stop learning and growing. With every new client, I learn something new, and I share my knowledge with my clients so together we can keep improving.

Be a force for good

In a world where you can be anything, be kind. Ethics are important, as is happiness. To do my best work, I need to believe in what I am doing; it's not all about the money, it's also about the positive outcomes.

Network

I’m a big fan of teamwork. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest brains across marketing. As a result, I have a ‘little black book’ of sector specialists I can call on when needed. From technical SEO, UX, web design and coding, to sales, finance and project management; if a project requires a specific skill set, I can call on my network. I can work with you to find the best freelance talent to partner with us.

Find out about two specialists I have chosen to partner with to help my clients achieve their goals. Both with C-level expertise, I can rely on them to help strategic projects succeed. Together, they close the loop between marketing, sales and finance.