Nick Yell
Nick started out in the world of marketing and advertising as a Promotions Co-ordinator for Sharp Electronics’s Consumer Product Division in 1984. Fresh from the navy and with a Diploma in Sales and General Business Knowledge from the Cape Technikon, Nick worked for Sharp for three years. He left after completing a Marketing Certificate at Damelin, garnering a Gold Award in Sharp’s annual International Advertising contest and having risen to the position of Marketing Services Manager.
After a short stint with promotions company, Basil O’Hagan, Nick took up a Product Manager position with Robert Bosch for two years — he was responsible for growing the Bosch Auto Shop DIY business in chain stores. He then moved onto the agency side of the fence when he migrated to Mediagrahics for eighteen months — a through-the-line advertising agency — as a Marketing Consultant and worked on the accounts of Punch Line Computers; Deloitte, Haskins and Sells; Dairybelle cheese; Barlows Tractor Company (CAT) and Police sunglasses (launch).
In 1990, Nick decided to venture out on his own and set up a marketing and advertising consultancy within Bruce Bayes’s infrastructure in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. After nearly three years, during which he worked on the business of Stewarts and Lloyds (Rainbird Irrigation), SASSDA and Chubb, Nick took to the seas on a year’s sailing sabbatical.
Returning in late 1993, Nick was offered the position of Account Manager at the White House in Cape Town, handling the below-the-line business of Vodacom (launch), Woolworths, Delta (Opel) and Steenberg Wines (launch). After meeting with his old associate, Bruce Bayes, later that year, Nick decided to move back to Johannesburg and rekindle their previously successful working relationship.
From 1995 to 2001, Nick gained the accounts of Triton (UK bathroom products), ACSA, Electrolux and Sharp Electronics, and also assisted Bruce with the Masterfoods (Whiskas) and SASSDA accounts. In mid-2001, Nick and his erstwhile wife decided to move to Napier, a small village in the Western Cape to open up a wine, art and décor shop. While the latter occupied a fair amount of Nick’s time, he still kept his hand in the advertising world by working on a number of projects for Bruce (AEG, Electrolux, Corrosion Block, the Zinc Association and SASSDA) and his own clients (Black Oyster Catcher and The Berrio wines, Agulhas Tourism and the Elim Wine Ward).
Deciding to pursue his growing travel and copywriting interests full-time, Nick moved to Aberdeen in the Karoo where he again did work for Bruce Bayes and his own advertising clients, and also wrote two books: Circling the Great Karoo (a best-seller in its category) and Karoo Tales and Images. Nick’s first travel article was published in January 2006 and since then he has had over 100 articles published in: Sawubona, Sunday Times, Country Life, Weekend Post, Bike SA, Off-road and Adventure SA, Weekend Argus, Theewaterskloof Gazette, Whale Coast Monitor and The Weekender.
Nick currently moves between his country cottage in Bot River and Cape Town, keeping himself busy between the copywriting and consultancy demands of his advertising clients (copywriters.co.za, Siyaenza and others) and his own freelance travel-writing commitments.
Services offerred
* Advertising and Communications strategy: Do you know you need to advertise and communicate about your product or service, but feel confused by the number of options and mediums available? Let me be a sounding board for your ideas and put a cost-effective strategy together for you. Remember, ad-hoc tactics add up to very little if they are not in sync with the big picture.
* Press releases: PR is one of the most cost-effective and credible tools in the communications mix, but you will not gain this valuable kind of exposure if your releases are clumsily written, not newsworthy or correctly targeted. I’d be glad to advise on this.
* Copywriting: Websites, print adverts, brochures, newsletters and any other promotional content – with a love for clear, concise, single-minded copy and more than twenty-five years experience in the marketing and advertising fields, you’re assured of top-quality writing that will grow brand loyalty and convert communication into enquiries and sales.
* Editing and proofreading: Books, documents, presentations and so on – quality content only comes about from having a trained eye bring it to life. Let me put your best foot forward – it’ll be well worth the effort.
* Destination marketing through travel writing: With a great love of travel, a best-selling travelogue (Circling the Great Karoo) to my name and over 100 articles printed in a wide variety of newspapers and magazines, I will relish an opportunity to write an article on your travel establishment or service.
Examples of work
A few samples are attached across a number of genres, but please let me know if you need more of a specific kind of writing and I’ll happily oblige.
Rates and Charges
I charge R300 per hour (no VAT currently levied), or pro-rata part thereof. This applies both to time spent consulting and/or writing. Discounts are available for ongoing projects or large bodies of work.
Contact
Bot River office: Tel - (028) 284 9006 Fax - 0865 118 909
Bantry Bay office: Tel – (021) 434 5154 Fax – 0865 118 909
Cell: 082 453 1804 Email: yell@telkomsa.net
References
Advertising and Marketing consulting: Bruce Bayes 082 554 7741
Copywriting: Matthew Green or Joanne Brent on (021) 419 2002
Press Releases, editing and proofreading: Harvey Tyson (028) 313 2561
Travel Writing: Paul Ash at Sunday Times on (011) 280 3015, Nita Hazell at Country Life on (031) 910 5700 or Terry Friend at Offroad & Adventure SA on (011) 782 5521
Examples of travel and copywriting
Download PDF's
A Giant in Hiding.pdf (4MB)
AEG.pdf (606kb)
Cab front back label.pdf (150kb)
Eagle Encounters WPost.pdf (232kb)
White Zebra Broch.pdf ( 443kb)
Zinc Brain Ad A4.pdf (2Mb)