Luke AddisMarketing · Social · Comms

Marketing · Social · Communications

Good ideas deserve to be seen.

Creative thinking. Practical support. Experienced hands.

I help businesses, founders, organisations and individuals make more of their marketing, social media and communications. Whether you need a fresh perspective, a campaign brought to life or an extra pair of hands, I can help you get things moving.

Book a day with LukeExplore my work

Day rate

£100 a day

Experienced, hands-on support without the agency price tag. Usual day rate £400.

About

I know how to get people talking.

I've spent more than a decade working at the intersection of media, marketing, social media and communications.

I've built audiences from scratch, launched digital platforms, worked on campaigns for major brands and developed an understanding of what makes people stop scrolling, pay attention and take action.

From founding Birmingham Updates to developing HelloLocal, my career has been driven by one simple idea: good communication starts with understanding people.

Now, I'm bringing that experience directly to businesses, founders and organisations that need practical, creative and affordable support.

No big agency fees. No unnecessary meetings. Just experienced, hands-on help when you need it.

In short

  • A decade-plus across media, marketing, social and communications.
  • Founder of Birmingham Updates; developing HelloLocal.
  • Strategy and execution — ideas that actually get made.
  • Flexible support, no retainer, no agency overheads.

Recognition

  • Digital Heroes West Midlands Award

    Winner

  • Birmingham Award for Media

    Winner

  • West Midlands Police Diamond Award

    Nominee

“Always connect the dots — don't chase the jackpot!”

Services

What can I help you with?

Social Media & Content

01
  • Social media strategy and content planning
  • Writing captions, posts and engaging copy
  • Content calendars and campaign ideas
  • Improving existing social channels
  • Community engagement

Marketing & Brand Development

02
  • Marketing plans and campaign concepts
  • Brand positioning and messaging
  • Launch plans for new products or businesses
  • Ideas to attract and retain customers
  • Marketing audits and recommendations

Communications & PR

03
  • Press releases and media materials
  • Website copy and business messaging
  • Communications plans and announcements
  • Community engagement and stakeholder communications
  • Storytelling and campaign communications

Creative Support & Problem-Solving

04
  • Brainstorming ideas and finding new opportunities
  • Reviewing existing marketing and communications
  • Helping founders get projects off the ground
  • Extra experienced support during busy periods
  • Turning ideas into practical action

Selected experience

Experience that makes a difference.

Birmingham Updates

Founder

Building the West Midlands' most engaged local news source.

Founded during the 2011 riots to share accurate local information, Birmingham Updates grew into the region's most engaged online local news source — news, lifestyle, events, weather and travel from Britain's second city. I built a truly organic audience before my exit in January 2019.

500k+

Organic audience built

1.8m

Reach on a single trend-led post

30k

Shares on one post

HelloLocal

Founder

Connecting brands with online communities across the UK.

Founded in late 2020, HelloLocal connects brands with online communities across the United Kingdom — built on the belief that to really connect with people you must be real, be interesting and be genuinely useful.

16.5m+

Audience across the UK

West Yorkshire Police

Recruitment campaign

Changing minds about a career in policing.

For the Uplift recruitment campaign, I ran community page and group activity across Bradford, Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, worked with four local influencers on live Q&As with serving officers, and created video content encouraging residents to consider joining the force.

8m

Community reach

400k

Recruitment video reach

42

Community pages & groups activated

Selfridges

Brand campaign

Launching Christian Louboutin in Birmingham.

I created a video for the opening of Christian Louboutin's first Birmingham boutique in Selfridges — a brand moment that travelled far beyond the city.

5m

Reach

14k

Comments

Severn Trent

Community & creative campaign

Making water saving something people talk about.

A long-running creative partnership: water-saving tips shared through local community groups, a series of GIFs supporting the brand's social presence, and an Instagram filter created for the Commonwealth Games and beyond.

12m

GIF reach

1.3m

Community campaign reach

300k

Instagram filter reach

BBC Birmingham

Media partnership

Helping the BBC connect with Birmingham.

I worked with BBC Birmingham on a range of activities — including their Peaky Friday campaign, which put a Peaky Blinders cap on the Bullring Bull, and shouting about BBC Newsbeat relocating to the city alongside Elonex.

500k

Peaky Friday reach

40k

Newsbeat campaign reach

Merlin Entertainments

Brand campaign

Turning a pantomime visit into a city-wide story.

I used images from Birmingham Hippodrome to talk about a pantomime actor visiting Birmingham Sea Life Centre — a simple, timely idea that reached 1.2 million people.

1.2m

Reach

Reach figures are as reported in my portfolio materials and may represent campaign reach rather than unique individuals.

Worked with & alongside

Experience across brands, media and public organisations.

SelfridgesJohn LewisAston UniversityBirmingham Museums TrustSevern TrentWest Yorkshire PoliceBBC BirminghamMerlin EntertainmentsDignioTribera Digital AgencyUberGrenadeWest Midlands TrainsWD-40

Presented as experience and project associations, not as current clients or endorsements.

Process

How it works

  1. 01

    Get in touch.

    Send a short note about what you're working on.

  2. 02

    Tell me about your project.

    We talk through the challenge and what would be most useful.

  3. 03

    Agree the brief and booking.

    Scope, deliverables and availability confirmed in advance.

  4. 04

    Get to work.

    A dedicated day on your project, with clear next steps at the end.

Pricing

One day. A clear brief. Real progress.

A dedicated day of hands-on marketing, social media or communications support tailored to what your business needs.

  1. 01Tell me what you need help with.
  2. 02We agree on a clear brief and realistic deliverables.
  3. 03I dedicate the day to your project.
  4. 04You receive the agreed work and next steps.

A day with Luke

£100 / day

Usual day rate £400

  • £100 per day — usual rate £400
  • Flexible bookings
  • Clear scope and deliverables agreed in advance
  • Expenses and any applicable VAT agreed separately
Book a day with Luke

Availability and scope are confirmed before every booking.

Contact

Let's get to work.

Got something you need help with? Tell me what you're working on, and let's see what we can achieve together.

Luke Addis

Marketing, Social & Communications

Availability and scope are confirmed before booking. The quickest way to reach me is by email.

luke@hellolocal.uk

Midlands & West London

Email Luke directly