I’m a London-based freelance copywriter and consultant. I’ve worked as freelance since 2000, and been a professional copywriter since 1981.
Over more than four decades, I’ve worked with organisations of every size, across virtually every sector, helping to clarify what they’re trying to say and communicate it clearly, accurately and effectively.
In my early career, at leading London advertising companies, my work was all about impact and creative standout.
Today, clients come to me when their brief involves complexity, high-level audiences, or sensitive or regulated environments.
They have recognised that getting the thinking right is crucial, and understand that an experienced freelance copywriter is essential to achieve this.
After graduating, I spent the first 18 years of my career at some of the UK’s leading advertising agencies.
These included Saatchi & Saatchi-owned Hall Advertising, in Edinburgh; TBWA London; and Boase Massimi Pollitt (at that time regarded as one of the finest creative agencies in the world), and where I eventually served as a Creative Director.
Later roles included senior and board-level positions at DMB&B, Burkitt Weinreich Bryant, and Ammirati Puris Lintas.
The experience gained in these exceptional agencies shaped the way I think about brands, positioning, audiences and the commercial role of communication, and still underpins the way I approach my work.
Having left the agency world in 1999, I freelanced for a number of agencies before setting up freelancecopywriter.co.uk in 2001.
Since then, I’ve written for more than 800 organisations, ranging from early-stage founder-led businesses to huge global enterprises.
At various points in my agency and freelance careers I’ve written for Unilever, Goldman Sachs, the BBC, The Guardian, Marks & Spencer, Panasonic, Aviva, Siemens, Allianz, Thomson Reuters, Calyon, Tokio Marine, Harrods Bank and many others, alongside a huge range of SMEs and specialist firms.
What matters more than the names, however, is the variety of situations.
I’ve worked on projects involving growth, change, regulation, investment, repositioning, crisis, consolidation and renewal.
It’s this breadth that offers the greatest value to new clients.
Writing copy is my core discipline. But clients often involve me long before we get to the point at which that writing takes place.
Pre-copywriting project tasks may include:
clarifying narrative and positioning before messages are fixed
shaping messaging frameworks that multiple audiences can work from
structuring websites and content so they make sound commercial sense
planning content so it supports decision making, rather than scrolling
None of this is ‘consultancy’ for its own sake.
It’s work that ensures the writing that we go on to do is grounded in clear thinking, rather than being used to gloss over unclear thinking with words.
I work directly with all clients.
No account handlers, project managers or junior writers.
My work commonly includes website copywriting, thought leadership, brand messaging, and content planning.
I aim to be responsive, straightforward, and easy to work with.
I ask questions when something isn’t clear, and I’m comfortable challenging assumptions.
I do not consider copywriting to be a production task.
It is part of a wider commercial and strategic conversation, and I bring that mindset to every project, regardless of its size.
I acquired the domain freelancecopywriter.co.uk in 2001 and began building my practice.
At that time, there was no other UK-based, marketing-focused freelance copywriting service online. I was the first.
That same year, I drafted the Freelance Copywriter Terms and Conditions document still widely used by other copywriters.
In the years that followed, I launched the UK’s first pay-on-booking online sales letter service, and later acquired the domain copywriting.co.uk. This currently hosts my extensive copywriting course.
A separate site, laurenceblume.com, supports my teaching and mentoring work internationally.
I live and work in London, UK, assisting clients both across the UK and internationally.
While my focus today is firmly on work that performs commercially and stands up to scrutiny in the real world, I was fortunate earlier in my career to receive various industry creative awards.
Clients who contact me tend to do so because they value experience, clarity and straight talking.
If you’re looking for thoughtful input, clear structure, and writing that is grounded in years of commercial experience, please get in touch.
