Working with Business
The School of Media has consultancy expertise in a number of different areas across both established and emerging media.
We welcome enquiries from SMEs, charities and start-ups as well as larger organisations. We are able to respond to client needs on a case-by-case basis, and aim to match your project to an academic with specialist expertise in the necessary field. We are happy to have exploratory conversations with you to scope out your consultancy requirements before you make a commitment.
Consultancy specialisms include:
- Immersive media – identifying suitable immersive media technology solutions and UX considerations for your project
- Web user experience, SEO and accessibility – establishing or enhancing a web presence, including testing, launching, and improving accessibility
- E-learning – development of interactive and immersive e-learning training programmes through the use of e-learning technology and pedagogical strategies
- Public relations – strategic planning, communications, media relations, campaign development, influencer marketing
- Social media – social media presence, strategy, sites, persona, voice, styles, tactics, trends and communities
- Media diversity – broadening the diversity of the workforce
- Video/media production – developing ideas for content production, scripting, choosing contributors, planning, shooting and post-production
- Music industries entrepreneurship, including legal, artist development, entrepreneurial practice and music industries SME development – advising grass roots musicians, promo companies, independent record labels etc., including development and identification of licensing opportunities and copyright protection
- Events and festivals – advising on the design and operation of various types of events and festivals
Consultants:
- Vanessa Jackson
- Diane Kemp
- Poppy Wilde
- Robin Kay
- Matt Grimes
- Faye Davies
- Kelly O'Hanlon
- Asya Draganova
Vanessa Jackson
Vanessa is a former BBC series producer and now an associate professor in the Institute of Media and English at Birmingham City University. She teaches television production to undergraduates as well as working on employability and enterprise activities.
Vanessa completed her PhD in television historiography in 2018. Her research interests include the history of television, women’s roles in the television industry, as well as the uses of social media in community history projects.
Vanessa has also published on the use of social media in enhancing student employability and engagement.
Vanessa has expertise in producing broadcast video content. From a consultancy perspective she can advise projects involving promotional and corporate videos to professional broadcast productions.
Consultancy might include the following areas:
- Developing ideas for video
- Choice of contributors
- Scripting
- Planning the shoot
- Managing the shoot
- Planning post-production
Dr Poppy Wilde
Dr Poppy Wilde is a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications and an active researcher in the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR). Her specialisms are across digital media and culture, and she has extensive experience in teaching around different new media industries, digital worlds, immersive media, and social media platforms and technologies across all levels.
Poppy's expertise ranges across social media strategies, developing tone and voice, community building, influencer relations, platform USPs, apps and scheduling assistance, trends and patterns, and audience engagement. She is also knowledgeable about search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media optimisation (SMO), as well as different digital storytelling strategies that can be employed to involve audiences in brands, companies, and products.
Robin Kay
Robin is a Lecturer in Media and Communication with a specialism in New Media and is co-author of the soon to be launched BA (Hons) Immersive Media course.
Robin is also acting as an Academic Advisor for immersive media projects on behalf STEAMHouse Birmingham, where he is currently developing an Immersive E-learning platform in collaboration with one of its members.
Robin has experience in frontend web design and User Experience (UX) and has an interest in immersive media and its implementation to create memorable experiences and enhanced engagement.
Robin would welcome the opportunity to work with SMEs to large scale organisations in the exploration and development of user experiences that involve interactive, immersive and e-learning technology. Prior to working within education and academia, Robin worked in music for such companies including Ministry of Sound Recordings, Defected Records, Sanctuary Records and PRS within licensing and royalties.
Matt Grimes
Matt is the Course director for the BA (Hons) Music Industries course and a Senior Lecturer in Music Industries and Radio.
Prior to joining the Birmingham School of Media and the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR) as an academic, Matt worked within the music industries, for a number of DiY record labels, as a tour manager, a music promoter, and within music festival production.
Matt’s areas of expertise also include Music Industries Entrepreneurship and Innovation, grass roots music consultancy, artist development, music PR and marketing, digital music, music business and DIY music cultures. Previous projects have seen Matt work with organisations such as UK Music, Birmingham Music Coalition, Birmingham Music Archive, Afroflux, Birmingham Music Promoters and UnConvention. Previous to working at BCU Matt also worked for the BBC and a number of large music festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Boomtown Fair, The Big Chill and Shambala Festival.
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BCU Academia
Research Gate
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Faye Davies
Faye is a Senior Lecturer in Media, leading and delivering on a range of theoretical and industry facing modules to undergraduates. She has been employed at Birmingham City University for the last 20 years and has experience in professionally focused course management, course development, internal and external course validation, training practices, the implementation of technologically and pedagogically based approaches, and was also formally Teaching Fellow for the Faculty of Performance, Media, and English.
Faye also has experience of managing training to ensure delivery meets QAA standards, is an experienced Senior Examiner for a UK exam board, and has distinct insight into post compulsory course development, transition into HE, approaches for non-traditional academic students, those wishing to develop vocationally focused career development, and effective professional development in a variety of vocations.
Kelly O'Hanlon
Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in PR and Media. Her other roles include BIME Marketing and Recruitment Lead, CIPR Midlands Vice Chair and Budget Manager.
Kelly is a Chartered Institute of Public Relations Accredited Practitioner with over 16 years’ of experience working in PR. She started her career at leading firm WPR Agency, and went onto lead the successful home and lifestyle division during more than a decade with the team, before establishing a PR arm for One Black Bear.
From national retail chains to small business start-ups, Kelly has worked on campaigns on various scales and in both B2C and B2B.
Since 2016, Kelly has been lecturing in her field at BCU and is a regular contributor to industry debates, having been interviewed by national and local media on a variety of topics, including brand reputation, crisis and representation.
Well versed in strategic communications, media relations, content writing, social media management and influencer engagement, Kelly has the experience, network and know-how to help develop a platform and raise awareness for businesses seeking to tell their story and be seen in the right places, by the right people.
Asa Draganova
Dr Asya Draganova is a Lecturer in Media and Communications and co-leader of the Popular Music Research cluster at the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research.
Her areas of expertise include contemporary music industries, popular music culture and heritage economies, subcultural scenes, post-communist sociocultural environments, qualitative methodologies and ethnographic research.
Asya has inter-disciplinary pedagogical experience in designing engaging, innovative and versatile teaching and learning content for BA and MA students within media and communication subjects. She also has advanced knowledge of producing impactful and creative research outputs drawing upon her track record in publishing monographs, multi-author collections, editing and reviewing for journals; as well as co-ordinating public-facing and academic events. Asya’s specialisms include qualitative fieldwork mapping and especially ethnographic strategies for scholarly, media, creative and business purposes.