Mam's the Word – Giving brands a voice

Hi, I’m Dan Brough and I’m a creative advertising copywriter. From 25 characters to gloriously-long press ads, and everything in between, I can give your company a personality.

I'm on a mission to make communications clear, concise and real. That’s why I apply plain English principles and language to my writing. Why have something that looks gorgeous but the words make folk run for the hills? The two have to work together.

I truly consider the format and audience, and make sure the message is right and will have an impact. I’m able to digest complicated copy and then translate and craft it, so you have a human tone of voice that stands out, and a story that makes your audience buy into you and love you.

I’m also massively into UX. I believe in writing understandable and accessible copy for the web. What’s the point of a beautiful looking website if no one knows where to go next? Call to action is king. I can help with web copy at any level: from advising on the structure of websites and full copywriting, including keywords and meta data, to light-editing of pre-existing copy.

I studied Graphic Design before Design Advertising (where I specialised in copywriting), so I happen to know a thing or two about kerning, fonts and white space. And with years of proofreading behind me, I pride myself on my meticulous attention to detail when it comes to spelling, grammar and punctuation.

I specialise in:

Concept and idea development
Full copywriting across all mediums
Audit of existing communications from a copy perspective
Creating and developing brand personality and core messaging
Final copy checks of all materials
Proofreading
Web content workshops

I offer one-to-one tuition and also run grammar workshops for businesses and institutions who want to improve their understanding of words.

After leaving Newcastle College of Art & Design, I began my working life as a junior copywriter for Navigator Responsive Advertising in Edinburgh.

I then worked my way up the ranks to a senior position, working for various creative agencies in Edinburgh including DraftWorldwide, Family, 1576, The Union, The Leith Agency, and then Frame, Glasgow.

After 15 years of living in Edinburgh, I moved back to the homeland, where I worked for Drummond Central in the Toon for 12 years as Head of Copy.


In my spare time, I’m Co-Leader of an initiative called ‘Ladies, Wine & Design Newcastle’ which supports hundreds of creative ladies in the North East. I also love hunting for ‘treasure’ – my favourite thing to do is scour junk shops and car booters for vintage ER china and glassware. My husband describes me as a ‘collector of everything’. I also happen to be a lover of the Queen, and the King himself, Mr Elvis Presley.

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