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Laura Westmacott
Founder & Managing Director, Mercury - Luxury & Corporate Communications
Professional Background
Laura Westmacott is a seasoned professional with a rich background in both media and international public relations. With an impressive transition from her early career as a TV News Editor to her current role as an International PR Consultant, Laura has successfully carved out a niche specializing in luxury brands, property, hospitality and travel, placemaking, drinks, retail, as well as finance and professional services in the highly competitive markets of the UK and UAE/GCC. This extensive expertise allows her to craft impactful communications strategies that resonate with diverse audiences and elevate brand visibility.
At the helm of her own company, Mercury - Luxury & Corporate Communications, Laura has built a reputation for excellence, providing tailor-made PR solutions that reinforce the market positioning of her clients. Her work is distinguished by an acute understanding of the luxury sector, adeptly blending creative and strategic thinking to deliver outstanding results. As she interacts with high-profile clients and stakeholders from varying industries, Laura is dedicated to creating meaningful partnerships and fostering brand loyalty.
Laura’s previous tenure in broadcasting has undeniably influenced her PR approach, equipping her with invaluable skills in messaging, brand storytelling, and crisis management. Her freelance experience as a Broadcast Journalist at well-respected outlets such as Al Jazeera English, BBC, APTN, and ABC News (US) has provided her with the insight needed to navigate the fast-paced world of media and public relations. This unique perspective has proven advantageous in her current consultancy, granting her the ability to anticipate trends and understand media dynamics effectively.
Education and Achievements
Laura Westmacott's academic background is as impressive as her professional journey. She pursued a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at the prestigious University of Westminster, graduating with Merit. This educational foundation honed her skills in effective communication, news analysis, and journalistic integrity, setting the stage for her successful career in media.
Prior to this, Laura completed her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in German with French at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where she graduated with a 2:1. Her linguistic proficiency laid the groundwork for her successful participation in the Erasmus Programme at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. Here, she immersed herself in German language studies, literature, linguistics, politics, and film, further enriching her cultural understanding and communication skills.
Her educational experiences have not only equipped her with the necessary tools for her professional success but have also nurtured her passion for global engagement and intercultural relations, both of which are crucial in today’s interconnected marketplace.
Achievements
Throughout her career, Laura has achieved significant milestones that highlight her capabilities and commitment to excellence. As the Founder and Managing Director of Mercury - Luxury & Corporate Communications, she has spearheaded numerous high-profile campaigns that have elevated brands to new heights within the luxury sector. Her strategic guidance has enabled clients to navigate complex market challenges and leverage opportunities that enhance their reach and reputation.
Laura’s previous roles, including her positions as Associate Director at Ketchum and Pelham Bell Pottinger, as well as her time as Deputy News Editor at Al Jazeera English, showcase her adaptability and proficiency in both corporate communications and journalism. Each of these roles has contributed to her development as an industry leader and influence in the realm of public relations.
As an internationally recognized consultant, Laura is known for her innovative approaches to branding and communication strategies, ensuring her clients stand out in a crowded marketplace. Her ability to synthesize diverse insights and tailor solutions to specific client needs reflects her deep understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior.
In summary, Laura Westmacott embodies the qualities of a successful international PR consultant, merging her extensive background in journalism with strategic communications. Her educational achievements, coupled with her diverse professional experiences, position her as a leader in the field of public relations and communications. Laura continues to inspire and mentor the next generation of PR professionals, all while delivering exceptional results for her clients in the luxury and corporate sectors.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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