#BEYOUROWN MEETS SOPHIE BOWMAN

Meet Sophie Bowman, one of Samanah Duran’s fellow #BEYOUROWN key ambassadors and wing-woman with an undoubted force to be reckoned with. That does mean they go way back to the days of the European car rally they initially met on in 2014 and has since relocated, Sophie’s skipped over the pond from Miami to swing by & interview with us.

Armed with an arsenal of varied skills and experience, Sophie has helped both new start-ups and existing businesses to communicate the right brand message to their constantly evolving target audience, build brand awareness and increase market share. Headhunted for the PR Executive role of a major UK magazine aged 18 (The Big Issue), Sophie went on to build a successful career as an exclusive venue promoter and event manager in London. Sophie worked on some major events including album launch parties for Kanye West and John Legend, as well as organising annual parties for huge clients such as FHM Magazine. Sophie’s first business, a global entertainment agency, was nominated for 3 prestigious business awards including Business Innovation and was selected as 1 of 6 companies to be showcased by Richard Branson for his Back of an envelope campaign. Sophie went on to become a business mentor and guest judge for The Young Enterprise – an entrepreneurial program for young people in schools and colleges across the United Kingdom.

Hey, Sophie can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a social media guru and brand manager – I manage the social media for a wide variety of industries from fashion and beauty to medical and hotels. Also a published journalist with an international press pass that gets me into some fabulous events along with a complimentary bar tab and fine dining adventures.

Can you tell us more?

I have a strong background in PR, branding, and marketing. When I turned 30, it panicked me out that I had so many life experiences left to try. So, I set up an online branding agency which would allow me to work from anywhere in the world in my pants. I moved to Morocco for 2 years, went on a European car rally, lived in Australia for a while then relocated to Miami last year. It’s been a really fun 3 years and I’ve never looked back.

What’s a typical day like at Brand Branding PR?

A typical day at Brand Branding PR can be summarised as expect the unexpected – one minute we’ll be working on Chanel-esque copywriting for a luxury skincare brand, the next we’re branding a rehabilitation clinic in Mumbai then patting ourselves on the back when we check Instagram and see (on average) a 300% increases in organic growth and engagement we’ve slayed for new clients we’ve only been managing for a couple of weeks. Then I’ll disappear for an hour to write a guest blog specifically on how businesses can slay their social media and probably graze like a cow throughout the day. That’s what American sized fridges are for…

Which 3 social media platforms do you swear by?

Instagram is currently our No.1 platform to work with – it’s (for now) one of the only free platforms which really gives businesses a chance to get their products and services out there at the minimal expense if you know what you’re doing. YouTube comes second, Twitter third. People are shocked I leave Facebook out – FB is important, but I dislike the fact they make brand posts practically invisible unless you plow a huge amount of money into digital marketing. That’s fine for the big brands I work with, but not for startups and medium brands.

Who is your go-to Instagram account for inspiration?

I honestly don’t have  go-to for Instagram inspiration – there are lots of stunning profiles out there, but I wanted to build my own authentic space which merges business and personal life along with giving away some useful hints and tips and occasionally featuring brands that inspire me or that I’ve worked with and am super proud of.

You relocated to the USA from the UK, how did you find it trying to establish yourself?

I’m lucky to have built such a strong background in PR and branding that I pretty much glided right in to the top dog territory when I arrived – I had press passes and magazine editorial confirmed for Miami Music Week before I even stepped off the plane, and was handling the social media for the businesses at the biggest Start Hub here working with some amazing Miami-based brands within a month. They also really like the British accent here.

What 3 things do you never leave home without?

I never leave home without my phone, camera and a couple of client products – you never know when you’ll find a cool ideal photo opportunity.

Who is your ultimate female superhero?

My ultimate female superhero would probably have to be Oprah Winfrey has to be one of the most legendary women that ever lived. Also a huge Alicia Keys fan – not many women that big in the music business that made it with their clothes on and makeup off – super inspiring ladies.

Lastly, what is your definition of #BEYOUROWN and also if you had to rebrand us with a tagline what would it be?

To me, #BEYOUROWN is a community of female leaders – all with really inspiring personal and brand stories – fearless women who haven’t been afraid to step outside of the status quo. I actually love #BeYourOwn so I wouldn’t rebrand you, but gun to my head, #FemaleDragonSlayors comes to mind.

Twitter: @BrandBranding

Instagram: @sophiecbowman

Website: www.brandbrandingpr.com