I’m Jacob Hammersley, a creative strategist working across culture, brand, content and communications.
People choose to work with me because how you are perceived matters. I’m interested in how people, ideas and organisations are understood, what shapes that understanding, and how creativity can influence it deliberately.
I work across creative strategy, direction and execution. I lead the thinking, shape the direction and stay close enough to the work to make sure the idea survives contact with audiences.
My career to date has been largely in financial services, where clarity, credibility and creativity all have to work together. That has taught me to make creative decisions with purpose and to understand the difference between work that simply looks good and work that actually changes how something complex is understood.
Outside finance, my experience is broader. I have led global monetised social media channels and online communities, and worked with small and medium-sized businesses, independent freelancers and small creative teams. Much of that work has been rooted in Bristol and the wider South West, where I remain closely connected to the local creative community, as that's where I've lived my entire life.
I’m also a volunteer at We The Curious, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
At the centre of all of this is how I think about creativity.
What I do
Marketing & Growth Strategy
I connect marketing activity to the wider commercial picture, defining where growth can come from, what audiences need, and how strategy can translate into focused, measurable action.
Creative Strategy
& Direction
I turn business challenges, audience insight and emerging opportunities into clear creative ideas, then shape the direction needed to carry those ideas through from concept to execution.
Audience & Performance
I use behaviour, analytics and performance data to understand what people respond to, refine how work is communicated, and improve its ability to reach, engage and influence the right audiences.
Culture, Brand, Content & Communications
I bring culture, brand, content and communications together so that the way an organisation presents itself feels more coherent, consistent and considered across different channels and touchpoints. This is the framework I use to approach creative strategy and direction.
Selected Impact
13.3M views · 45K+ subscribers · £0 paid media
Built an independent media brand from zero, owning audience strategy, brand, SEO, creative, production and performance, generating 1.3M watch hours and 144M+ impressions organically.
22× annual customer responses
Transformed a passive feedback tool into a scalable customer-intelligence programme, growing annual responses from 65 to 1,436 and connecting insight into CRM and management reporting.
15K+ clients · 200 staff · one scalable brand system
Developed an established identity into an organisation-wide brand system spanning accessibility, client communications, digital, content and internal tools, giving teams greater ownership of the brand.
First national adviser conference · 97% said it "Exceeded expectations"
Led the in-house delivery and creative direction of a new national brand and engagement platform, coordinating our internal teams, suppliers, speakers and partners to a budget, while reporting directly to the Managing Director
A little extra...
I’m a long-time fan of combat sports and professional wrestling, UFC and WWE in particular. I’m fascinated by the characters, scale and attitude behind it all. If I were a wrestler, I’d be called “Amazing Jake.”
I’m a big horror fan too. Again, I think it’s the iconic characters that get me. I’m into jazz, ’90s rap, ’00s R&B. I like anything but silence! My favourite song is “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G.
I’m a sucker for collectables and trinkets ... wrestling belts, NECA and comic-book figures, Smiskis, video games, consoles and art. I’ve also got 20+ portrait tattoos of my favourite characters and influences, ranging from Darth Vader to Nate Diaz, Spider-Man to L.A. Noire. Clearly, I love a fad.
I have Irish heritage and I’m Bristol-born, so when I’m not drinking Guinness, I’m probably having a Thatchers.
