Anna has a natural talent for turning concepts and thoughts into tangible information that can be easily shared. She helps organisations tell their story more effectively, through compelling narratives that satisfy people’s need for logic and fact as well as an emotional connection

Anna has experience in campaign management and social marketing. She is interested in behaviour change and the communication of ideas through writing and design, and she draws on data and insights to help shape the advice she provides.

Writing is one of Anna’s strong suits, and her style is informative and engaging. Anna has written and produced content for diverse audiences including educational resources for people with low literacy, online tools and content for the Retirement Commission’s Sorted website, and a children’s storybook for the Department of Conservation.

Anna’s natural curiosity about people, their lives, and the challenges and opportunities they face connects her easily with a wide range of people. She is an experienced and empathetic interviewer.

Anna is known for her versatility, picking up new challenges and providing thoughtful, practical solutions that last over time.

Examples of Anna’s work

Anna has worked in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors:

• She ran her own writing and editing business for several years, helping many public-sector agencies to present complex information in Plain English. She has also been a judge on the Plain English Awards.

• Before MartinJenkins, Anna was at Fire and Emergency NZ, where she developed a programme to help volunteer fire brigades across the motu to attract more volunteers – resulting in more women and Māori expressing interest. She earned the confidence and trust of brigade leaders and management, encouraged greater community representation within volunteer brigades, and developed campaign tactics and tools that were practical and relevant for their communities.

• As Public Education Manager at Toka Tū Ake EQC, Anna reset the marketing programme to match the financial imperatives of the business (focusing New Zealanders on making their own homes more resilient to natural disasters) and to expand the target audience to include renters and landlords as well as homeowners.

• While Marketing Communications Manager at Sorted (Te Ara Āhunga Ora Retirement Commission), Anna refreshed the marketing strategy to focus on debt reduction, oversaw several campaigns (across multiple channels including TV, outdoor, digital, and social) and helped redevelop the website, with the result that more people used the site and took action. Anna also led the development of a workplace financial literacy programme, engaging along the way with employers, community groups, adult literacy providers, and other interested groups.

Anna’s qualifications

Anna has a BA in English and Art History from Canterbury University, and a Certificate of Journalism from Wellington Polytechnic.