Tom Van Der Ness

I started my writing career as a financial journalist where, as a stringer, I covered all aspects of the Southern African money markets for London based UPI (United Press International). My next career path was as a copywriter in the advertising idustry. For just over twenty years, I was a part of various creative teams and I worked on a number of international brands. Because of my journalistic background, I migrated to become a brand-analyst, and wrote brand-plans for a wide spectrum of market-leading, global trademarks. I co-authored the launch of the Human Rights Campaign covering the first democratic elections for Nelson Mandela's, 'New South Africa.' I personally researched the hugely diverse demographic population and designed the blueprint with a message that had to simultaneously address what is probably one of the widest psychographic audience profiles of any marketing campaign ever launched. The challenge was to target semi-literate hut-dwellers to sophisticated personnel working for multinational giant corporations housed in glittering high-risers - with one campaign. Also, I recently qualified with TEFL 5 certification as an English teacher for higher grades.