Communication
is everything

I help organisations work out what they need to say, who they need to reach and what will make people pay attention.

That might mean securing media coverage, building the profile of senior leaders, planning a major launch or improving how the business appears in AI-generated answers.

I can lead specific projects, be an extension of your team or bring in trusted colleagues from my freelance network when a larger programme needs delivering.

15+

Years in PR, content and strategic communications

IPO

External communications at Pod Point through scale-up and listing

UK & EU

Campaigns delivered across several European markets

How I can help

Public relations

I develop PR campaigns and media opportunities around what your business needs to achieve.

That might mean launching a product, raising the company's profile, securing interviews for senior leaders, responding to breaking news or building stronger media relationships over time. I can lead the strategy and delivery, including press materials, media outreach, spokesperson briefings and reporting.

Thought leadership

Being knowledgeable is not enough if nobody outside your organisation knows it.

I help senior leaders identify the subjects they can credibly lead on, develop clear points of view and turn their expertise into articles, commentary, speaking opportunities and media coverage. This includes LinkedIn content programmes to build your profile and following over time.

Content & copywriting

I turn complex or technical subjects into clear, useful content that people will actually want to read. This includes articles, opinion pieces, white papers, case studies and campaign content.

I can develop individual pieces or build a wider content programme around your audiences and commercial goals. I also advise on how content and third-party coverage influence what AI platforms say about a business.

Communications strategy

Sometimes a business is doing plenty of communications activity but there is no clear plan behind it.

I can help you decide what needs to change, which audiences to prioritise and where to focus your time and budget. I can then develop the plan, lead delivery or work alongside your existing team. This can also include launches, campaigns, events, webinars and trade shows.

Melanie Defries

Experience

Pod Point

Headed up Pod Point's external communications through a period of rapid growth, major product development and the company's IPO, securing national and trade coverage and managing corporate and product announcements.

Easee

Led UK crisis communications during a fast-moving period for the business, alongside communications planning for a major global product launch across consumer, trade and technology media.

Accessiway

Led PR across five European markets, managing four agencies and developing data-driven research and reports that secured coverage in titles including n-tv, France Culture, Il Sole 24 Ore, Forbes Italia, Kronen Zeitung, Kleine Zeitung, t-online and European Financial Review.

European technology and SaaS

UK positioning and content work for Road.io, alongside communications and messaging support for other European technology and software businesses.

Media and AI visibility

Media visibility
is changing

Media coverage still matters. It builds credibility, reaches new audiences and gives other people a reason to talk about your business.

But customers are also using tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity to research companies, products and services. What those tools say is influenced by the information they can find online, including your website, media coverage, expert commentary and other independent sources.

I assess how businesses appear in AI-generated answers, which sources those answers rely on and where stronger PR, thought leadership or content could improve their visibility.

What people say

Melanie's experience, professionalism and creativity shines through in her work, particularly her writing — from thought leadership pieces to blogs. She is also consistently full of ideas, angles and different approaches that helps deliver results.

Bhavni Meintjies

Head of Brand & Comms

Mel is an excellent PR and Comms Lead, she made an incredible impression at Easee to the point where she was asked to lead PR and Comms for a global product launch. Mel is very capable and her incredible knowledge of EVs and the industry makes her a strong EV marketeer. She is the strongest PR Lead I have worked with within my career.

Carissa Winters

Global Marketing Director

I had the pleasure of working alongside Melanie at Easee, where she proved to be the backbone of our team. In challenging times, she fearlessly led UK communications and contributed to global communications projects. Her impact was undeniable during her time as PR lead at Easee.

Earl Duncan

Founder & Digital Marketer

Looking for more coverage and visibility?

You might be planning a launch, trying to secure more media coverage or looking for a more consistent communications programme.

You may also want to understand how your business appears in AI-generated answers and what you can do to improve it.

I work on defined projects and ongoing retainers. For larger pieces of work, I can bring in trusted specialists from my network.