A Copywriter
With a PR Background
Susanna Orchard, A Copywriter With A PR Background
Why ‘Parachute’? Because my experience and skill as a copywriter with a PR background means I’m ‘packed and ready’ to grasp the essence of a business, and help them communicate with a purpose. I created Parachute Communication in 2012, offering copywriting and content creation services to a broad client base. I can quickly understand and communicate what makes a business tick, and that’s the key to great content.
I feel privileged to work with a lot of very talented and dedicated people – both clients and colleagues. In particular I’m very pleased to be part of seo-training-online, owned by Graham Childs and Mick Holloway.
I’m a copywriter by trade; my first job after university was Copywriting Dogsbody in a sales promotion agency. Since then I’ve written copy as part of the comms team in a London local authority and a variety of creative agencies (PR, design, marketing, digital) before going alone and starting Parachute. As a copywriter with a PR background, I’ve learnt two valuable lessons: 1. Get to the point 2. Wrap it up in a story.
It All Comes Down To Content
Over the years, and with nearly all the brands I’ve worked on – from small software start ups and sole trading architects to large, well-known brands – the sticking point has been the same: terrible brief which means there’s no content planning in place.
I love copywriting but it’s difficult without a brief. And like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, I’ll do a good amount of research but ultimately, I have to make it up if I’m not given some form of direction. True, I’m more invested than AI to get close to ‘the truth’ but I can only do so much in a vacuum. And the more technical and specific the brand, the more desperate the ‘no brief’ situation becomes.
Make no mistake communication is taking place. People are talking about you. So I’m helping businesses take charge of what they say. This means working out the content strategy: a road map to tell you what you should be communicating, when and how.
75% of my copywriting is digital but content creation is critical to all forms of communication. I’m on a mission to demonstrate how content creation should never be left to chance. Its value lies in authenticity: reflecting your business and engaging your target audience. Yes, it takes effort. But it’s vital and, if you tackle it logically, it’s not that onerous. And by default, gets you closer to the heart of your business.
Shapes, Patterns And The World Of Art
Apart from all things to do with words and writing, my interests also lie in the world of art. I can often be found messing about with ceramics, photography and print-making.
I visit galleries as often as I can and follow some great artists and photographers on BlueSky. I’ve got eclectic tastes: Lee Miller, Maggie Hambling, Bernard Leach, Francis Bacon, Rachel Whiteread. How each artist sees the world is what matters to me.
With my own modest (very modest) output, I’m fascinated by the abstract and graphic shapes you can find in the built and natural environment. The simple beauty of shapes and patterns, stripping away and focusing on a curve, a line or just the negative space.
It can be challenging, pushing me to find new and unexpected perspectives and angles. Sometimes literally pushing me – down a hill on my bum or falling off a log trying to get ‘that’ shot!
Karate – More Than Self-Defence
My other great love is Shotokan karate. I started way back in my 20s, followed by a gap of some few years. I came back in 2016 and am now a happy and involved member of Harpenden JKA Karate Club owned by my dear friend Sensei Miranda Giles. I’m proud to be an instructor at the club as well as a student working my way up the dan grades.
Karate clears my mind, that’s the first benefit for me. Putting aside all the day’s stress and nonsense and concentrating on my karate. Clearly the ability to defend myself is also top of the list. And being part of such a fabulous club: Harpenden JKA. Karate is ideal for those who think they aren’t sporty or fit or competitive or supple… Because you find out that you are all those things.
It’s your individual karate journey but you’re also working as a team, supporting each other in competitions, learning a kata, working on real life applications of a technique… Karate teaches you how to use your body to defend yourself, whatever your size, so it’s also a great for your mental health. As a karate ka (student) myself, I’m learning all the time.
As an instructor, I really need to ‘know my subject’ and how to get it across. People learn in different ways so I have to be inventive as well as clear in my explanations. People comment on how supportive Harpenden Karate Club is to students and their wider families. We are a fun, diverse bunch of people with karate in common – but then you find other areas that you share. Like dogs and family and baking… So that’s why I’m a karate ka!
A Copywriter With A PR Background And More Besides
Words, art and karate might seem like an unlikely combination, but they reflect exactly what I bring to my work: precision, creativity and discipline. As a copywriter with a PR background, I know that great communication is never accidental; it’s crafted, purposeful and grounded in a genuine understanding of your audience. The PR copywriter instinct to get to the point and wrap it in a story remains central to my work; if anything, it’s sharpened over the years.
The curiosity I bring to art (finding the unexpected angle, stripping things back to what matters) is the same curiosity I apply to every brief. And the focus and resilience that karate demands? That shows up at my desk every day too. So whether you need a content strategy, a website refresh or simply copy that works, you’re in good hands. Let’s talk.