Meet… Michelle Mossford
Senior Marketing Manager of Ableworld
Senior Marketing Manager of AbleworldWhat does your position involve?
It is varied. I manage a team of four and we are responsible for the marketing, both offline and online, for all 34 Ableworld stores. Half of those are operated under the franchise model and the other half are company owned.
We deal with all the advertising, newspapers, leaflets, social media, radio, TV, the ecommerce website and a lot more.
We also run various initiatives to try and give back to the community. One initiative is called Reconnecting Generations, where we are bringing nursery children into nursing homes and help them to interact with music, art, games and all sorts. The sessions have been really successful and both the children and elderly people got a lot of enjoyment out of it.
It was fantastic and gives a feeling that we are doing some real good in the world.
What is one of your proudest moments working in the industry?
It has to be between the Reconnecting Generations work and our Scooter Proficiency programme that we run nationwide for people who are thinking of, or have, purchased a mobility scooter but do not have the confidence to get on it.
We get a lot of customers, both Ableworld customers and people who have not purchased their equipment from us, coming to the test track to be trained on how to use the equipment in a safe way. It is about making sure people are safe and confident when using our products and it makes me proud to be involved in doing this.
We also sponsor a highway code for scooter users which we give out and we also do scooter marking at the event, where the products are marked with a unique code, which we then register. This is all free of charge as well to make sure mobility equipment is safe and accessible for as many people as possible.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry over the years?
Without a doubt it is the rise of online. In the mobility industry, with particular respect to marketing, there has been a shift to online marketing and activity, which has definitely been the biggest change for me.
I think we have been a bit slower than other industries to embrace the online world, mostly because of the users, but now it is about reaching the children, siblings and decision makers and they are very much engaged and available online.
We find the offline marketing is effective with end-users, whereas we find that online marketing works well with influencers and decision makers.
What are your interests outside of work?
I love to travel and socialise with friends and family.
Also, I am passionate about the environment. I am very environmentally conscious and recently I have done away with all disposable cups and single use plastics. I have carried out many beach cleans in a bid to eliminate plastics from the oceans, as well as many litter picks.
Quick-fire questions
Describe yourself in three words
Conscientious, funny and kind
What’s your favourite song?
That’s a tough one, but ‘A Woman’s Work by Maxwell’ is definitely one. And I love, love, love Sam Smith, so anything by him. I saw him at his very first gig in Manchester and he was incredible.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
The power to cure cancer
Favourite place in the world
I love Italy. I have just come back from Rome, so I would certainly say Italy. I’ve set myself the goal of travelling Italy so I am heading to Venice next.
