TMPR celebrate Tom’s win at the CIPR PRide Awards!

TMPR are extremely proud to share that Tom was a Gold Winner in the Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year category at this years CIPR PRide Awards!

Everyone at TMPR sees the hard work and dedication Tom puts into all his projects and clients every day, so his win came as no surprise to us, but we are so glad that his talent and commitment has been recognised by the CIPR and celebrated by a room full of industry peers. He truly is an inspiration.

“I’m immensely pleased to be named Gold Winner of the Outstanding Young Communicator award. It feels like the culmination of a great year, and a high point in my career so far. Putting my submission forward was a great opportunity to reflect on what I’ve achieved so far, but also a moment to think about what comes next – I’m sure there’s a lot more steps to take!” Tom explains. “To attend the awards with the team was a real privilege. We all work extremely hard so it’s brilliant to have a chance to celebrate together and unwind a little. I think it’s testament to the strength of our team that we’ve achieved so much, and we’ll undoubtedly be back next year.”

“It was incredible to see Tom win the Outstanding Young Communicator award. We will be celebrating Tom’s fifth year at TMPR in 2024, so this achievement feels like the perfect way to mark his progression so far,” says TMPR Director, Louise Morgan. “At TMPR we are passionate about investing in team development and creating opportunities for growth. Tom has grown so much since his early days at TMPR, so it was an honour to see him be celebrated by the CIPR and the Welsh PR Industry. We are beyond proud of him.”

Here’s what the judges had to say about why Tom is a deserving winner: “Tom is a worthy winner of the Outstanding Young Communicator award this year. His ability and commitment to his role shone through in his nomination. The judges were particularly pleased and impressed to see how he is passing on his knowledge and experience to colleagues. A very deserved honour.”

Held at the Coal Exchange Hotel in Cardiff Bay, the PRide Awards were a celebration of the work delivered by the vibrant Public Relations community in Wales over the last year. The dress code was dress to impress – and the team definitely did! The TMPR team has grown again this year, so the awards were a great opportunity for team members old and new to catch up with the extended team in person instead of through a screen!

TMPR were shortlisted for two other awards at this year’s PRide Awards: Best Long-term Client Care and Small PR Consultancy of the Year. Although we didn’t win these awards, as a small business, to be finalists at such a prestigious event amongst so many excellent peers was a win in itself for us.

Congratulations to Tom, all the award winners, and all our fellow finalists. The last few years have been especially difficult to navigate, so it is incredibly heart warming to see the Welsh Public Relations industry thriving. Everyone should be so proud.

We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

 

Technical Marketing and PR celebrates Vale Business Awards win!

Written by: Daisy Babbage

At the annual Vale Business Awards, Technical Marketing and PR were recognised as ‘Financial and Professional Services Business of The Year’.

Held at the Vale Resort on Friday 22nd September and hosted by the television and news presenter, Sian Lloyd, the Vale Business Awards recognises and celebrates entrepreneurial and innovative ventures of businesses within the Vale of Glamorgan constituency which are making a difference.

 

As the latest intern for TMPR, it was an honour to be invited to the event. This was the first official award ceremony I have attended, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. After some drinks, we were greeted with a delicious meal before the awards ceremony commenced.

The highlight of the night was most definitely TMPR winning big, celebrating the company’s growth and strong financial performance through our innovation and excellent customer service.

Although an intern, when you join TMPR, you are joining the team. Everyone at TMPR has been supportive with my learning of the marketing and PR world and have given me amazing experiences within the sector. Therefore, I was honoured to be invited onstage with the rest of the team for the award and photos.

 

“Winning the ‘Financial and Professional Services Business of The Year’ award celebrates the hard work the team has put in this year to maintain outstanding standards and relationships with our partners,” says Louise Morgan, Director, Technical Marketing and PR.

“This award is particularly special to the company as it is outside of our industry. We have had great success in the CIPR awards, but to win when competing against the whole financial and professional services sector is very rewarding.”

 

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners from the ceremony and thank you to the Vale Business Awards for hosting such a fantastic night. Finally, congratulations to the TMPR team for their well-earned award!

TMPR celebrates commitment to a real living wage

Written by: Daisy Babbage

We are happy to announce that Technical Marketing and PR (TMPR) has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer. This Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Technical Marketing and PR receive a minimum hourly wage of £10.90, higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £10.42 per hour.

TMPR is based in Wales, a region where more than a tenth of all workers (11.8%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 144,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage.

 

Although TMPR has recently been accredited a Living Wage Employer, this is far from the start of the company paying its employees higher than the minimum wage. Even those on internships at TMPR earn a fair wage, as the business believes in nurturing and rewarding future talent. “We value all our employees at TMPR, and therefore believe this should be reflected not only in competitive salaries, but also wider benefits,” explains Louise Morgan, Director of TMPR.

“We’ve consulted closely with the team over the years to identify, above salary, what benefits are most valued. As a result of that, we now have private healthcare, flexi time, hybrid working, birthdays and Christmas shopping days off plus regular team building – the rugby always being a favourite!

“We want our team to be the best versions of themselves, so if we can help with that, then we will.”

 

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 450,000 people and put over £2 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Katherine Chapman, the Director of Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that Technical Marketing and PR has joined the movement of over 12,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like TMPR, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

TMPR hits the road for The Fire Safety Event 2022

As we begin to get back into the flow of live industry events, the TMPR team recently visited the NEC in April for the first in-person Fire Safety Event since 2019.

Marketing Assistant Oliver Thorne headed to Birmingham alongside Tom Martin, and shares his experiences of the show with us here:

Keeping on top of the industry’s latest

With the stands filling quickly and the atmosphere growing from early on, it was great to see an enthusiastic response from everyone involved after the three year hiatus from live events.

With over 100 exhibitors and even more visitors, there was plenty to explore and lots of connections to be made at the event. Seeing some of the latest products and practices in person was eye-opening and refreshing to see the current level of innovation in the industry.

Sharpening our knowledge

Various presentations from industry leaders ran throughout the first day that were not only engaging but also imperative for those in the fire safety industry. We attended a couple of these sessions which included talks on the process of CCPI verification and recent developments in the prevention of fires in the healthcare industry.

Catching up with familiar faces

Fire safety is a huge consideration for some of our clients in the construction industry, some of which were even present at the event. It was lovely to say hi to some familiar faces – and some new ones too! It was great to see some of our clients in person for the first time, as well as catching up with other wider contacts that help us do what we do on a regular basis.

Alongside this, it was rewarding to see some of the great work put on display by our clients. We love to support our clients on projects like these and it’s even better when we get to see the finished products looking so good in the field – it’s fair to say our visit was definitely worth the commute across the border.

Our time at the event has us eagerly looking forward to the next one!

Until next time…

Technical Marketing & PR: Nurturing New Marketing Talent.

We are passionate about nurturing emerging talent in the marketing and PR sector. After all, having the opportunity to hone your skills in the real world can make all the difference to a graduate’s career.

Last year we welcomed Alex Lambden to our team on a Student Placement. Alex was studying Politics and Spanish at Cardiff University and was looking to gain some industry experience within Marketing.

Alex made a real impact at TMPR. As a small team we work at a fast pace and are agile in our approach to ensure everyone is supported and that we get the job done collectively. Alex was on-board with this straight away and got stuck in with various projects across our diverse client portfolio.

Since finishing his studies Alex has gone on to secure a place on a Marketing Graduate Scheme with BT. He told us that the experienced he gained while working with TMPR helped him stand out from his competition and secure this new role.

Here’s what he said about his time with us:

“Graduates leaving university face an ever-challenging job market so it’s essential to have that standout ‘edge’ on your CV. Keen to leave my studies with a well-rounded experience, I reached out to the Technical Marketing & PR team where I gained some cutting-edge industry knowledge with a hands-on approach.

From the start, I dove into the day-to-day responsibilities of a boutique marketing agency and spearheaded important operations for our clients. While this was a new space for me, the TMPR team were true cheerleaders and supported me through how to make each piece of work my best, with a real focus on my self-development. A skillset I wanted to grow was to create inspiring copy, a new challenge for a starter like myself! The TMPR team allowed me to explore different forms of copy; co-ordinating the social media posts for one client, authoring press releases for another – I even got to see the behind-the-scenes of successful promotional video. I was so fortunate to have my first marketing experience with TMPR as I was given a wide range of responsibility which allowed me to figure out which part of marketing and PR I wanted to pursue going forward.

The team really captured the start-up culture in their office which is an ever popular theme in discussions for creating better workplaces. A constant hub of energy, the team and I constantly bounced ideas off one another to innovate the work we provided our clients. Regular check-ins and feedback further made TMPR a great place to work, I was always clear on how I could improve my performance while also celebrating both the team and my own’s triumphs. By the end of my placement, I had built up an impressive knowledge in the marketing field which I could go on and take with me to show graduate employers.

Since finishing my studies at Cardiff University, I have gone on to join BT’s Marketing Graduate scheme, with a current focus in commercial management. I often think back fondly at my time working at Technical Marketing & PR and I know the team set me with a solid foundation to become a rising star in marketing!”

TMPR is rapidly growing and we’re on the look out for an enthusiastic, experienced marketeer to work with us.

We’re a close knit team based in the centre of Penarth and we love what we do!

If you’re interested in joining the fun, we’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch via: hello@technicalmarketing-pr.com

 

10 Years of TMPR: the Origin Story, pt. 2

When Louise Morgan decided to go off on her own, it was simplicity that she had in mind. “The name, ‘Technical Marketing & PR’ wasn’t dreamt up trying to create anything funky. It’s the Ronseal school of business branding: it does what it says on the tin.” She laughs. Aptly, two small, branded paint-tins, filled with 10-year celebrations chocolates, perch on the coffee table of the newly refurbished Penarth offices.

In 2011 Louise’s niece was born, and she decided to move her offices to Derby to be closer to family. Business was booming, and while she held firm on her promise not to hire staff, freelancers were soon required for the overflow.

It was in Derby that she met a Welshman, who spurred the move of TMPR to Barry. And while ultimately not being “the one”, she does attribute their meeting to fate, as it is in South Wales where TMPR and Louise remain: “South Wales immediately felt like home. Living by the sea but only 15 minutes’ drive from Cardiff is very different to Derby or Manchester, and everyone is so friendly!”

But it’s not just the sunshine and smiles that kept Louise in Cymru, “Commercially, South Wales has proven to be an excellent fit for the business. It’s an industrial region where the construction and manufacturing sectors are buoyant, so I’ve really enjoyed developing our client base in these areas.”

In the Barry Business Centre Louise grew TMPR to new heights, though always with the help of freelancers. It wasn’t until she met her now-husband, Christopher, that she entertained the idea of hiring staff again. “He said you’ve got all these freelancers, ‘why don’t you just employ somebody?’ And I thought ‘why not? I am the only shareholder, I can make my own decisions about the future of the company.’”

With business booming and a growing sense of stability, Louise made her first hire, and then another. Soon enough the little industrial space where they’d set up shop was feeling quite crowded, and it was time to start looking for bigger and better offices.

“It was then that I first started to feel excited again about building something.” Louise reminisces, “With IVE it felt from the start that the goal was just to build it, whereas TMPR, it’s always been a part of me.”

Organic growth is a recurring theme in Louise’s management style, and one of her favourite aspects of owning an agency, “I like to nurture from within, growth of the business comes from coaching & training the team, so we grow by increasing capacity rather than headcount.”

When asked why she chose to focus on construction and manufacturing marketing in particular, Louise gives a wry smile, “The thing that made me fall in love with construction was Approved Document E of the building regulations, and that is no joke.”

She recounts the 2003 amendment to sound insulation requirements with the confidence and flow of a woman who has immersed herself fully in the world of technical literature and specifications for the last 18 years.

“In 2003 there was a change to the regulations which decreased the acceptable noise transfer between dwellings. So during a massive rise in people living in apartment blocks, you had strict limits on noise that could go between apartments, airborne and impact. It was quite technical because there was different routes to compliance, whether it was robust details or pre-completion testing, and I was just like ‘oh my god, let me just soak this all up!’”

In what is still a very male-dominated industry (women represent around 11 percent of the workforce in the construction sector), when Louise entered the construction and manufacturing world it was even more so. This only served to spur Louise on: “being able to go into meetings and hold quite technical conversations, dealing with technical directors and writing technical articles, I just really felt like I was on a path that felt right for me..”

Technical. PR. Marketing. The Ronseal academy of business branding. The nitty gritty, the get your hands dirty approach. That’s what TMPR has represented over the last ten years.

And what is Louise looking forward to most for the next ten years? “It sounds boring,” She admits, “but more of the same.” A lot of our clients we’ve worked with for the whole time we’ve been operational, so I’m looking forward to seeing if we still have those clients in the next ten years. Indeed, Louise’s first client at that first agency was Promethean, who remain a client of TMPR to this day.

TMPR has only ever grown from recommendations and referrals. Louise attributes this to her “clients come first” mentality that she had steadfastly adopted when getting the business off the ground.

“Because we work differently to other agencies, we become part of the team of our clients. We get the best of both worlds, the autonomy and variety of an agency, while feeling like you’re part of something bigger.”

Bigger seems to be the motto at TMPR this year, with new offices, new faces, and a big ten-year celebration on the horizon, it’s hard not to get swept up in the excitement of witnessing a company, and director, in their prime.

Building towards safer site procedures during the pandemic

As specialists in construction and manufacturing, many of our clients have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak – either by closures, interruption of work or even just widespread confusion. In a letter to the construction industry, the UK’s Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has now confirmed that the sector is essential and should continue to operate under specific safety guidance.

In accordance with the Chief Medical Officer’s advice, the Construction Leadership Council has published a set of guidelines to help site managers continue in the safest way possible.

The Council’s advice can be broken down into three key points:

 

  1. Enforce social distancing on-site

First and foremost, all non-essential site visits should be stopped with immediate effect. When on site, all workers should maintain two-metre distances at all times, physical contact should be avoided and any activities requiring skin to skin contact must be halted.

To aid this, site managers can stagger the start and finish times of their team members, reducing on-site congestion and contact throughout the day. Social distancing should be observed not only while working, but also in the canteen, toilets and anywhere else that individuals could congregate.

 

  1. Improve hygiene facilities

Site managers should look into installing additional hand-washing facilities on-site, and making hand sanitiser available where this isn’t possible. Regular hand washing should be encouraged throughout the day, especially following direct contact or use of shared tools.

Similarly, tools and equipment should be cleaned and sterilised between uses – doing so can significantly decrease the risk of the virus spreading.

 

  1. Ensure safe waste disposal

Site managers should be vigilant in ensuring that waste is disposed of regularly and safely. This includes general waste, but also single-use PPE and other disposable equipment. Cleanliness standards should be increased, and closely regulated.

 

In the construction sector, as in wider society, safety must come first in the current climate – but it’s important to keep the industry moving. By following the guidance provided, site managers can enable construction to continue in the safest way possible and protect both employees and ongoing projects.

 

For more advice on ensuring safe operating procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak, use the following links to access relevant resources:

Maintaining a long-term brand strategy during a crisis

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected brands in almost every sector across the globe to varying degrees. Some industries, such as hospitality and travel, have been brought almost to a complete stop while others are adapting to remote working or reduced staffing policies.

Whilst it is a challenging time for all bringing sweeping lifestyle changes, it’s important to recognise that it is a temporary situation. It’s likely that we’ll learn important lessons through the crisis and return to a ‘new normal’, but it remains vital for brands to keep an eye on the future.

 

Keeping marketing in the picture

Ultimately, marketing is an investment, and should be treated as such – rather than as a cost. Although there is no precedent for such an impactful pandemic in the modern era, we can take a few lessons from the 2008 financial crisis, which saw many brands take a hit.

Following the 2008 financial crisis, strength of brand – or ‘brand equity’ – proved to be a significant factor in businesses’ recovery. Brand equity is made up of three key elements:

  • Brand meaning – how is the brand seen by consumers?
  • Point of difference – what differentiates the brand against the market?
  • Salience – how well recognised is the brand?

Of these factors, salience is the greatest indicator of a brand’s ability to recover effectively. It’s having a strong point of difference, however, that tends to indicate growth in the long term.

Brands can improve their salience by ensuring that they have an effective share of voice, which should be equal to their market share, if not higher. Despite the current situation, very few consumers are expecting brands to stop advertising completely, so there’s no reason not to keep developing brand voice provided the messaging remains relevant, reassuring, and avoids profiteering.

Marketing might not be the first thing on everybody’s minds right now – but it certainly shouldn’t be the last, and brands that continue to work proactively will reap the benefits in the long term.

Technical Marketing & PR Named #1 Outstanding Small PR Consultancy in Wales

At the annual CIPR PRide Cymru Awards, Technical Marketing & PR has been awarded gold in the ‘Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy’ category. The awards ceremony which was held at Cardiff’s Exchange Hotel on Friday 11th October and hosted by TV and radio personality Jason Mohammad, celebrated the best of PR in Wales.

“Since laying down roots in South Wales, Technical Marketing & PR has gone from strength to strength with expansion of the in-house team and growing our South Wales client base. It is incredible to be recognised as the leading small PR consultancy in Wales whilst staying true to our core sectors,” said Louise Morgan, Director at Technical Marketing & PR.

The judges commented: “Technical Marketing & PR’s clear, well thought out strategy has supported profitable growth, with impressive global reach which has seen successful campaign delivery as far afield as Russia. Yet this dedicated agency remains committed to supporting its local community; delivering workshops through the local business network and building strategic partnerships with businesses in South Wales. The judges were extremely impressed by Technical Marketing & PR’s continued investment in its staff, with a strong focus on CPD and ensuring up-to-date knowledge of data compliancy and information governance.”

Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners from the night, there is some incredible PR talent in Wales. See the full list of winners and finalists here.

Managing change in manufacturing

The Technical Marketing & PR team recently attended an expert panel discussion covering change management in manufacturing, hosted by Darwin Gray. Joined by an audience steeped in experience within the manufacturing sector, the panel evoked constructive discourse around how businesses can capitalise on new opportunities in a rapidly changing industry.

Change is inherent in manufacturing – whether it’s the effect of new legislation on supply chain management, or a generational shift in working patterns. It is, as the old saying goes, inevitable. As the discussion progressed, it became apparent that change is not something to be feared so much as seen as an opportunity to excel.

So, how can manufacturing businesses start managing change?

 

Plan for change

Too often, specialist consultants and industry experts are brought in to oversee change management projects during times of crisis. The first thing that the panel was keen to raise was that things don’t need to be heading south for change management to kick in – in fact, it’s much better to take a proactive approach.

There’s always a lot going on in manufacturing, and keeping your ear to the ground can go a long way to making sure you are ready for any changes that will affect your sector. Failing to plan is planning to fail – there’s a lot of clichés we could lean on here, but it’s safe to say that those who plan are most likely to prosper.

 

Encourage a ‘change mindset’

Change management does not have to mean an overhaul of business procedures. By creating a culture that supports growth and change, manufacturing businesses will be able to change gradually and ensure that they are working effectively and prepared for the future.

It’s important to be open to change. This might sound simple, but it’s crucial to recognise that change is happening every day – it’s normal, and we must accept it in order to make the most of new opportunities. By embracing a change mindset, manufacturing businesses can be flexible and take any developments in-stride.

 

Communicate and collaborate

One of the messages that the panel was keen to impress was that there is a wealth of support available to manufacturing businesses. By surrounding yourself with experts in your field, you can ensure that you have access to all the knowledge you might need to progress.

It’s worth being prudent with anyone who you introduce to your business, but the panel agreed that being trusting and finding the right partners can be invaluable. Whether it is involvement in government schemes or engaging more closely with local professionals, there is a huge ecosystem around the manufacturing industry which can be tapped into.

 

While there is a question around recognising the need for change, it seems more sensible that manufacturing businesses take a proactive approach to change management. With a strong team and a willing attitude to change, you can prepare your brand for the future and ensure that you’re evolving day by day.

For advice on how marketing and PR support can help you manage and effectively communicate changes in your business, contact the Technical Marketing & PR team.