Five years at TMPR, happy work anniversary Tom!

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Today we’re marking five years since Tom Martin joined TMPR, and what an accomplished half a decade it has been!

Tom first joined the team back in 2019 as a Junior Account Executive, shortly after graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in English Language and Literature. He came to us as an enthusiastic graduate with an ambition to pursue a marketing and PR career. His passion and natural talent combined with the supportive environment and development opportunities provided by TMPR fast tracked Tom’s progression into his role as a fully formed Marketing & PR Consultant.

Reflecting on his tenure, Tom was spoilt for choice in choosing just a few highlights. From fully funded professional development, industry events and networking, team away days and celebrations, to spearheading immense projects and campaigns… And of course, taking home the title of Young Communicator of the Year at the 2023 CIPR PRide Wales awards!

When asked about his time with TMPR, Tom said: “Five years feels like a bit of a milestone, doesn’t it? It’s been a great journey so far and I’m confident there’s a way to go still. Seeing how the agency and the team has grown, especially across the past 12 months with new values, refreshed brand and more colleagues, has been extremely rewarding.

“On a personal level, I’m proud to be bringing the same attitude as day one. I’ve come a long way but I’m by no means finished learning, developing and finding new ways to deliver for our clients – and truly, I’m sure I never will be! It’s something to believe in, and I’m glad to be part of an ambitious team setting new standards.”

Louise Morgan, Director at TMPR, added: “Investing in our people to empower growth is a key pillar of TMPR. We believe in nurturing talent and supporting development at pace, most crucially, in specialisms that interest our colleagues the most. Tom has embraced every opportunity since day one, it’s been a real pleasure to work alongside him as his TMPR journey goes from strength to strength. Congratulations on this major milestone, Tom and thank you for the passion you bring to the agency as we prepare for our next chapter.”

Tom’s time with TMPR has been compelling and multifaceted – he has truly thrived since joining the team all those years ago, and played a pivotal role in helping evolve TMPR into the agency we are today.

A huge congratulations to Tom on his five year TMPR anniversary, we can’t wait to see what you achieve over the next five!

“This is not goodbye, but see you later!”

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This week, with a very heavy heart, TMPR said goodbye to our incredible Office Manager, Charlene Lau.

Charlene joined the team as an Office Administrator, but impressed everyone so much, that she progressed to Office Manager in less than a year! Charlene brought a wealth of experience in advertising and the media industry to the team – a skill set that saw her become a fundamental part of TMPR’s growth.

We’re sad to see Charlene leave, but we’ll be wishing her every success and cheering her on from rainy Wales she returns to her family in ‘sweaty’ Singapore.

On her final day in the office, Charlene took some time to reflect on her time with TMPR. Drawing inspiration from our Friday debrief, where we all share our highlights and challenges from the week, here’s what she had to say:

 

Highlights

“I’m super grateful for the kindness and tremendous support everyone has shown me since I first joined the team over two years ago. I have made friends for life and will miss everyone very much.

“It has been a privilege to watch TMPR grow – winning awards, gaining recognition from clients and publishers, and of course welcoming new faces to the team.

“I have really enjoyed being part of the brand refresh, crafting our new mission and vision statements, and generally laying the foundations for TMPR to grow even more. I’m sad I won’t be here to be part of it, but I know the team will keep doing amazing things.

“I will treasure every moment from our team building away days and parties to training sessions. We have had so much fun together, and shared so many giggles – I will never forget being exposed to new idioms like ‘turkeys don’t vote for Christmas’”. “I will take all these memories and phrases with me to Singapore and think of them when I need to laugh!”

 

Challenges

“Maybe I’m feeling soppy on my last day, but my time at TMPR has been a dream. The only challenge I can think of is adjusting to the work culture here – it’s much more relaxed than Singapore and Hong Kong!

And of course, a big challenge has been trying to park my car without any mishaps. Even on my last day I have had trouble trying to park my car! Maybe I need to revisit driving lessons…”.

 

Saying goodbye

“Leaving the TMPR team is going to be really hard. Everyone has been so thoughtful, encouraging, and all round amazing. I can’t go without thanking as many people as I can.

“Louise, my super talented lady boss! I couldn’t be more grateful to you for trusting me, allowing me to try new things, and encouraging me to grow and be better. You have definitely expanded my technical marketing knowledge, but in a way that I can take these skills and use them anywhere. It has been a great privilege to learn from you.

“Tom, the day we met you welcomed me with the most charming smile – it’s one of the best first impressions of someone I’ve ever had. From that day until this one, you have always guided me, offered support, and looked after me like family. Thank you for being a great friend.

“Olly, my partner in crime, lunch buddy, best English tea maker and Welsh cake baker! Life will be boring without you. I am sorry for forever teasing you, but we had so many laughs and so much fun. Your famous slogan ‘get back to work!’ will be part of me forever.

“Rachel Cole, my admin goddess! Your contagious laughter and positive vibes fill every room that you are in. I can’t think of anyone better to look after the team when I have returned to Singapore. Thank you for being authentically you.

“Mollie, my main competitor to marry Harry Styles! My only wish is that we could have more time to work together. It has been lovely getting to know you since you joined the team a few months ago, thank you for introducing me to various kinds of cows!

“Rachel Knight, it has been a great pleasure meeting you. In our short time you’ve shown me what gentleness and the term soft-spoken should be! I know you will do great things at TMPR.

“Jo, Katrin, Grace, Joanna, Elaine, and Chris – thank you for your kind support and the professionalism you have shown me throughout my tenure. I will miss working with you all.

“Publishers and clients, my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for making my time at TMPR truly memorable and smooth-sailing. I wish you all the best for the future.

 

“Coming together is the beginning, staying together is a process, working together is success.

“This is not goodbye but see you later my dearest TMPRers. My sincerest thank you to all of you. We became the best of friends, and I will miss you all deeply.”

The newest member of team TMPR – welcome, Rachel!

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TMPR is excited to welcome Rachel Knight to the team, who joins us as a Junior Graphic Designer! Rachel brings a degree in graphic communication and four years of graphic design experience to the team, alongside her friendly attitude and passion for creativity.

“During my university studies and previous roles, I developed a keen interest in visual storytelling and brand communication,” Rachel explains. “I am very happy to be joining TMPR, and I am eager to embrace the collaborative spirit and transparent approach that they are so well known for.”

“As a Junior Graphic Designer, I’ll be helping edit artwork for existing client projects, as well as acting as a brand guardian for TMPR,” Rachel continues. “I’m looking forward to growing in my role and with the brand. We’re currently going through a re-brand, so I’m very excited about what’s ahead!”

Outside of the office, Rachel tries to spend as much time outdoors as possible. She loves running, hiking, and travelling to new places. Last year, Rachel took a career break to travel around Europe. She had a fantastic time experiencing new cultures and exploring lots of new hiking routes. Her favourite hike being the Picos De Europa, a beautiful National Park known for being the home of the Brown Bear and the Iberian Wolf! Rachel is also a keen amateur photographer, and loves capturing the scenery on her outdoor adventures.

Louise Morgan, TMPR Director, says: “Welcoming Rachel to the team bolsters our existing creative capabilities. In the short time she has been with us, she has already made a positive impact – fitting in seamlessly by bringing a positive attitude and passion for design.”

“Thanks to Rachel joining the business, we are now making good progress with the TMPR rebrand behind the scenes,” Louise continues. “Watch this space in the coming months… great things are on the way!”

“I’m so thankful for the warm welcome I’ve received from the team,” Rachel adds. “Their kindness and support has made my transition into this new chapter smooth and enjoyable. I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such talented, hardworking and friendly colleagues. I can’t wait to see what our future holds!”

 

Welcome to the TMPR team, Rachel!

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

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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!

 

Celebrating two years at TMPR, happy work anniversary Charlene!

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This week we’re marking two years since Charlene Lau joined TMPR, and what an accomplished two years it has been! Charlene joined the team as an Office Administrator but quickly progressed to Office Manager within her first year. She has truly gotten stuck into her role and now celebrates two full years with us.

Originally from Singapore, Charlene brought with her a wealth of experience in hospitality, advertising, and the media industry – a skill set that along with her adaptability and organisation has seen her become a fundamental part of TMPR’s growth.

Charlene can speak an impressive four languages including English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Hokkien. She is currently brushing up on her French skills and has her sights set on adding a fifth fluent language to the list! Her dedication to learning and growth both in and outside of the office is what makes her the perfect Office Manager, and greatly admired by the whole team.

When asked about her two year TMPR tenure, Charlene said “I can’t believe it’s been two years already! I have learnt so much since I started my role. I have been able to develop my marketing and advertising knowledge, learn how to manage a busy office, and build positive relationships with clients. Everyone has always been so caring and supportive, and treated me with so much respect. There are a lot of exciting plans for TMPR in 2024, so I’m really excited to see what my third year holds”.

Louise Morgan, Director at TMPR, added: “Charlene been instrumental in evolution of TMPR over the past two years. Her positivity, her commitment to her role, and her dedication to the business is an enormously valuable asset to TMPR. Thank you, Charlene, for always being our ray of sunshine”.

Since joining us two years ago, Charlene’s unique skill set and bubbly warmth has become an integral addition to the team, and we could not imagine the office without her. A huge congratulations to Charlene on her two year TMPR anniversary, we can’t wait to see what you achieve in year three!

Shaping the future of TMPR together

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After 12 years in business, TMPR has gone from strength to strength. The team is the beating heart of TMPR, so with two new hires recently joining, it is the perfect time to come together and build a vision for the future.

Long-standing HR partner James Dalton, Founder and CEO of E3i, joined the team to discuss the culture of TMPR past and present, but most importantly future. Throughout the day the team learnt a lot about TMPR, the individuals within it, and how they work as a team. Using valuable feedback and insights from employee, client, and supplier surveys, some fantastic conversations took place regarding what makes TMPR unique and special, and how to take it to the next level.

As TMPR look to begin an exciting new chapter, the team explored the company’s values, shaping a positive vision for the future. Everyone at TMPR feels a special energy in the air and believes it should be shared with the world. Together the team defined the ‘TMPR way’ which will help to better communicate why the agency is a great place to work – and a great agency to work with.

Stay tuned, it’s going to be exciting!

Fun away from the office: TMPR take on glass making!

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TMPR are huge champions of ongoing professional development, but also believe encouraging personal growth is the key to nurturing a brilliant team. Alongside regularly attending industry events, every quarter TMPR have some fun away from the desks and learn new skills.

This quarter we visited Glass By Design, fellow Vale of Glamorgan Business Award’s finalists and only a stone’s throw away from our office in Penarth, for a glass making workshop. The team were taught a variety of brand-new skills by the expert teachers including how to make fused glass hangers and coasters from scratch, how to apply coloured glass to form a custom design, and how to fire their creations in the kiln to create a long-lasting ornament. The team also had a great time learning new technical terminology (we are a technical marketing agency after all!) including Confetti, Stringers, and Frit.

Rachel, who loves to craft in her spare time says: “The glass making away day was fantastic. Crafting is a huge passion of mine so learning about a new form of crafting and getting to be creative with my new team was a real treat, we had a lot of fun that day.”

“I had a great day at the glass workshop. I liked learning about the process and seeing my ideas come to life,” Oliver adds. “A highlight for me was learning about the kiln and how it makes the colours permanent, it was really interesting. The whole day was fun, and I would definitely do it again.”

“It was great to get the chance to be creative at the glass workshop and have some fun doing something a bit different,” Tom recalls. “It was intriguing to compare how the colours on the glass looked before and after they had been in the kiln as there was definitely a change. My favourite part of the day was seeing what designs everyone came up with.”

As we head into the final quarter of the year, next activity is destined for a seasonal theme… watch this space!

 

The TMPR team continues to grow. Welcome Mollie!

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Say hello to TMPR’s new Marketing & PR Assistant!

TMPR are thrilled to welcome recent Marketing Management Graduate, Mollie Britton, to the growing team. Whilst studying at university, Mollie discovered an enthusiasm for public relations and a keen interest in B2B marketing.  As well as expertise from her degree, Mollie brings marketing experience from third sector organisations and e-commerce businesses to TMPR, along with a passion for writing and a hunger to learn.

“University has provided me with so much knowledge in various areas of marketing, from consumer psychology all the way over to project management. During my final year, I studied PR in more depth, and found a real passion for the craft. My new role at TMPR combines everything I loved about my studies and previous marketing jobs, so this is a really exciting new venture for me.”

Outside of work, Mollie is an avid lover of all things music, attending gigs up and down the country on an (almost) weekly basis, collecting vinyl records, and discovering new music at festivals every summer. Mollie’s other interests include film photography, tattoo art, and her pets/best friends Reggie the Italian Greyhound, Rudi the Greyhound, and Flynn the Ibizan Hound.

“TMPR believes in nurturing home-grown talent,” says Louise Morgan, TMPR director. “Mollie shows great promise and brings a positive attitude and enthusiasm to the team. We are really looking forward to helping her develop and giving her graduate career a boost.”

“Starting a new job is always daunting, but I couldn’t have asked for a better first couple of months – I’ve been so busy getting stuck in to the role I’ve only just found the time to post this blog!” Mollie laughs. “Everyone has been so supportive and encouraging, and I have learnt so much already. It feels like a really exciting time to be joining TMPR. There are big things happening behind the scenes and I can’t wait for it all to come to fruition in the new year!”

Welcome to the TMPR team, Mollie!

Introducing Rachel, the newest member of the TMPR team!

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TMPR are pleased to welcome Rachel Cole to the team, whose newly created role will see her assist our recently promoted office manager, Charlene Lau. Rachel brings over a decade of experience in administration to TMPR, along with her positive attitude and a love for creativity.

“I spent years as an admin assistant in a local university organising seminars for research institutes and making sure they ran smoothly. I joined TMPR after sadly being made redundant, but it has turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise as I am really happy in my new role.”

Outside of the office Rachel loves being creative and spends a lot of her time completing crafting projects. Rachel loves water colours, sequin art, and building Lego with her son. They have recently begun a new Lego endeavour – building a massive Baby Groot from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy films – and are currently around a third of the way through! Rachel also enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, and visiting some of the fantastic local restaurants The Vale of Glamorgan has to offer.

Louise Morgan, TMPR director says: “The administration team is relatively new to the business but has already become the backbone of our operations. The work behind the scenes sets the foundation for the wider team to deliver exceptional client experiences. I am really pleased to have Rachel on board who brings such extensive experience.”

“I’m really enjoying working at TMPR so far, I have an interesting range of tasks to get on with which keeps me on my toes,” Rachel adds. “I’m lucky to have joined a team of such lovely and supportive people. A highlight so far has to be the glass making away day we did at Glass By Design. I absolutely love crafting and creating new things, so it’s as if the day was made for me. It was great to get to know the team better and learn a new craft, I can’t wait for the next one!”

Welcome to the TMPR team, Rachel!

Technical Marketing and PR celebrates Vale Business Awards win!

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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!