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Advice: Finding the Right Partner

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There are many reasons businesses may be looking to work with a marketing & PR agency, whether it be for projects, additional resource or to fulfil a year-round function. We know the process can be long and time-consuming, and it isn’t a necessarily a bad thing, as it’s crucial that you find an agency that works well for your business, so you can reap the benefits. We spoke to some of our clients about how they went about working with us and the best advice they would give to businesses currently in the process.

 

 

  • Your objectives

First and foremost, you need to think about exactly what you want from an agency and what role you would like them to play. Only when you know what you’re looking for can you begin to invite agencies to submit proposals. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to add elements on, it just means you need to be able to communicate your core intentions. You should also agree a budget spend in principle for the agency to work with.

 

  • The significance of specialisms

For our clients, specialisms are one of the most important points they raised. If only it was as simple as any agency being the perfect fit for any business. There are an array of business types out there, and there are also many different types of agency. If your business is in the manufacturing sector, find an agency with manufacturing experience. If your business in the technology sector, find an agency with technology experience. If your business is retail, then find an agency with retail experience. For something that is quite logical you’d be surprised how many businesses sometimes overlook the link. If an agency has proven experience in your sector, the chances are they already understand the principles of how your business works and have existing relationships with the trade media in your sector.

 

  • Team work really does make the dream work

Your agency should be an extension of your own team and work in sync. Ask to meet the team, visit each other’s offices if time allows. It’s important to get a feel for what the relationship might be like, it’s a bit of a dating game, you need to find that spark and be excited about working with one another.

 

  • The nitty gritty stuff

Request a portfolio and have conversations about the types of work the agency has been involved in for other clients. Find an agency that is focused on producing quality output and campaigns. Client testimonials are also useful to help you evaluate the work of an agency.

 

If you’re on the lookout for an agency for the first time, or thinking of reviewing your current partnership, we hope these tips from professionals who have been there, done that, and got the right t-shirt will help you out.

5 Reasons to Visit us at the Introbiz Expo

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On Thursday 22nd November 2018 we will be returning to the Introbiz Expo, Wales’ largest business expo at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Here are 5 reasons why you should come and visit us on stand 259:

 

  1. A face to face conversation

Never underestimate the value of a face-to-face conversation. The Introbiz Expo is the perfect opportunity to come and say hello to us in an informal setting and see what we’re all about! Meeting face to face is really important for developing meaningful relationships and networking.

 

  1. A prize giveaway

Fancy winning a gin afternoon tea for two at the Park Plaza in Cardiff City Centre? This unique afternoon tea experience includes elements of a classic afternoon tea combined with Hendrick’s cucumber gin served in a teapot. Come and enter the prize draw on stand 259!

 

  1. Some great freebies

What do we all love most about a good business expo? FREEBIES! We’ll be doing a survey about what freebies people love most and posing the question of what value freebies have on stand at an expo. Come and share your thoughts with us… (we will also have some good freebies)!

 

  1. Some free advice

Take advantage of our team being available. We’re happy to share our advice and answer any PR and marketing questions you may have.

 

  1. A fantastic networking opportunity

The Introbiz Expo is completely free to visit and a great opportunity to network with over 200 exhibitors. You’ll also get to hear from a line up of world class speakers. And in a first for Wales, headliners, Lord Sugar and Grant Cardone will be taking part in a special Q&A session – be sure not to miss this one!

 

We hope to see you there on stand 259! You can register to visit the expo here.

Happy 1st Birthday, David!

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Throughout University I worked hard at my Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies course, I was section editor of the university newspaper, Gair Rydd, and held a managerial position in a high street retail store in Cardiff. With no experience in Marketing & PR I found it difficult to get into the industry. A year ago, our Director, Louise, hired me with the intention of teaching and coaching me on how to succeed at Technical Marketing and PR. After celebrating my 1st birthday this week, I wanted to summarise what I have learned this year.

In the last year I have learnt so much more than I could have imagined. From day one I was dealing with clients first hand, writing copy and attending expos. After six months in my position as Junior Account Executive, I was promoted to Account Executive, something I am incredibly proud of.

I thoroughly enjoy the roving reports we produce when visiting clients at expos or events. I participated in a video course when I started at Technical Marketing & PR, which taught me how to create professional looking content on a mobile phone. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me to improve my video skills, interview our clients, and help them produce content.

All in all, this last year has been a big year for me, both professionally and personally. In my first few weeks at Technical Marketing & PR, we were exhibiting at the Introbiz Expo, something we are excited to be doing again this year on stand 259. The Introbiz Expo is one of the biggest business expos in Wales and we are excited to exhibit and have lunch with Lord Sugar! In January, we attended education technology show Bett with our client Promethean, which was a fantastic opportunity to see how technology is being utilised in the education sector. Another big event for the business as a whole was the CIPR Cymru Awards where we were shortlisted as ‘Outstanding Small Public Relations Constancy’, and even though we didn’t win the party was brilliant and a great opportunity to celebrate our successes with some of our clients! Whilst all this has been going on, I also got on the property ladder, buying my first property in Cardiff Bay. My commute to work has improved ten-fold, I am no longer stuck in traffic for an hour and a half, now it takes me just 12 minutes!

I am incredibly pleased with my successes over the last year at Technical Marketing & PR, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next year will bring. Thank you to the team for my amazing cake!

Technical Marketing & PR Invests in Team Growth

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Alexandra Davies appointed as new Junior Account Executive 

 

Technical Marketing & PR, a boutique PR agency in South Wales, specialises in delivering marketing and PR services for some the UK’s leading construction, engineering and technical brands. Just ten months after Technical Marketing & PR appointed a new Account Executive, the company has expanded the team further with the recruitment of Alexandra Davies as Junior Account Executive.

After being appointed to work on a PR campaign in Australia and New Zealand for long standing client, Promethean, securing new contracts and being shortlisted as ‘Outstanding Small PR Consultancy’ in the upcoming CIPR PRide Cymru Awards, expansion is going from strength to strength for Technical Marketing & PR. Investing in the team is going to be a vital part of developing the business, servicing a growing client base and establishing the company as a leading PR provider in South Wales.

Alexandra Davies is a Journalism Graduate from Cardiff University, who is taking on the role of Junior Account Executive. Alexandra undertook a work experience placement at UK newspaper and online news desk, The Sun, where she developed an ambition for a career in marketing and PR.

Commenting on her appointment, Alexandra said: “I am really excited about this new challenge, and I am looking forward to learning and developing alongside such a wonderful team, especially at such an exciting time for the business. Finding a job, after university can be difficult and I feel so lucky to be joining the team at Technical Marketing & PR, in an industry that is so interesting, and where no two days are the same!”

Louise Matthews, Director of Technical Marketing & PR, stated that: “We’re very excited to have Alexandra on board as this will support our plans for growth and expansion. It is very difficult for graduates to gain the experience necessary to work in industry, and I want to invest in nurturing teams from the ground up, providing graduates with an opportunity to develop in a supportive environment.”

Technical Marketing & PR is always open to providing work experience opportunities and would encourage anyone who is interested in a career in marketing or public relations to get in touch at, hello@technicalmarketing-pr.com.

Writing a Winner – How to Craft an Award-Winning Entry

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No matter what business you have or how big it is, you can enter a business award. There are a large variety of awards, stemming from local to national, industry based, or product based, and it provides an incredible opportunity to get yourselves recognised in your industry. It is a great PR opportunity for your company, which can provide free marketing, increased credibility and help to attract new customers. Having drafted many award-winning entries for our clients we wanted to share our ‘must-do’, tried and tested formula with you.

Read Entry Criteria

It may sound simple but ensure you read the entry criteria. It is important to make sure that what you are offering is relevant to what the category is requesting.

Time is NOT of the Essence

Give yourself plenty of time on the award entry, this is a fantastic opportunity for your business to be recognised and your team to be rewarded for its hard work. Entries can take much longer than you think, so start early!

Best Feature Forward

Put forward your best and most relevant feature for the category your entering. It is vital to ensure that you believe what you are proposing is going to win this category, so make sure it’s the right product or service.

Stick to the Facts

It is important to include supporting evidence to validate why you feel that you should win this award, and more so to prove to the judges that you deserve it. Statistics or customer testimonials and case studies can provide confirmation of the work you have done and help persuade the judges.

Proof Read

Ensure you read and re-read your entry, make sure you are happy with it and feel proud of the product or service you are offering. Stick to the word count, say everything you need to say without being too complex and use supporting evidence!

Hopefully, with these tips you’ll craft your award-winning entry and your business will get the help it needs to achieve the recognition you deserve. Good luck!

Technical Marketing & PR Celebrates Regional PR Award Shortlisting

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Technical Marketing & PR has been shortlisted in the ‘Outstanding Small PR Consultancy’ category at the upcoming CIPR Cymru Wales PRide Awards. The awards recognise the outstanding work delivered by industry leaders that demonstrate the value of PR in the world of business.
The shortlisting is testament to the hard work and commitment the team has put in to delivering a series of fantastic services, campaigns and initiatives for clients, in addition to wider business growth and development.

Louise Matthews, Director of Technical Marketing and PR, said: “We’re so incredibly excited and proud to be shortlisted for Outstanding Small PR Consultancy. The team works continuously hard to deliver the best service to our clients, which has led to us experiencing significant growth as a business. It’s fitting that this shortlisting comes just as we’re celebrating our 7th birthday.”

You can see the full CIPR PRide Awards Cymru shortlist here. Winners will be announced at the Cymru Wales PRide Awards ceremony on 12th October 2018 at Cardiff’s City Hall.

 

Lucky Number 7!

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We’ve just turned 7 and we’re super excited to be celebrating this milestone. Here are seven things we’re most proud of since we landed:

  1. Technical Marketing & PR is Born

In June 2011, Louise Matthews, landed Technical Marketing & PR. With over 10 years’ experience of working in marketing and PR, as well as strong links to businesses in the construction, engineering, manufacturing and technology sectors, Louise identified a gap in the market for a PR & Marketing business that specialised in creating technical content.

 

  1. Virtual Marketing Manager Service Launched

Identifying a need in the core sectors for flexible and competitive marketing support, the Virtual Marketing Manager Service was born. Technical Marketing & PR has positioned itself as an agency that can seamlessly integrate with existing marketing teams to provide flexible support, no-nonsense marketing planning and implementation.

 

  1. Relocation and Rebranding

In 2015, Technical Marketing & PR relocated from its offices in Derby, to Barry in South Wales. Following the relocation, Technical Marketing & PR exhibited at the Introbiz Expo where the new branding was launched, and the company announced it was laying down roots in Wales.

 

  1. Going for Growth

In 2017, the decision was made to move away from the business model of working with a team of ‘permalancers’ and recruit permanent in-house staff. Though working with ‘permalancers’ had historically worked very well for the business, Louise Matthews, wanted to grow and develop a strong close-knit team in South Wales where she could pass on her experience.

 

  1. Investing in Marketeers of the Future

In 2018, Technical Marketing & PR has offered paid work experience placements to students, reaching out to Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University to seek candidates. There is a need for hands on paid work experience placements in the sector and Technical Marketing & PR is keen to provide this wherever possible to give future graduates the experience they need to transition into jobs in the sector.

 

  1. Sustainable Partnerships

This year marks the 7th anniversary of the company’s partnership with clients such as Promethean, SIG, ROCKWOOL, Bowden Group and Lumin. These long-standing relationships are testament to the level of service the Technical Marketing & PR team offer.

 

  1. Looking Forward

Business growth and development continues to be a significant focus for Technical Marketing & PR, the company is expanding the team and investing in staff development to further enhance the range of services it provides. The team are looking forward to strengthening long-standing relationships and welcoming new clients on board.

 

To celebrate our 7th birthday, we’ll be doing a series of prize draws over the next few months on social media so make sure you’re following us. If you’d like to pop in for a chat, a cup of tea and maybe some birthday cake, then drop us a message!

Syncro Secures Virtual Marketing Manager Service

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Technical Marketing & PR has been retained to provide virtual marketing manager services to Syncro after successfully supporting the business at the Nursing and Dementia Care Expo in April 2018.

The Cardiff-based marketing and PR agency project managed Syncro’s whole stand presence and communications around the expo, including manufacturer liaison and literature production. Steve Long, Managing Director of Syncro, was impressed with Technical Marketing & PR’s delivery, highlighting the ease of integration into Syncro’s team and their ideas for the expo.

“Technical Marketing & PR have done an excellent job at putting the stand together. Due to their support, I have been relieved from all pressure regarding the expo, which has allowed me to focus on my daily business tasks.”

Louise Matthews, Director of Technical Marketing & PR, concludes: “We are proud of the success that we achieved for Syncro at the Nursing and Dementia Expo, and are looking forward to supporting them moving forward on a more proactive basis. It’s been a real pleasure to watch the business grow from a start-up to the success it is today. We’re proud to be able to help them in the next stage of the journey.”

Syncro is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of fire and security solutions, with Technical Marketing & PR working with them on a project basis since the business launched in 2014.

Pitching to Your Media

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The relationship between the media and PR teams is one that is somewhat interdependent. The media need PR practitioners and PR practitioners need the media. With increasing pressure placed on journalists to increase their content output whilst resources are being squeezed, journalists are relying on press releases and stories to come to them like never before. Yes, this is likely to work in the favour of PR and marketing teams in the process of pitching stories, but it’s by no means grounds to be complacent about your media relationships. If anything, you need to strengthen your position in an industry where journalists’ mailboxes are being bombarded with content. That said, it’s also important that you act responsibly and professionally in your dealings with the media.

Pitching to your media is all about developing strong relationships and is a key part of any successful PR strategy. Here are some of our best tips for pitching to your target press:

  • Do your research

Before sending a press release, ensure that your content is relevant for a specific publication by checking what stories/ topics they cover. Make sure you have specific media lists and that these are regularly checked and updated. It’s far too easy to find a media contacts list online and ping them all a press release. This can be potentially damaging as you risk agitating journalists if you’re sending them irrelevant content. Your decision to target publications needs to be smart and calculated.

 

  • Find out the journalist’s preferences

Every journalist is unique and has preferred methods of communication. Some journalists like to discuss potential stories over the phone, others prefer content to be pitched to them via email. It’s a good idea to try and call the press desk in the first instance for a quick chat, if you have no success getting through, then drop them an email. Don’t be afraid to ask your journalist how they’d like to communicate, it will show them you’re being considerate and will allow you to interface more effectively.

 

  • Be concise

Don’t babble on. Make sure you know exactly what you want to pitch before you contact the journalist. Whether it be by phone or email, keep it short and concise. Journalists have very busy schedules and will lose interest quickly if you don’t get straight to the point. Get all the key details in – the who, what, when, where, and why. Don’t be afraid to explain to the journalist why you think it would make a great story. If you’re passionate about it, then it will seem like a far more attractive pitch.

 

  • Don’t be too persistent

Send your press release once. If you don’t get a response, then it doesn’t mean the publication isn’t going to run with it. If you really want to see if they’ve picked it up, add a read receipt, or if this isn’t successful then give them a quick call and ask if they’d like any further details or offer an interview. Alternatively, you could call the publication in the first instance, very briefly pitch the story and ask who the best person to send it to would be.

 

  • Meet the deadlines

Remember that journalists often have print deadlines to meet, these cannot be changed to wait for your content, so make sure you meet the deadline, or even better send the content ahead of the deadline. If you’re late sending your piece and don’t fulfil your end of the deal, the journalist will lose confidence in you and will be less likely to return to you for content in the future.

 

  • Keep the journalist updated

Keep the journalist updated with any developments to ensure that they know you’re proactively working with them. If they contact you, then you need to respond as soon as possible. If you leave them hanging, they may think you’re no longer interested and give the space to someone else.

 

  • Think proactively

Have the relevant content prepared so you’re ready to provide the journalist with whatever they need, quickly and efficiently. Often journalists will require a strong image, so have this ready to send or even better send it with the press release. If you can provide your journalist with a fully packaged piece, then they will be far more likely to pick it up.

 

  • Safeguard your relationships

Work to develop your relationships with publications on a general basis but also the journalists on an individual level. To have a named contact makes your job far easier as you’ll have a captive audience. Equally don’t abuse the relationship and make sure you’re working professionally with each other’s goals and objectives in mind.

 

If you can do all of these things then you’ll be far more successful in pitching to your media, which should result in more high-quality coverage. Find out more in our Guide to Strong Media Relations here.

 

 

A Technical Experience

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Alex Lambden, a 2nd year student at Cardiff University, has interned with us here at Technical Marketing & PR over the last three months, getting involved in creating copy and learning what it takes to be an effective marketeer. In this blog post, Alex rounds up his experience of working with us:

During my placement with Technical Marketing & PR, I have learnt so many new skills in such a short amount of time. From day one, I have been exposed to a variety of marketing activities and become proficient in writing press releases, managing social media accounts, and creating quality content in forms of video and blog posts amongst other things. This experience has not just taught me invaluable professional skills but has definitively confirmed my passion for pursuing a marketing career.

Technical Marketing & PR are very active in their approach to the company’s own marketing, with the team attending business events or producing roving reports. Filming video content for one of our clients was my favourite experience on my placement; we visited Wildfire Communications in Bristol and created a short clip about the Promethean Grant with Education Technology magazine. Not only was it a lot of fun, but it was great to be involved in how promotional videos are created, from the setting up, shooting and editing. It’s the variety of the work that I have been involved in that has made this placement so enjoyable and enriching.

Thanks to my work placement at Technical Marketing & PR, I’ve gathered a portfolio of my work that I will be able to show my future employers. I am sad to be leaving such a great working environment, where each day started with a cup of coffee, and finished with the mastering of a new marketing skill or digital tool.

Keep your eyes peeled in the future for any student placements that Technical Marketing & PR could be offering!

Here’s my advice for students that are looking for a placement and want to work for a business that shares your aspiration to grow, as well as a quick round up of my time with Technical Marketing & PR:

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