Turn the Tables is designed to be a leaner, more productive agency where quality of service is our number one priority.
Most agencies work on a top-heavy staffing structure with account directors earning the big bucks while the actual PR work – liaising with journalists on their clients’ behalf – is done by relatively junior staff who don’t understand your business and can’t effectively interface with the media for you.
Turn the Tables is a consortium of business journalists, independent PR agents and associated marketing freelancers – all operating under one banner and offering the sweet spot of quality and affordability.
The company’s proudly based in North Devon but we work all over the UK, with our core client base in Bristol and the South West. In these days of remote working and rapid change, we think we’ve got the perfect set-up, particularly for smaller businesses with something important to say.
We set up Turn the Tables back in 2010. Rupert had just left journalism and we both felt the SME community was crying out for a better model of PR agency, even if they didn’t know it existed!
Almost 15 years later and we’ve built something we’re proud of, as well as creating a family of (we think) talented children who might even work in the business one day.
We’re still motivated by the buzz of getting our expert clients to open up, by translating their knowledge into content which compels audiences to take note, and telling the stories which get journalists interested.
In 2023 we relocated the business to our family home in North Devon – we’re proud of where we live and we’re looking forward to developing it as a destination for our team, as well as current and future clients, to come and do business.
Both of us enjoy the outdoors. In fact if we’re not working we’re usually walking around Exmoor or running along the coast paths with our two German wirehaired pointers, Tilly and Dusty. Usually while thinking about work.
Alongside our unrivalled media contacts, over the years we’ve hand picked a team of experts who we work with to deliver our client services.
Ultimately, what we provide is words and pictures, so we figured we might as well find the best people we can who specialise in writing and photography, for a start.
On top of that we’ve found independent PR agents – all good enough to exist under their own steam – who we can call on for their individual specialisms when we need additional media relations support.
Turn the Tables gives you the opportunity to team up with those specialists, offering their combined services under one banner.
We’ve cherry-picked the finest photographers, video specialists, communications leads, marketing consultants and digital experts. Together, Turn the Tables can offer the full suite of creative marketing services.
It’s all coherent with a unified ethos for quality and affordability, with one point of contact and accountability for delivery. And best of all… it’s all done remotely, meaning we have no overheads to pass on. You just pay for great people, reasonably priced.
Since we work mainly with the media we figured we might as well work with people who have… worked in the media.
And since we work with businesses, we thought it best to find people who run businesses of their own.
Kath’s a former lawyer who now runs her own copywriting business, specialising in professional services
A Cambridge University linguistics graduate, Sophie is a prolific ghostwriter and writing coach
Rupert’s been a journalist for more than 20 years and a writer since his first thankyou letters to his grandmother
We’ve worked with Barbara since the mid 2000s – she’s technically brilliant, great with people and will elevate your imagery to the next level
Simon’s travelled the length and breadth of the UK with us, taking photos of business people at sites and offices
Craig runs Bexmedia out of Gloucester – designing and executing stunning videos to promote brands
Joe is our business coach and our sounding board for corporate strategy and leadership development
Particularly strong in SEO and digital marketing, Alex is our go-to consultant for strategy and planning
Simon and his business partner James run Rhombus Studio, providing everything visual from websites to logos
Crucially, our team has a range of contacts and experience across the B2B and B2C spectrum in every area of the UK.
So whatever and wherever your target audience, we’ll find the right people for you to work with.
With us you’ll only deal with experienced, director-level agents, writers and consultants. We’ll find the right person with the most suitable expertise to see your project through.
Because we’re virtual, we won’t pass on any overheads for offices, recruitment costs, holiday pay and the rest. You just pay for reasonable prices for reliable, quality services.
It’s about you, not us. We’ll only recommend services that give you what you need – agenda-free and honest options to match your budgets and your desired marketing outcomes.
We’re proud to have a minimal carbon footprint and we’re also sustainable in business terms – our model is fit for the present and the future and we’d love you to be part of it.
Start-ups often need a range of support – promotion through the media, help with digital marketing and branding, ideas about how to design and sell products and services. As an agency we have worked with many businesses from inception through to growth and can support with a variety of marketing functions.
Take for example The Good Physio in Exeter, who we’ve helped from the very earliest stages of brand inception, graphic design and copywriting, through assisting with web development to promotion and advertising.
We genuinely care about the planet we’re going to leave behind for our children, so we do what we can to minimise our carbon usage.
Working virtually means a drastic reduction in our carbon footprint but we have no choice but to travel occasionally, to see clients around the UK.
To mitigate this impact, Turn the Tables is proud to be a member of Offset Earth which means our entire personal and business carbon footprint is offset, through global tree planting programmes.
So far, we’ve had 124 trees planted on our behalf in the mangroves of Madagascar. Work with us, and you can contribute to our forest too.
You might need urgent crisis management, a long-term strategy for PR and comms, or anywhere in between. We have the flexibility to provide services immediately, for quick projects or sustained campaigns. Let’s have a no obligations talk first up. Drop us a line and we’ll be in touch shortly.
