“I have always wanted our agency to be the best”

TFA Marketing has built a solid reputation from its base in the old Wolverton carriage works, with a strong emphasis on listening to their clients and keeping branding in-house.

People have always been at the heart of TFA, the multi-award winning branding and creative marketing agency based in Milton Keynes.

Managing director Darren Isaac has built a thriving agency which currently has a 28-strong team of professionals who boast an extensive range of skills and experience. 

The agency’s divisions cover many individual services including brand, strategy, marketing, creative, advertising, web, digital and video. This wealth of experience and skills mean each client can ‘pick and mix’ what services they want and, through working together they can deliver the agency’s pledge: Building better brands.

“It is so important to listen to the client. Each will have different ideas so, rather than acting like a bull in a china shop, we can look at the best ways to build their brand,” said Darren, who has a strict policy that no work is out-sourced.

This approach means the agency keeps control of the project from start to finish.

Darren said: “It makes sense. There is a lot of cross over in the teams which means we can deliver on our promises to clients. It is all about service, service, service.

“We have been able to grow the business but to me it is more about looking after customers you have and making sure they are happy with what we are delivering rather than going out and finding new ones.”

The agency works with a wide range of clients from SMEs to multi-national companies. Each can expect the same attention to detail with the client at the heart of the process. 

“It is important to listen to a client. We find some clients may not be too bothered about how social media works but they do want to know their money is being well spent and how we can add value to their business.”

“And, although it is important to listen first and hear in detail, our value is in providing the expertise, skills and strategic delivery that truly benefit their business. To work with them in a way that they find comfortable and harmonious, not difficult and divided. Some agencies, too many in fact, are very bad for the “my way or the highway” approach which is deeply misguided as far as relationship building is concerned.” 

To be able to deliver to the clients, Darren recognised he needed to invest in the agency and its people. The arrival of a silent partner nearly two years ago has given him not only the money but the confidence to grow.

Darren said: “It has made a big difference. He has taught me a lot about how to scale up a team. He made me realise that I had to take opportunities. 

“I have always wanted our agency to be the best but that doesn’t mean it has to be the biggest. To be the best you have to be the agency that can attract the best people and can then keep the best people. These people want to do their best. Their work matters to them. A really great mix of people which means they can contribute different ideas and views, but we share a common goal.”

And he added: “I like to think we really are a nice bunch.”

To find out more visit www.t-f-a.co.uk