This Is Tees Valley This Is Tees Valley - Issue 1 2020 | Seite 7

Tees Business – successful
business publication and website
has been running for five years.
TEESSID E’S LIFESTY
LE MAGAZI NE
ISSUE 11 | WINTER
2019-20 COMPLIM
ENTARY
FESTIVE
FOOD
Tasty tapas
at Luna Blu
HOMES &
INTERIORS
CHRISTMAS
GIFT GUIDE
Create a cosy,
festive look
Ideas for all the family
FOOTBALL
Ex-Boro manager
Tony Mowbray on
Teesside life
GET PARTY
READY
Fabulous hair
and beauty tips
s
s
e
n
i
s
Bu
AR
WE
T H E
I C E
V O
O F
E S S
S I N
B U
T H E
R
F O
A R
W E
Strictly
Speaking
I O N
R E G
Dancing queen Shirle
y Ballas
on panto, passion
and parmos!
TEES-L IFE.CO .UK
SHOWCA SING THE
VERY BEST OF TEESSIDE
EAT / SHOP / LIVE
/ WORK / VISIT TEESSIDE
tees-life.co.uk
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Tees Life – the Tees region’s only
dedicated lifestyle magazine was
launched in 2017.
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Wear Business – Resolution’s
latest publication for the
Sunderland and Durham region.
Su
rplan
maste
Publishers – Martin Walker
(left) and Dave Allan run
Middlesbrough-based Resolution
Media and Publishing, the team
behind This Is Tees Valley.
they had worked together in the media
department at Middlesbrough Football Club
and collaborated on the writing of several
books. They went on to run their own
successful PR businesses – and still do.
Martin developed a magazine in nearby
Newton Aycliffe, concentrating on positive
news with most of the content supported by
advertisers. After two years, he approached
Dave with the idea to launch a similar model
in Middlesbrough.
“We eventually settled on the whole of the
Tees Valley area,” says Martin.
“The model for Tees Business was based
on the same model at Aycliffe, concentrating
on business news with most of the content
supported by advertisers, which by nature is
going to be positive.
“We already had our own separate PR
businesses and we could see the gap, but we
didn’t know what the real potential would be.
“It took time to gain that credibility, but
we believed we could make a success of it. In
the early days, we took all of the pictures and
wrote all of the features ourselves. We even
had to teach ourselves sales, and fast!”
A website was launched alongside the
print product so all bases were covered –
people who preferred the look and feel of a
magazine had it to hand, others could read
it online.
Weekly e-news bulletins, a strong social
media presence and networking events
when each new edition is launched quickly
followed, and the momentum soon picked
up.
Lifestyle magazine Tees Life was next –
again from a recognition there was a gap
in the market where other high-end glossy
publications overlooked the area.
The successful Tees Businesswomen
Awards were then launched in 2018 and have
sold out two years in a row; a new venture,
the Tees Tech Awards, will celebrate the
burgeoning creative and digital sector in the
Tees Valley.
And there’s more to come.
“We are looking to host another awards
event in the autumn of 2020 and we have
plans to launch another into 2021 taking it to
four,” reveals Dave. “We also plan to extend
the magazine publication reach into other
regions and areas of the country.
“Tees Valley has a really strong business
community and we’ve been able to tap into
that respect. There are some really innovative
companies that go under the radar and we’ve
been a conduit to allow them to shout about
themselves.”
The business and brand creation are
made all the more remarkable given that
Resolution is staffed by just four full-timers –
co-directors Dave and Martin, sales manager
Chris Garbutt and events manager and Tees
Life editor Julie Burniston.
The company also takes pride in
supporting a network of freelance designers,
writers and photographers as well as print
and distribution companies.
Resolution – who took their name from
the ship sailed by world-famous explorer and
fellow Teeessider Captain James Cook – also
design and produce brochures and company
literature from conception to print for firms
seeking printed materials for their business.
This Is Tees Valley, the publication
you’re reading, was a logical follow on
for Resolution. Backed by the Tees Valley
Combined Authority and mayor Ben
Houchen, the publication has been designed
to showcase the Tees area and just what it has
to offer.
It was a natural fit for Dave and Martin.
“As a region, we have a tendency to hide
our light under a bushel,” reflects Dave. “Too
often we talk ourselves down, which is why
we launched a campaign to Talk Up the Tees
Valley and Teesside.”
“The combined authority was formed
around the time we launched Tees Business
and to have that first devolved authority in
the North-East has, we think, played a big
part for us,” adds Martin. “The mayor can see
what we are trying to do, and he can see the
potential for this region.
“We have big ambitions – we’ve recently
launched Wear Business and we believe there
are markets in other regions – but we will
remain passionate about our home area.
“In the past five years Tees Business has
become a part of us and we feel proud of
what it has become, what it represents and
the way it offers a strong brand message
about our region.”
Find out more about their publications: teesbusiness.co.uk | tees-life.co.uk | wear.business
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