It has been a whirlwind of a first year for SASS media Ltd, a "small but mighty" PR and media business based in Teesside.
Company directors Sarah Walker and Sarah Dale chose the moniker for their business based on their shared first name – and the definition of SASS as lively, spirited and bold!
SASS is what the dynamic duo brings to a project in bucketloads. Sarah and Sarah are both qualified, experienced journalists and public relations specialists with a keen eye for spotting the story in every business. Their services include journalism, public relations, communications and copywriting.
Passionate Teessiders, the two Sarahs have earned a wealth of retainer and returning clients thanks to their warmth, strong work ethic and loyalty. SASS media has successfully achieved media coverage across a range of platforms – TV, radio, websites, magazines and newspapers – including a BBC Radio 4 documentary, Yorkshire Life magazine, BBC Look North, ITV Tyne Tees, Teesside Live, Northern Echo, Sunderland Echo, The Mirror, Shields Gazette as well as, of course, Northern Insight magazine.
“We passionately believe that every business has a story to tell – and our role is to help you tell it,” said Sarah D.
“We bring enthusiasm, creativity, ideas and action to all our projects. We’re also seasoned journalists, which sets us apart from many of our competitors as we have been on both sides of the story and know how to write for the media,” added Sarah W.
“We have a wide range of clients including sole traders, charities, B2B magazine publishers and SMEs. We offer tailor-made public relations support to businesses of all sizes and cater for every budget, essentially acting as an extension to your team through our retained monthly services, which enables us to continuously identify opportunities for positive publicity for your business.”
And it is that passion and commitment to their clients which has seen them follow an impressive growth trajectory for their first year, secure a wealth of retained clients and be shortlisted for three awards: Small Business of the Year and Best New Business at the Tees Business Businesswomen Awards and Standout Achievement at the Tees Business Best New Tees Business Awards.
“Being recognised by successful professionals who have been in business a lot longer than us has absolutely blown us away; it’s a fantastic achievement,” said Sarah D.
They recently moved into their first office at Fast Track House in Thornaby, where they proudly display their awards finalists’ certificates and Sarah D’s Tomy Tutor Typer, her very first laptop, to remind them of their why.
“We love writing and we love telling people’s stories, that is what we were born to do,” added Sarah D. “We wanted to create a business based on our values of warmth, integrity and the ability to connect with people whilst also maintaining a positive work/life balance.”
Although, the Sarahs admit that with a business that has grown quicker than anticipated, that can prove tricky at times.
In the autumn, it was clear that SASS needed some SASSettes to join them and the Sarahs are thrilled to have three part-time writers on board with plans to extend their team further in 2024.
“We know them well, both professionally and personally, and knew they would be the perfect fit for SASS,” said Sarah D. “They hold the same values as us and we know we can trust them to deliver high quality, accurate and engaging copy every time.”
As well as expanding the team, the Sarahs are actively engaging with businesses and individuals who can widen the business’s services offering.
“We have had some exciting conversations with other communications and digital marketing specialists on how we can collaborate on projects together,” added Sarah W. “We can’t wait for what 2024 brings.”
www.sassmedialtd.co.uk