Ferndown based Wordcaster Media and Public Relations celebrates its 25th year as a successful partnership run by husband and wife team Gareth and Teresa John. Although 25 years makes the business one of the longest established in the region, the publicists admit that most people are amazed that their 32 year marriage lasted working together for that length of time.
“It’s a wonder she has not strangled me by now,” admits Gareth. “As professionals we hope we make our success look easy but like anything it can be a bit ‘fraught’. We obviously do argue but this tends to be about the best way to handle a situation or a project for a client. We tend to arrive at the same place but by taking different, creative and complementary routes.”
A press release about their own business is a rare occurrence. Teresa says that the last one they issued was in the mid-nineties: “We give the clients priority and do not want to be the type of PR co that promotes themselves more successfully than their clients.”
That client base includes a 22 year consultancy for Haskins Garden Centres, nine years with the expanding PamPurredPets chain and seven years with Abacus the vehicle hire specialists and Castlepoint Shopping Park. The two decades have also seen them handle promotions for Noel Edmond’s Telly Addicts for his Unique group and a spell with Nigel Mansell’s Ferrari dealership. Aviation clients have included importers for Piper and Pilatus aircraft and Robinson and Agusta helicopters following Gareth’s ambition achieved to fly both planes and helicopters. They also managed the PR for Go Ahead bus group in the south, and Stagecoach Bus regional operations in Kent and Southern England for over 10 years. Also three years of consecutive pantos for the Mayflower in Southampton. Oh yes they did!
So what advice would the couple give to anyone thinking of starting a business together? “A business can require many long hours, so try to work separately if you can at least for a few hours, or even a few days so that you have different things to discuss when you get to catch up.”
