TLC Marketing: What winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise means to us

TLC Marketing is the world-leading provider in loyalty, incentive and reward campaigns. We offer end-to-end management of the entire reward campaign, from creative concept, planning and execution to engagement analytics and customer service. Over the years the world’s best-known brands have been able to reward their customers with incentives that represent extraordinary value, for a fraction of their actual cost; thanks to our global buying power. In each market, TLC has a determined team dedicated to nurturing existing partners and recruiting new ones to meet our consistent campaign demand.

The Queen’s Enterprise Award for International Business was given to us in recognition of our successful growth into the Chinese, Brazilian and South African markets as well as winning highly competitive industry awards in the U.K, France, Italy and America. Globally we are now operating an effective 60 per cent repeat revenue model. Turnover has grown at an average of 20 per cent over the past five years, and this rate is set to continue with higher pro-rata profits down to greater operational efficiencies. TLC Marketing also runs an award-winning employee share scheme and features in the International Fast Track Top 200 Companies for Overseas Growth and The London Stock Exchange list of “100 Companies to Inspire”.

Being one of the few businesses recognised for this high accolade fills us with great pride since our humble beginnings as a small 1954 West End advertising agency who, amongst other things, created the Luncheon Voucher.

My father, TLC Marketing’s original founder, had one mantra: be the best at what you do. Back then it was a distant dream to have over 400 staff in 14 markets and have people enjoying our promotions in over 50 countries, but look at us. All this and now a Queen’s Award.

It’s a truly humbling day and I want to thank each and every member of the TLC family. Our international success is a result of our company culture and staff commitment. We make a point of having monthly global conference calls or “hugs”, which involve every market and department. It’s a unique thing to have Australia, the UK and New York on the same call, but we somehow manage it every month. We also have biannual MD conferences and Group Heads (based in our London HQ) regularly visit other markets as in our experience, face to face is always better than email. It is their teamwork and dedication that has brought us this far. My father would be extremely proud. As am I.

Nick True is Chairman of TLC Marketing and son of the company’s original founder.