Tom Berrington
Founder, The TorchBrand AgencyI've spent seven years in digital marketing across agencies, charities, and the public sector, managing marketing for more than 500 businesses in the UK and internationally. This is the route that brought me to TorchBrand.
Seven Years Across Agencies, Charities, and the Public Sector
I'm a digital marketer with seven years of agency and in-house experience across paid media, CRO, websites, SEO, social media, and CRM and sales management. I've managed marketing for over 500 businesses in the UK and internationally, working with leading agencies including Social Chameleon (awarded the UK's #1 Social Agency), Add People (the UK's largest SME marketing agency), and Session Media (B2B and SaaS specialists).
With millions in ad spend managed, I've delivered campaigns across dozens of sectors, end to end. I've built full tracking and marketing setups with agencies and in-house teams, designed dozens of websites on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and custom platforms like Umbraco, Magento, and HTML, and taken clients to the top of search results.
In the charity space, I've led marketing that generated over £2.5M in net revenue, tripled monthly donation revenue, and doubled overall donation volume. I give my time to The Media Trust as a Marketing Consultant and serve on the board of trustees for mental health and counselling charities.
In the public sector, I've led behaviour change and community engagement campaigns for two Department for Education initiatives, across the East Midlands (D2N2) and the North West (Greater Manchester Institute of Technology).
Along the way I've led freelance, agency, and in-house teams, and directed comms managers on campaign strategy across a number of agencies.
- Paid media
- Paid social
- SEO
- Website design & build
- CRO
- Social media
- CRM & automation
- Video production
Results I've Delivered
The Journey So Far
Starting with today and working back to where it began. Open any role to see what I did there in more detail.
Bringing It Together at TorchBrand
Every role below shaped how I work today. At TorchBrand, all of that experience goes straight into your campaigns, with one team that knows your goals inside out.
Founder
I work with a trusted network of consultants and freelancers to deliver paid media, SEO, websites, and social media for private, charity, and public sector organisations. We act as an extension of each client's team, aligning with their goals, software, and strategy.
- Private Sector
- Charity Sector
- Public Sector
Department for Education Initiatives
Recruiting foster carers across four councils and growing technical education enrolment across Greater Manchester, with strict compliance at every step. Here the job is changing what people do, not just what they click.
Marketing Manager
The GMIoT is a Department for Education initiative to grow enrolment in higher technical qualifications across Greater Manchester, working with partners including the BBC, Siemens, GCHQ, Amazon, and the NHS. I lead all marketing and creative strategy on a half-million-pound budget over three years.
- 20% Enrolment Uplift
- The Smarter Step Campaign
- £500k Budget
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I work with education partners including the University of Salford and Wigan & Leigh, Tameside, Bury, Ada, and Trafford & Stockport colleges, covering media production, partner and supplier communications, digital marketing, and website and content development.
What I Lead
- Created and delivered The Smarter Step, a multi-platform behaviour change campaign reaching learners, parents, and educators.
- Produced and directed video: student stories, employer interviews, content days, direct-to-camera, and motion graphic explainers, including sourcing voice actors and editors and managing studio shoots.
- Rebuilt the website for accessibility and GDPR compliance, with targeted landing pages and course chat funnels.
- Built course-level tracking to report cost per enquiry and cost per enrolment, shifting budget toward courses that needed it.
- Manage all paid media, social media, email automation, tracking, and software systems.
The Outcome
One of the most efficient campaigns the Institute has run, with a 20% uplift in enrolments against a national benchmark of 2–5%. By consolidating fragmented agency work and bringing key services in-house, we cut costs while delivering more.
Read the Full Case StudyMarketing Specialist
Foster for East Midlands is a government-funded hub recruiting foster carers across four councils: Derby, Nottingham, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire. I delivered a compliant, multi-channel strategy that grew foster carer enquiries in line with annual targets.
- 4 Local Authorities
- More Foster Carer Enquiries
- GDPR & Accessibility Compliant
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The Challenge
Increase enquiries in a highly regulated sector while balancing four councils' priorities, meeting government policy and GDPR, and keeping performance consistent across digital and offline channels.
What I Delivered
- Worked with council web teams to improve the website's usability, accessibility, and calls to action.
- Planned, launched, and optimised paid campaigns on Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and TikTok within platform and safeguarding rules.
- Strengthened lead generation and the enquiry journey, improving follow-up with prospective carers.
- Built an organic social strategy, supported by partner agencies on influencer, UGC, display, and PR activity.
- Promoted online and in-person recruitment events, driving consistent sign-ups.
- Implemented a structured SEO strategy so people searching for fostering could find the service.
- Led marketing workshops and staff support, and managed partnerships.
The Outcome
Enquiries rose significantly across all four councils, and we left behind a scalable, compliant framework for long-term recruitment.
Read the Full Case StudyMarketing With Purpose
From a £40M international humanitarian charity to a community boxing charity in Derby, where I first learned to own marketing end to end, this is where I've seen marketing make the most direct difference.
Advertising Manager
A globally recognised humanitarian organisation with a £40M+ annual turnover, delivering aid across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and parent charity of Syria Relief, the UK's largest Syria-focused NGO. I managed a £250k advertising budget for digital donor acquisition across the UK, Canada, and the UAE.
- 2x Web Revenue
- 3x Donation Volume & Recurring Revenue
- 4x Paid Media ROI
- 2x Conversion Rate
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What I Owned
Over two and a half years I ran advertising channels, data reporting, and campaigns for digital donor acquisition, and developed the donation platforms, websites, and CRM systems behind them.
Results
- Rebuilt the website, doubling the conversion rate and growing brand awareness fourfold.
- Doubled total web revenue through digital channels.
- Tripled donation volumes and recurring revenue.
- Improved return on investment from paid media by 4x.
Paid Media Manager
I partnered with Mercy Relief to raise awareness and donations through targeted Google Ads for appeals including Dhul Hijjah, Zakat, the Yemen Water Appeal, and international projects in Africa and the Middle East.
- Higher Conversion Rates
- Larger Donation Amounts
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The Challenge
Mercy Relief needed to reach a wider audience, give its campaigns sharper focus around specific projects and Islamic events, and turn more website visitors into donors.
What I Did
- Planned tailored Google Ads campaigns for each appeal, from keyword research to ad creation and targeting.
- Optimised landing pages to match campaign messaging, with streamlined donation forms.
- Set up remarketing to re-engage interested visitors and build longer-term donor relationships.
The Outcome
The campaigns significantly expanded Mercy Relief's reach, lifted conversion rates and donation amounts, and proved especially effective around key appeals and Islamic events.
Marketing Manager
I started with the Inspire Group while still at university and grew from intern to Marketing Manager across its three organisations: Inspire Fitness Academy, an award-winning charity using boxing to reduce youth crime in Derbyshire; Inspire Championship Boxing, one of the UK's largest semi-professional boxing leagues; and Godfrey Management, the group's events company.
- Intern to Manager
- Record Ticket Sales
- Pay-Per-View Livestreaming
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Inspire Fitness Academy Intern, Coordinator, Then Marketing Manager
Winners of the Derby Beacon of Hope Award, running charity boxing events, classes, and community projects.
- Built and managed the website, social media, and paid media campaigns.
- Restructured the charity's marketing strategy, funding, and governance plans and processes.
- Coordinated community projects, and sourced and managed partners and sponsors.
- Managed part-time and freelance event staff.
Inspire Championship Boxing Event Marketing Assistant, Then Manager
- Built and managed the website and social platforms to promote events and sell tickets.
- Organised and promoted events around the country, pushing ticket sales and attendance to record highs.
- Implemented event ticketing, pay-per-view livestreaming, and advertising campaigns.
- Led a team of videographers, photographers, and part-time staff.
- Worked with sponsors to secure partnerships and maximise brand exposure at events.
- Ran targeted Meta advertising and email marketing.
Godfrey Management Marketing Executive
I built and managed all marketing for the events company: the website, social channels, and SEO, plus paid social promotions for its events and the photography and video behind them.
Scaling Up in Agency
Agency life put hundreds of accounts, bigger budgets, and every major ad platform in front of me, from SME search campaigns to enterprise B2B and paid social.
Paid Media Manager
Social Chameleon won the UK's #1 Social Media Agency of the Year. I support client managers and senior leadership to deliver paid media strategy for enterprise clients and the agency's own advertising.
- Enterprise Clients
- New Business Proposals
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I build paid media campaigns across search engines and every major social platform, develop design proposals for prospective clients, and put consistent strategy behind high-ticket lead generation.
- Build and manage paid campaigns, from ad creation to budget allocation.
- Work across departments to keep paid activity aligned with social, SEO, and content.
- Produce full marketing proposals for new business pitches.
Paid Media Manager
I ran paid media and lead generation for a portfolio of UK energy companies, covering solar panels, wall insulation, boiler replacements, and government-funded energy grants.
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- Managed and optimised each account for performance and cost-effective lead generation.
- Built and maintained landing pages integrated with CRM and third-party systems.
- Developed automated lead funnels and workflows to improve efficiency and response times.
- Created custom dashboards and performance reports with actionable insights.
- Delivered high-performing campaigns that contributed to growth across the energy sector.
Paid Media Manager
I managed high-ticket SaaS, B2B, and tech clients, working closely with the Head of Paid Media on full-funnel strategy. With Expandi Group, Europe's largest adtech and martech player, we delivered B2B data solutions for demand generation.
- Google, Bing, LinkedIn & Meta
- HubSpot & Salesforce
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- Managed ad campaigns on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, and Meta, driving lead generation and ROI.
- Integrated HubSpot and Salesforce to track value and get attribution right.
- Researched with Ahrefs, Data Studio, Supermetrics, and AgencyAnalytics.
- Created decks and client presentations, and audited accounts for campaign planning.
- Worked closely with the internal SEO and graphic design teams.
Senior PPC Account Manager
At one of the UK's largest digital marketing agencies for SMEs, I ran Google and Microsoft Ads for over 300 businesses. I became the youngest Senior Account Manager, holding the largest client portfolio and generating the highest revenue as an individual contributor.
- 300+ Businesses
- Youngest Senior Account Manager
- Budgets Up to £250k a Year
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Senior PPC Account Manager 2023
- Oversaw high-budget, international, and keystone accounts.
- Completed advanced training in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, analytics, and tracking.
- Trained staff and new starters, and supported the sales team with new client audits.
- Worked directly with the Google Ads Growth Programme and internal Microsoft training.
PPC Account Manager 2021 – 2022
- Managed end-to-end marketing across dozens of industries.
- Optimised Google and Microsoft campaigns, with regular client progress meetings.
- Led weekly department training, rebuilt the welcome call process, and onboarded new hires.
- Worked with budgets of up to a quarter of a million a year, delivering measurable ROI.
Additions
The degree that started it all, plus the teaching, trustee, and voluntary work I give my time to alongside my main roles.
First Class Joint Honours in Marketing & Media
I studied an accredited joint honours degree covering the integrated management of marketing, communications, PR, and advertising, and graduated with First-Class Honours.
- First-Class Honours
- Dean's Award for Academic Excellence
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What I Studied
I learned how to build a consistent brand image and analysed its impact on business profitability, developing communication strategies to match. My independent work covered web design, infographics, statistics, search engine optimisation, and consumer behaviour.
On the media side, I explored how texts and platforms carry messages to their audiences, with hands-on projects in publishing, journalism, and writing for the web, print, and screen.
Awards
- Dean's Award in Academic Excellence 2020/21
- Gold Futures Award
- Leadership Futures Award
- Finalist of the Year Award
- Student Employee of the Year, Special Commendation
- Deputy Head of the Student Newspaper, featured in the City & Guilds publication
Beyond the Course
I was part of the Rugby League, Debating, Media, Marketing, Badminton, and Joint Honours societies, which built the communication, organisation, and reliability I've relied on ever since.
Advertising Strategy Video Series
I developed a series of video tutorials giving business and marketing students practical insight into advertising strategy across media channels.
Board of Trustees
I provide website, marketing, and revenue generation support to Rainbow Rogues, a group of counsellors offering expert mental health services in Aberdeenshire.
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- Developed and advised on digital strategy to increase visibility and attract new clients.
- Built their website, supported outreach teams, created graphics and video, and ran paid media and SEO to improve sign-ups.
- Shared best practice on online presence, search rankings, and generating free, high-quality leads.
This work has helped Rainbow Rogues strengthen their digital footprint and connect with more people who need counselling support.
Marketing Consultant
I work with large and small charities across the UK to build cost-effective, scalable digital marketing that drives real impact.
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I've consulted on the Communications Capacity Building Programme, run in partnership with John Lyon's Charity. It pairs experts with small, London-based youth charities to strengthen their communications, marketing, and fundraising, helping them amplify their voice and increase their impact.
Advisory Board
I served on the advisory board as part of a charitable partnership, giving strategic guidance on marketing, digital communications, and organisational structure.
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- Supported social media planning, website development, and branding.
- Advised on compliance, governance, and sustainable growth.
Accomplishments
Speaking
- Guest LecturerFalmouth University
- Guest LecturerUniversity of Derby
- Guest SpeakerCharity Digital
Awards
- Global Recognition AwardGRA
- British Small Business AwardBSBA
- Top Google Ads AgencyDesignRush
Let's Talk About Your Goals
No contracts, no commitments, just a straight conversation about what we can achieve together.