If you’ve spent any time on TikTok recently there’s a good chance you’ve come across Marcus Ansell – better known as Tinned Fish Reviews.
From his kitchen near Newark, Marcus has built a huge online following by doing exactly what his username suggests: opening tins of fish and sharing his honest verdict. It might sound niche, but with more than a million followers and millions of views, it’s clear he hooked an audience. When Marcus came to Penguin PR he already had a loyal community on TikTok, but what he wanted was recognition beyond social media.
Taking the story beyond TikTok
One of Marcus’ goals was to secure verified status on social media, which meant demonstrating notability through independent media coverage.
Rather than focusing on tinned fish alone, we looked at the bigger story.
Here was a man from Nottinghamshire who had turned an unusual hobby into a global online community. His reviews were influencing buying habits, introducing people to products they’d never heard of and, in some cases, even helping brands sell out.
That was the story we pitched.
Getting people talking
The campaign secured coverage across regional media, including an interview on BBC Radio Nottingham, where Marcus spoke about his journey from opening a novelty Christmas gift to becoming one of the internet’s best-known tinned fish reviewers.
The story also featured in the Newark Advertiser, helping introduce Marcus to a wider audience beyond socials.
More than likes and followers
Social media does build an audience, but independent media coverage brings a different kind of credibility. For Marcus, it helped reinforce his reputation as one of the original ‘Tinfluencers’ at a time when tinned fish was becoming an unlikely social media trend.
It’s a good reminder that PR isn’t just for businesses launching products or announcing major milestones. Sometimes it’s about helping people tell their story in a way that builds trusts and opens doors.