2014-09-10

The shortlist for the Northern Marketing Awards 2014 is revealed today. Almost 200 entries were received this year, an increase of more than 35% over the début awards last year. The awards dinner on Thursday 16 October with the guest speaker John Maltby, CEO of Williams & Glyn bank, is shaping up to be the largest single gathering of the North’s leading marketers and marketing agencies in 2014.

Entries have come from a wide variety of companies, organisations, institutions and agencies from across the North and include many of the region’s and UK’s biggest brands. Unfortunately, given such a large number of entries, a number of companies will be disappointed not to have been shortlisted and we’d like to thank these companies for their time and interest.

(Scroll down to see the short list).

For further information about the evening or to book tickets, please visit our micro-site or contact Don’t Panic on 01706 828855.  Any enquiries relating to commercial engagement or sponsorship should be addressed to nick@prolificnorth.co.uk.

The awards dinner on 16 October at the Point at Lancs CCC will be co-presented by Andy Crane and Emma Jesson.

The headline partners of the Awards are Click Consult and Bytemark Hosting and the individual awards categories are further supported by a number of leading partner companies and the industry trade support body NABS is the Awards charity partner. The leading search agency Click Consult was our headline partner for the Prolific North Awards this year and Bytemark Hosting is a fast-growing York-based hosting company expanding rapidly across the North.

We’d like to thank our outstanding panel of judges for all their hard work and patience working through such a number and variety of quality entries. The list of this year’s judges is detailed at the end of this article.



John Maltby

Last year over 300 guests attended the inaugural Northern marketing Awards dinner and this year we are expecting that figure to rise sharply, given both the significant rise in the number of entries and also the added interest of John Maltby, the CEO of the soon-to-be-relaunched Williams & Glyn bank, as the keynote speaker. Williams & Glyn is due to launch as a standalone bank over the next couple of years and be fully sold-off by RBS by the end of 2017. It will have a major operational base in Manchester and will be one of the UK’s largest banks.

Williams & Glyn’s imminent arrival is also likely to be of broader interest to professionals, financiers, property folk, local government executives and professionals with an interest in commercial life across the North, keen to hear further about why such a venerated Northern banking brand is coming back to life and its aspirations in the marketplace. We published a detailed piece on Williams & Glyn and its marketing plans on 10 March.

We look forward to seeing you at the Awards dinner on Thursday 16 October at the North’s largest gathering of marketing and commercial talent in 2014.

The Northern Marketing Awards 2014: the shortlist

The two headline partners of the awards are Click Consult and Bytemark Hosting.



B2B Campaign of the Year – sponsored by theEword

Citypress & Brother – Tackling Britain’s Messy Desks

Franke & One Marketing Communications – More in Store

Freshfield and Lancashire County Council – Boost Business Lancashire: Start the growth conversation

Intermarketing Agency & RSA – Global Speciality Lines – Big Thinking Small World

Parker Design Consultants & AstraZeneca – Return to Growth

Stein IAS – TalkTalk Business – Integrate Britain

Weber Shandwick – The Castel Property Fund – a secure home for your investment

Westfield Health & Origin Creative– Launching a harder working B2B brand

B2C Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Lion Eyes TV Production Services

Brass & First Bus – No Scary Bears

Fluid Creativity – Illuminated Mirrors online marketing

ITV and Mediacom – Iceland Foods

K2L Marketing- Salford Red Devils: The Red Devilution Campaign

Purple Riot – The Curious World Of The Blue Pig

Shackleton PR & Direct Blinds – Making a name for Direct Blinds

JLL – Snapper Jaxx Kid’s Club

Summit Forecaster – Helping Argos predict and profit from the future

Food & Drink Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Heawood Research

Cube3 and Revolution bars – Big Friday Campaign

Making Cookery Cool: Pelican Communications and British Frozen Food Federation

PHD UK – KA Earning Respect with #AAAKA

Savvy Marketing & Britvic – J2O Glitter Berry ‘Party Pug’ 2013

Savvy Marketing & Kerry Foods – Winning the Battle at Back to School 2013

Weber Shandwick Manchester & Aldi -The Store That Understands You

IT Telecoms & Technology Campaign of the Year

Daviker – People B4 Products

Parker Design: Sage – ‘Sage Engage’

Stein IAS – TalkTalk Business – Integrate Britain

Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year

Access & Variety Club, The Children’s Charity – New Website

Marketing Cheshire & Jodrell Bank – Amazed by Science – 500 events in 50 venues from a standing start in 6 months

BJL & Yorkshire and Humber Adoption Consortium – Being Family

Forever Creative & Peppermint PR – Adopt North West Launch Campaign

Manchester City Council Corporate Communications – Central Library Reborn

MC2 – Business Heavyweights

twentysix Social Media for NHS Blood & Transplant – How Well Do You Know Your Partner?

Rippleffect & University of Leeds Alumni – Making a World of Difference

Professional & Financial Services Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Whitney Woods

BJL & UKAR – Engaging Interest Only Mortgage customers

Branded3 & Cityindex.co.uk – Education and Expert Analysis

de Winter’s Creative PR Campaign Puts Law Firm Aaron & Partners in the Spotlight

Madhouse Associates – DWF internal brand

Newcastle Building Society – Local Knowledge. Mutual Understanding.

Parker Design Consultants: Sage – Accountex Exhibition 2104

Weber Shandwick – Peacock by Creechurch Capital

Westfield Health & Origin Creative – Launching a harder working brand

Property & Construction Campaign of the Year

Blaze Marketing – Vision Park Campaign

DS.Emotion & Evans Property Group – Minerva

Plumlife Caravan Man Campaign

Redrow Homes – Come Home Campaign

Stein IAS – SFS intec – Shapeshifting regulations thought leadership campaign

twentysix – Cluttons Brand Refresh

Retail (on or off-line) Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Better Placed

Fluid Creativity – Illuminated Mirrors online marketing

MediaCom & Iceland – eCommerce

Mosquito Digital – ADDIS e-commerce

Shackleton PR & Direct Blinds – Making a name for Direct Blinds

Space 48 – ROI Focused PPC Helps Naylors Equestrian Deliver Record Sales

Summit Forecaster – Helping Argos predict and profit from the future

Superdrug & Origin Creative – #treatyourselfie in Cardiff

Sport Campaign of the Year

K2L Marketing- Salford Red Devils: The Red Devilution Campaign

Livelink & Manchester United Soccer Schools – ‘Taking the Lead’

Manchester City FC – #Together

Origin Creative and Manchester United – Back to the grassroots: #thisisyourturf

Pelican Communications – Pedalling the Virgin Money Cyclone

Rule 5 – Kick Starting the World Taekwondo Grand Prix

Tourism & Leisure Campaign of the Year

DFDS Seaways: The Smart Way to Travel

Home & Jet2 – Crackin’ Deals

Jaywing & Welcome to Yorkshire – Yorkshire Festival 2014

Marketing Cheshire & Mosquito Digital – ‘There’s nothing like Christmas in Chester’

MEC and First Great Western – “Be a Great Westerner”

Northumberland Tourism – Northumberland Holiday & Short Breaks Guide 2013

On the Beach and CHEETHAMBELL JWT’s – Totally beachin’ holidays campaign

Vivid & Mersey Ferries – A Ferry British Summer Campaign

Low Budget Campaign of the Year

Aldi UK, CTI Digital & Weber Shandwick – ‘Win Your Weekly Shop’ Facebook Game

Clock Creative and ClearSky – Clear Growth

de Winter PR – creating a Business Improvement District in Chester

Diva Creative, Darlington Borough Council, Stagecoach North East and Arriva

IF agency and Vizeum – Discover Easter at Knowsley Safari

K2L Marketing- The NPL Football Academy: The Future of Sport

MEC, BBC and Heat – the perfect combination for Hair

Pitman Training Group – Career MOT – Drive Your Future Forward

Social Media Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Tecmark

Aldi UK, CTI Digital & Weber Shandwick – ‘Win Your Weekly Shop’ Facebook Game

Diva Creative and Centre for HIV and Sexual Health – 10 Ways a Condom Can’t Protect You

Home & Jet2 – Crackin’ Deals

INK Digital & Vileda – Save Your Cats

mycleveragency – Showcasing the ‘great & good’ England has to offer in ‘England’s Hall of Fame’

Origin Creative and Manchester United – Back to the grassroots: #thisisyourturf

Rule 5 – The UCi Track Cycling World Cup

twentysix Social Media – NHS Organ Donation: Facebook Life Events

Sustainable/Green Campaign of the Year

Brass & North Yorkshire County Council – Open Harrogate

Corporate Culture Group & Recycle for Greater Manchester – Right Stuff Right Bin

Marketing PRojects & MRWA – Make 28 Taste Great!

West & North Yorkshire Chamber: Eco-Fair 2014

Best use of Research or Insight – sponsored by MMU Business School

BJL & Yorkshire and Humber Adoption Consortium – Being Family

Enjoy Digital & Northumbria University – Website re-launch 2014

MediaCom & UCLan – Targeting prospective students with ‘Proposition Optimiser’

PHD UK – KA Earning Respect with #AAAKA

Stein IAS – TalkTalk Business – Integrate Britain

Weber Shandwick – Putting the M(anchester) in MBA

Best In House Team – sponsored by Network Marketing

Liverpool Women’s Hospital – Communications Team

Pitman Training Group

Redrow In-House Marketing Department

Sentinel – Marketing Team

Best Small Agency (up to 30 staff) – sponsored by Bruntwood

FireCask

INK Digital Agency

JLL

mmadigital

Mosquito Digital

Pelican Communications

Smartebusiness

Weber Shandwick Manchester

Best Large Agency (over 30 staff) – sponsored by Pitch

BJL Group

Code Computerlove

Jaywing

MC2

MEC Manchester

MediaCom North

Refinery

Stein IAS

The Grand Prix award – to be announced on the the night.

The Northern Marketing Awards 2014 – the judging panel

We are fortunate to have secured so many outstanding judges to help decide upon the process and the winners. A majority of our judges were judges for the inaugural dinner last year and we’re pleased that several new ones have also joined us to increase the number of judges this year to 17 (15 last year).

Liliana Ashton, Executive Producer, Eurocamp

Liliana Ashton is the business consultant currently leading Eurocamp’s digital roadmap. Ashton offers the Northern Marketing Award judging panel her extensive experience working in the global Digital Business and Marketing Industries for over 15 years gleaned from international roles at Amaze PLC, Blast Radius, Guardian Media Group and her own company, LA UK Consulting Limited.

Liliana has a wealth of international experience in the leadership of digital teams including interactive advertising, online marketing, large content management implementations, website design & build. Through her work she has lived, worked and study in England, Germany and in South America, putting her in a key position to assess entries to this award with an international point of view. She has, in the past, been involved in submitting and attending a number of digital awards which offers her an insight into the submission process and is now keen to collaborate with this special Marketing Award celebrating the excellence, creativity and achievements of the marketing industry in the North. Liliana’s industry and client experience extents across a range of business including Digital and Traditional Media, Professional Services, Education, Automotive, Entertainment sectors, International Cosmetic Industry and Beverage.

Her academic qualifications include qualifications in International Business and Marketing, an Honours degree in Computer Sciences with Distinction for her final thesis. Certification in High Performance Leadership at Oxford University and is currently studying on a part time basis for an MSc in Strategic Leadership and Change Management at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Steve Baron, Professor of Marketing, University of Liverpool Management School

Steve Baron is Professor of Marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School. Since November 2012, he has been responsible for encouraging and monitoring the impact of marketing and management research on business and communities. He has served on the panel of judges for the Northern Marketing Awards in 2009-2011 and 2013. He is currently managing a LinkedIn Discussion Group on ‘Bridging the Marketing Academic/Practitioner Gap’.

Julie Besbrode

Having worked exclusively in the world of marketing and communications since graduation, Julie co-founded creative events business The fresh Group with Nick Porter in September 2004. Through tenacity, creativity, attention to detail and sheer graft the company was propelled from a standing start with only 4 people to outperforming its five-year business plan in just over a year. Today, 9 years on, The fresh Group employs over 85 talented individuals, has sales exceeding £13m and counts M&S, Santander, DFS, Clarks, Halfords, and Homebase amongst its loyal clients.

Julie has proved the courage of her convictions in leaving the conventional event management arena to pursue her goal of building a company that is fresh and dynamic in its approach. In June this year, Julie and her partner Nick Porter, sold the business to the management but Julie remains as a consultant to Fresh.

Sarah Bradley, Managing Director, Acquire New Business

Sarah has spent all her working life in the creative and marketing industry. With a background working for some of the worlds largest agency networks including TBWA\ and McCann Worldgroup, Sarah is passionate about finding new ways to engage and communicate with people.

Sarah currently runs two businesses, a consultancy called Acquire New Business that works with agencies to help them improve their sales and marketing strategies, and a UK network for Business Development professionals called “The Art of New Business” which aims to encourage best practice and innovation within the discipline.

Passionate about helping to support and develop the creative industry, particularly in the North, Sarah founded Northern Soho, a collaborative movement for all those who work in the creative industries, which earnt her a nomination for a women in business award. Generous with her time, she is keen to help whoever, and wherever she can, has spoken on the subject of Marketing and New Business at various conferences in the UK and Europe, and has also held positions on steering committees focused on developing the industry.

Andrew Diggle, Head of Content, Manchester United

Following graduation from the University of Durham, Andrew joined the publishing house Macmillan as a senior commissioning editor where he remained for six years before he moved North to head up the research and information activities of the information publishing company j4b, latterly Idox where he also was promoted to deputy MD.

In February 2012, he joined Manchester United plc as head of content. He has expertise and knowledge of multi-lingual and multichannel portal and content development, commercial models and implementation.

Jacqui Gay, Communications Manager, UK City of Culture, Hull

The phrase ‘From Hull, Hell and Halifax, good Lord deliver us’ has been in common use since 1600 – and attitudes to Hull have been scarred by it ever since. So the announcement last November that Hull had won the title of UK City of Culture 2017 was a huge PR coup for a city determined to reposition itself in the UK and the world. For years, Hull had carried a negative reputation as outdated statistics and misconceptions of the city were reinforced by less-than-favourable national representation and media coverage. Bidding for the UK City of Culture title would be a key milestone in the delivery of a £190m cultural capital programme, supporting Hull’s ambition to become a world-class visitor destination.

Hull 2017 Communications Manager, Jacqui Gay is a PR and marketing professional with over 20 years experience in the public and private sectors. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Gavin Hawthorn, Head of Loyalty and Digital Marketing at Pets at Home

Gavin recently moved to the North West from London to join Pets at Home as head of crm and digital 18 months ago where he’s launched the “Very Important Pets Club” which already has over 2 million members signed up to. Prior to Pets at Home he has held senior roles with Whitbread Plc, InterContinental Hotels group plc, Hyatt Hotels, Hertz Rentacar and United Airlines.

Gary Jenkins – Vice President, Corporate Affairs, MBNA

Gary is a former news journalist turned corporate and marketing communications strategist and leader with experience across both public and private sectors. Working previously for Warrington Borough Council and Merseyside transport authority Merseytravel, Gary has devised integrated communications strategies for complex multi-million pound businesses for more than 13 years. Gary has led cross-platform, multi-channel external relations and influencer campaigns; media and social media strategies; internal and change communications; and complex transition and transformation communications for business divestments worth more than £2 billion.

In his role as Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Gary has responsibility for media relations, reputation management and corporate affairs for MBNA, a multi-billion pound business with affinity relationships with some of the world’s most famous brands in the sport, airline and charity sectors among others. He also leads and manages a range of sponsorship and CSR investments on behalf of MBNA, including its Principal Partnership with Sale Sharks, the Manchester-based Premiership Rugby side.

James Lawton-Hill, Head of Marketing, Brother UK

A commercially astute B2B marketing professional with experience both agency and client side across global brands throughout Europe, Asia and America including Brother, Vodafone, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft. Currently responsible for leading a team of 23 marketing professionals as well as the overall marketing strategy and deployment for the Brother brand in the UK.

Twitter: @jameslawtonhill

LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jameslawtonhill

Katrina Michel, CEO, Marketing Cheshire

Katrina is CEO of Marketing Cheshire.

Before joining Marketing Cheshire, she worked for a number of communications agencies including Ogilvy and JWT and was co-owner of a communications planning consultancy, Planning Express for three years.

She has won 5 IPA Advertising Effectiveness Awards.

David Mycock, Channel Manager at The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)

David is an experienced marketing professional with around 25 years commercial experience, working in property, construction and civil engineering. Initially trained as a structural engineer, he moved into marketing 15 years ago and has worked as a senior marketer with a range of businesses as well as undertaking consultancy work. Currently, David is a Channel Manager with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). His role includes working with organisations to develop their marketing capability and contributing to projects which highlight the work of CIM.

David is committed to advancing the marketing profession. As such, he regularly writes articles for the trade press, leads research projects and speaks at events. He has been involved with CIM for around 6 years with the CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group and as the Chair of CIM Lancashire branch. David has extensive experience of judging built up over a number of years including the Marketing Excellence Awards, the Construction Marketing Awards, Lionheart Challenge and the Red Rose Awards.

David holds a Masters degree in Management Practice from the University of Salford. He is a Chartered Marketer and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Management Institute.

Ian Ratcliffe, Head of Communications and Public Involvement, Stockport MBC

With a clear focus on delivering effective communications and consultation projects that help the organisation achieve its business goals, Ian and his team at Stockport have won dozens of national and regional awards for outstanding communications over the years. With a background in private sector consumer marketing including roles at BUPA, Littlewoods and Lion Foods the focus on customers and results-driven campaigns is central to Ian’s approach. In his current role Ian has also worked in co-ordinating communications at a regional level with the Greater Manchester Health Commission, covering issues such as minimum level pricing for alcohol, and and his team are currently leading on the consultation on the proposed £300 million A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road on behalf of a number of local authorities. His team’s public information programmes have ranged from Kill the Chill, focusing on affordable warmth, a campaign resulting in an 8% drop in deaths due to excessive cold, at a time when Stockport had its coldest winter for 12 years, to the ‘Right Thing, Right Bin’ campaign, resulting in a boost in recycling rates and customer satisfaction. Current projects include Channel Shift – encouraging service to use more effective and efficient ways of communicating and engaging with the council, to work on changes in welfare reform, as well as consultations on proposals for change to help the Council to meet its savings challenges.

Jason Spencer, Business Development Director, ITV

Jason Spencer is Business Development Director at ITV, where he leads a team across 8 regional offices responsible for driving all commercial revenue outside London. In almost 3 years at ITV, Jason has overseen significant growth across airtime, sponsorship and multiplatform revenue. Last year ITV were named Regional Media Sales Team of the Year twice, as the regions play an ever stronger role within ITV. Prior to joining ITV, Jason spent most of his career on the media agency side, working for Carat in London and then PHD in London and Manchester. His highlight prior to joining ITV was winning a Cannes Gold Media Lion for IRN-BRU’s BRUZIL campaign during the last World Cup.

Will Stone, Creative Communications Specialist

Will is a creative communications specialist, working in corporate communications for global business covering the publishing, forestry, construction, design and renewable energy sectors. He has previously held marketing roles at UPM Group, The University of Manchester and the University of Central Lancashire. A journalism graduate, Will also ran a successful creative consultancy, Philosophie, which worked with brands such as Stella Artois, Heineken, Dockers and Absolut. He lives in South Manchester with his wife and two children. http://about.me/willstoneuk

Michael Taylor, Chairman, Downtown Manchester

Michael Taylor is an events producer and writer. He used to write about sport, music, fashion, design and culture – but that was in Australia in 1989. He came home and became a moderately successful business journalist. In 2012 he gave up Blackburn Rovers, alcohol, carbs and a job. He’s now started DIscuss, a new debating forum for Manchester’s intellectually curious, and is the chairman of business lobbying group Downtown Manchester, a director of Liberty Pensions and is on the board of the University of Manchester Alumni. In 2012 he published Northern Monkeys by William Routledge, a history of northern working class fashion.

Karen Webber, Marketing Director, Axonn Media

Karen is the Marketing Director at content marketing agency Axonn Media, which is responsible for brands including NewsReach and ContentPlus. Before joining Axonn Media in 2005, Karen worked in journalism and marketing in both her native South Africa and in the UK public sector. She has co-authored white papers on content marketing, spoken at industry events including TFM&A, and contributed to sites such as CMO.com and the Guardian.

John Williams, CEO, Mason Williams Communications

John Williams progressed from being a school meals service potato peeler and driver via driving a JCB on building sites to working on local, regional and national newspapers before starting his first PR agency, Staniforth Williams.

A change of direction lead to the formation of Mason Williams Communications with partner Rita Rowe in 1986. The multi-award winning consumer agency has worked for some of the UK’s leading brands and increasingly seeks work from outside the UK. It has offices in Manchester and London. MWC is the UK consumer partner in IPREX, the $250m+ 1,500 staff communications network with over 100 offices throughout the world.

John Williams is also chairman of wearenative – a newly established Digital Marketing Business. This results from his long-time fascination in new technology and communications. He was CEO of an SEO business from 1996-2010. He is a Fellow of the CIPR and the Institute of Directors and a former Member of the Board of the Public Relations Consultants Association. He belongs to the Royal Automobile Club, the British Racing Drivers Club, and various other associations reflecting his loves of sailing, driving racing cars, enjoying fine food and good wine – and playing bad golf.

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