The past 11 years have seen hundreds of ambitious marketing companies and individuals go on to do incredible things after emerging as winners at the Prolific North Marketing Awards.
As one of our longest-running award events, the marketing awards are a staple in the industry calendar and will be returning once again to celebrate marketing excellence at a live awards ceremony on 31 October hosted at Manchester United Football Club.
And there’s still plenty of time for you to get involved this year as long as you submit your entries before the final deadline on 22 August.
As we gear up to recognise a fresh wave of memorable campaigns, talented teams, individuals and agencies, some of our previous winners have shared what they are up to now, what winning meant to them, and the successes they’ve seen off the back of receiving one of these coveted awards…
Waterfall
Waterfall won the award for Best Small Agency back in 2022. The award-winning creative agency, based in MediaCity, has a specialism in education marketing working with a range of clients such as UCAS, Universities UK International, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester.
But why did the agency enter the awards and what happened after winning?
“After winning a couple of creative awards at the Prolific North Marketing Awards, we entered the Best Small Agency category to recognise the growth, creativity and hard work of our team,” says Richard Hartley, creative director & co-owner of Waterfall.
“We were so proud to win this award, as we were up against some fantastic agencies. This prestigious award is a real testament to our talented team, brilliant clients and amazing partners who we work with on youth and educational marketing projects with real purpose. Not only has it helped to raise our profile, it’s been great to add to our email signatures and our credentials for new business pitches.”
connective3
Last year, digital performance marketing agency connective3 won the awards for Best Agency and Best Search Marketing Campaign.
Founded in 2019, the agency has more than 100 staff across its Leeds, Manchester and London offices and in 2023, revealed plans to double its staff numbers by 2025.
On winning big at the awards, David White, founder and director of connective3, says: “Entering awards is not only a great way to showcase the amazing results of the team, but it’s also a chance for the team and the client to celebrate their achievements. Winning the Prolific Awards has not only led to us gaining new leads as a business but also helped us build on the great relationships we already have with clients by celebrating the wins with them.”
Be Broadcast
Josh Wheeler is founder of Be Broadcast, a broadcast PR agency based in Manchester. After Be Broadcast picked up two awards in 2023, it has helped turn leads into projects and helped the business raise its profile.
“Last year, Be Broadcast took home the Best PR Campaign and Best Not For Profit Award at the PN Marketing Awards. It’s always nice to have our work recognised, but this event was one of the most enjoyable we’ve attended in a long time. Our entire table decided that if any of us won, we’d all go up on stage together, which we did,” says Josh Wheeler.
“The very next day, we were on BBC Breakfast with our client, and the producers jokingly checked if we were okay to go on air after what they thought was a wild celebration the night before! And we’re prepping our entry for that one as we speak…
“From a business perspective, these awards have been invaluable. Looking back at my inbox, we converted two new leads into projects. As a relatively new agency, it’s been crucial for us to get our name out there across the North, and these awards have played a significant role in supporting our growth.”
Hillsgreen
Hillsgreen is a digital marketing agency with a focus on agriculture, recently appointing three new members of staff. Based in Cheshire, the agency recently announced further plans for team expansion to meet the increasing demands of its growing client base.
Back in 2022, Hillsgreen picked up the award for Best Small Budget Campaign. Here’s what Aidie Street, managing director at Hillsgreen, had to say about why the agency entered and how it has helped Hillsgreen with prospective clients, raising their profile, and even when hiring new staff.
“The decision to enter the awards for us was twofold. Firstly, it was a great way to recognise the team’s hard work and their dedication to delivering great results for our clients. The team always works hard to get the best out of campaigns for our clients, so it’s great to be able to show them that what they are doing is recognised and something to be proud of. Secondly, it helps to stand us apart from the crowd. We are in such a specific niche that entering awards such as the Prolific North Awards, let alone winning one, is unheard of with our direct competition. Therefore, it stands us in really good stead with prospective clients,” explains Aidie Street.
“Winning was a real surprise for the team, but you could see the pride and excitement. Being able to tell anyone and everyone that would listen that we had won, especially when you consider the calibre of the shortlist, was incredible. It was a milestone moment for us as a young agency. The award has certainly enabled us to differentiate ourselves against the competition. Not only are we experts in our niche, agriculture, but we have this award that demonstrates our marketing skills and expertise.
“We have had a couple of clients reference that they have found us off the back of winning the awards, when they have been searching for new agency partners. It’s also been a real talking point when recruiting new staff, as it definitely gives a certain level of kudos to a young agency.”
With plenty of categories to choose from this year and entries now open for the Prolific North Marketing Awards 2024. Don’t forget the final deadline is on 22 August – get your entries in and you could be joining our list of worthy winners!
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