You guys won ‘Most commercially successful campaign’ for your ‘Lead generation factory’ for Atos. Tell me a bit about that and why you think you won.
This was a long-term programme that we’d be running for two years, and we’d got to the point when we could see the order entry results that we’d generated. But I think the scale of the programme was what really made it made stand out from the competition – the industrialistion of a personalised demand generation approach. It was a complex proposition: we were going to multiple audiences, multiple accounts, multiple job sectors, and trying to tie it all together into one programme. It wasn’t so much a campaign but a long-term programme and had some really great results to show its worth.
But while the numbers are important, it was the amount of insight into new markets that the programme uncovered that I think also got us noticed. Initially when we started, Atos were really interested in the IT audience, but by the end of the programme we had evidence that they needed to be speaking to finance and procurement too. At the end of the programme, 45 per cent of the leads were from outside the IT sector, so we’d identified new influencers and increased the penetration with these other accounts. It was a really tightly run and pretty complex programme; it was a £1m investment and the original objective was a £100m return but we’ve gone above and beyond that.
What appeals to you about our awards?
We’ve been entering the awards since 2007, so we’re long-time fans! Lots of awards events tend to be B2C-focused and it’s nice that there’s an event dedicated purely to B2B. And these awards have done a lot for raising the profile of B2B and what it’s all about.
What’s different about our awards?
They’ve been pivotal in driving forward the reputation and credibility of B2B marketing, which has long been seen as a poor relation to B2C. It’s also great to be able to get together with other agencies on the night and catch up.
Will you be submitting any entries this year? If so, which categories are you going for?
Yes, absolutely! The most important categories for us are the ones that underpin our brand values and what we stand for as an agency – delivering revenue and building a better sales environment for tomorrow. Key categories include sales and marketing integration, lead generation or nurturing and most commercially successful campaign.
What did winning mean to you personally and as a business?
I was really proud! It was great to be part of an agency that’s contributing to the industry and driving it forward. It’s also been great for brand exposure and raising the profile as an agency. Internally it’s a boost for everyone who works at The Marketing Practice to be part of award-winning campaigns – it definitely helps enhance our reputation with our clients.
What, in your opinion, are the secrets to a winning submission?
Programmes that drive a shift in the way a business operated or is perceived, and that drive both reputation and revenue. Campaigns that do well will be the ones that prove the strongest results – a shift in the way sales and marketing work together, for example – but it’s not just about the results, it’s also about a change in perception both internally and externally.

To find out more about the Awards and how to enter, visit the website. And stay tuned for more insight from previous winners as well as top tips from the judges on the how to make your submission soar.