Newcastle-based digital PR and marketing consultancy, Karol Marketing, swept the board at the CIPR North East Pride Awards 2016 on Friday 2nd December, winning three gold awards and two silver awards, recognising the agency’s creative campaigns for clients; Umbrian Tourist Board, Thaikhun, Bergans of Norway and FishSpy.
Karol Marketing, the five time CIPR PR Consultancy Team of the Year, scooped the following awards:
Corporate and Business Communications Campaign
Silver winner:
- Karol Marketing Group
Bergans of Norway and the Weatherline campaign
Consumer Relations Campaign
Gold winner:
- Karol Marketing Group
FishSpy: James Pond the spy who…?Judges commented; “a quirky and very creative approach injected fun and intrigue into a campaign for a niche product. Consistent theming and great ambition combined to ensure this campaign was noted by high profile journalists and pundits, and was achieved through efficient use of available budget.”
Low Budget Campaign
Gold winner:
- Karol Marketing Group
Svilupumbria Umbrian Tourist Board: The Way of St FrancisJudges commented “Karol Marketing Group set out to deliver a cost effective event, leaving a lasting impression. They more than succeeded. Within the constraints of a limited budget, they delivered a memorable event – conveying the charm, character and appeal of the Umbrian region – spearheaded by an imaginative rustic direct mailing to journalists. To spread the net wider, they innovatively ran a competition to tempt trainee journalists to write about the region. The launch event was so enticing that the judges would have loved to have been there too!”
Best Event
Gold winner:
- Karol Marketing Group
Svilupumbria Umbrian Tourist Board: The Way of St FrancisJudges commented “This was a well-researched and executed campaign that pressed all the right buttons. Careful analysis of the type and location of event required led to clear objectives which were well exceeded. The agency created a highly authentic launch event at an ‘inspiring’ central London location which, combined with a book launch, created a buzz around The Way of St Francis. This was flagged by tactile, boxed invitations to the media, capturing the uniqueness of Umbria. National press and radio attendance exceeded expectations and an on-going media appetite to explore the region was generated. Karol Marketing’s client must be delighted with the exceptional results!”
Silver winner:
- Karol Marketing Group
Going Bananas for Thaikhun
The CIPR PRide Awards recognise the outstanding talents and achievements of public relations practitioners across the UK.
Stefan Lepkowski, Managing Director of Karol Marketing, commented: “Who would have believed that after winning our first award in 1998 we are still sweeping the board nearly 20 years later. Our success comes as a result of hard work, a great team and of course, brilliant clients. I would like to thank everyone for their support including our competitors who make winning awards so pleasurable.”
The wins come during an exciting period of growth for Karol Marketing as the agency recently announced it has been appointed by Thai restaurant operator Thai Leisure Group to oversee the digital PR campaign for the launch of its £1.5 million flagship Newcastle restaurant. The news follows the agency’s recent appointment as the retained UK PR agency for global outdoor brand Montane, and reappointment by leading camping manufacturer Vango, a client it has looked after for over ten years.
Karol Marketing is one of the most awarded public relations and marketing agencies in the North East of England. As well as winning the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ PR Consultancy Team of the Year Award five times, MD Stefan Lepkowski has been profiled five times in the PR Week Power Book, the annual guide to the UK’s most influential PR professionals. Established in 1992, Karol Marketing will next year celebrate its 25th birthday.
Its client base includes businesses operating across the aviation, healthcare, security, chemical and engineering industries. The agency has specialist corporate, B2B and crisis management teams, as well as a consumer lifestyle and brand PR division that works with leading brands in the UK and Europe.