B2B Awards 44pp Brochure:12-22 B2BM Awards 07 44pp.qxd 29/10/08 17:16 Page 40
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Category 22:
Sponsored by
Agency of the year
Winner: The Marketing Practice
T
he Marketing Practice has been director meant The Marketing Practice
consistently profitable since its could recruit and retain the best talent.
foundation in late 2002. This year is its The firm enjoys a 90 per cent employee
sixth of profitable growth. It employs 45 retention rate while job satisfaction is
people with a turnover of several million. rated highly. Complete transparency
The last year alone has seen organic growth means that staff are told monthly of
of 20 per cent from £3 million to the latest results.
£3.6 million turnover. The firm’s corporate social
The Marketing Practice rebranded and responsibility committee helps it limit its
launched a new website to cement client environmental impact and ensures it has a
relationships and support new business role in the local community.
growth. Referrals within current clients and
new business enquiries improved markedly Future vision
as a result. sales meetings, which was 13 per cent of In the current climate, where clients need
A series of sales and marketing forums the 400 organisations targeted. Roger to justify investments, The Marketing
has been organised for groups of senior Nash, marketing manager at SAP, says, Practice sees marketing becoming more
B2B marketers to discuss topics of concern “The thoroughness of approach, recognition targeted, cost-effective and driven by
and three evening events have been held. of the importance of our business partners, results. Account-based marketing is a new
combined with strong marketing thinking departure for the firm, but already used to
Clients made the difference.” great effect for technology services
Not only has The Marketing Practice not The Marketing Practice has consistently company Unisys. A campaign to gain new
lost a single client this year, it has added to met the delegate and cost targets of projects from individual existing
its client base in its core market of IT client Fujitsu’s executive relationship customers yielded high returns with one
services and also diversified into related programme. For example, the six email to 30 contacts resulting in meeting
markets. The firm assesses client executive discussion evenings held this with 15 of them.
satisfaction every fortnight by asking year had an average of 77 attendees As Gary Strickland Clark, head of
clients to rate performance. Results show each with the cost per delegate being marketing at IT solutions company,
that clients average between happy and reduced to 67 per cent of what it was TietoEnator, one of The Marketing
delighted with 100 per cent agreeing The a year ago. “We’re being invited to bids Practice’s biggest clients, says, “The
Marketing Practice’s work has reached or we would not have been involved in dedication of the team has been amazing
exceeded the expected benefits. before the programme started,” says Guy this year, not to mention responsive,
Particularly successful campaigns Allen, director, sourcing and supply creative, courteous (in the face of some
include work for software provider SAP. services, Fujitsu Services. extreme provocation), thorough and
Using a range of channels, it delivered 55 Recruiting a people and environment professional throughout.”
Runner up: Lowey
L
ast year Loewy continued to Committed to building a leading team
consolidate its position as one of the of B2B brand, marketing and
UK’s fastest-growing B2B marketing communications specialists, Loewy has
agencies. It saw profitability grow by 103 increased training and adopted a bi-annual
per cent, its turnover by 34 per cent and appraisal process. Over the past year
has delivered smart, creative, fully- staffing levels have risen by 24 per cent.
integrated marketing to its clients. It also sponsors staff through Chartered
Institute of Marketing courses and has a
Results weekly training programme to develop
Loewy delivered a £50 million pipeline account management and creative skills.
and potential 555:1 return on investment For those working from home, Loewy member of the Association of Business-to-
from a campaign for software and contributes to the cost of broadband and Business agencies and the Business
electronics company Fujitsu, and a offers share options and incentive schemes Superbrands Council.
40 per cent conversion rate and pipeline to all staff. It has also developed a “I've come across many agencies that
of £12 million for Cisco, which supplies dedicated internal communications and claim to be B2B, but Loewy shows real
networking equipment and network publishing function and expanded its digital experience and insight that stands them
management for the Internet. Where the and search marketing team. apart,” says Julian Haslam, head of
average response is usually one per cent, marketing at BT Global Services. “t is an
Lowey delivered a 50 per cent response And there’s more… agency that gets to the heart of the
rate to an internal communications Loewy is ranked as second in the Design challenge and deliverss exactly what’s
programme for BT. Week top 100 consultancies and is a required. And we’ve had great results.”
B2BM AWARDS 08 – www.b2bm.biz
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