Fifteen categories of marketing excellence were recognised last night at the annual Construction Marketing Awards, with Manchester based specialist SLG Marketing taking the top Agency of the Year accolade and Anil Govind of Groundforce, being awarded the title Marketer of the Year.
Run by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group (CIMCIG) the awards recognise and celebrate the best and most innovative marketing campaigns in the construction industry year.
In 2011 there was a marked rise in the number of entries for the digital and on-line categories, with new technology well represented: Optima’s ipad application particularly impressed the judges in the Best Use of Technology category.
However, if there was one characteristic common to many of the entries, it was that of really effective targeting. The Build Centre (and its agency Tangent Snowball) won in two categories for its thorough and well-planned campaign targeting existing customers with personalised promotional material, while NICEIC won the Best Use of Exhibitions category for its own live event whose success was down to careful analysis of the target audience to deliver an attractive programme.
The event coincided with the 40th anniversary of the founding of CIMCIG and the awards evening was enriched by the presence of a number of past members of the Group. Renowned British architect, Ex RIBA President and CIMCIG founder member Owen Luder gave a welcome address in which he reflected on the importance of the marketing discipline.
“Marketing is not just about being known – it is recognising that you have a skill or a product that someone wants to buy and then knowing how to sell it to them. You must know your market.
“The great thing about awards is that they raise standards. Even if you don’t win, just by entering you focus on raising your standards. I am all in favour of awards.”
CIMCIG Chairman Ian Exall summed up his reaction to this year’s entries: “the level of professionalism and articulate problem solving is definitely more advanced than we have seen in previous years. More and more of the entries demonstrate that marketing isn’t just about a nice brochure or golf day but good strategic analysis and implementation.
These are certainly tough times for the industry. However, the winners in the awards give me huge confidence that we have the skills to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.”
The full list of winners and shortlisted entries are as follows:
Category One: Best use of Strategic Marketing
Winner: Build Center (Tangent Snowball)
Shortlist: AJA Fermacell (AJA), Kingspan Benchmark (IAS B2B), Lafarge Fact (McCann Manchester) Barrett Steel (Netconstruct)
Category Two: Internal Communications
Winner: Imtech Process
Highly commended: Apollo
Category Three: Best Use of Advertising
Winner: Acheson & Glover – MRA Marketing
Shortlist: Redrow, Caterpillar (Young & Rubicam), Forbo (CIB)
Category Four: Best use of Public Relations
Winner: BSS – Willoughby PR
Highly Commended: Swisspacer (MRA) Shortlist: Glidden (Tangerine), Eurovia (Wildwood)
Category Five: Best Use of Direct Marketing
Winner: Build Center – Tangent Snowball
Shortlist: Trelleborg (IAS B2B), Lafarge (McCann Manchester, NBAT), BLP (TC Communications)
Category Six: Best Use of Technical Information
Winner: Optima – Cyber Duck
Shortlist: Trelleborg (IAS B2B), Fermacell (AJA)
Category Seven: Best Use of Events and Exhibitions
Winner: NICEIC
Shortlist: Kingspan (IAS B2B), Knauf (TGV), Surestop
Category Eight: Best Use of Website
Winner: Door-Stop – MRA Marketing
Shortlist: Minster (CIB), Woodhouse, Lafarge (McCann Manchester, NBAT), Sotech (Harris), Barrett Steel (NetConstruct) , Megaman (Neonlite)
Category Nine: Best Use of Digital Communications/Media Winner: Tubosider – Considered Creative Shortlist: IES, Trelleborg (IAS B2B)
Category Ten: Best Product Launch
Winner: SitexOrbis
Shortlist: Alumet, ESG Polyvision, Lafarge Cemergi (McCann Manchester), Kingspan (IAS B2B), Tata Steel
Category Eleven: Best Campaign under £25,000
Winner: Groundforce Highly Commended: SitexOrbis Shortlist: Trelleborg (IAS B2B)
Category Twelve: Best Campaign over £25,000
Winner: Alumet
Highly Commended: Glidden Trade (Tangerine PR)
Highly Commended: Polypipe (SLG Marketing)
Shortlist: BLP (TC Communications), Lafarge Big Boys (McCann Manchester NBAT Redmark), Lafarge FACT (McCann Manchester), Goodman (Campaign Works), Catnic (CIB)
Category Thirteen: Best In-house Marketing Team
Winner: Lafarge Cement
Shortlist: Alumet
Category Fourteen: Agency of the Year
Winner: SLG Marketing
Shortlist: Tangerine, IAS B2B, CFA, Harris Associates
Category Fifteen: Young Marketer of the Year
Winner: Anil Govind, Groundforce; Shortlisted: Carina Watson, Built for Marketing; Daniel Jenkins-Ferguson, NICEIC
