The winners of the 2015 Marketing, Advertising and PR Awards

From almost 200 entries we have selected the winners of The Grocer’s 2015 Marketing, Advertising and PR Awards.

Five panels of expert judges came together last week to determine the winners in our eight agency and 14 creative categories. Here we give just a few of the reasons why our agency winners have been held up as a shining examples in their field.

Brand experience - Haygarth: Haygarth has secured £1m of additional business this year from new clients including Iglo and Wrigley - helping drive its third year of double-digit growth. It has undertaken research over the past 12 months to help it create more insightful brand experiences. And Haygarth doesn’t take its staff for granted, investing in skills and leadership training, while recruiting a highly experienced head for its creative technology team.

Trade media - Mercieca: Mercieca is picking up this award for the 15th year in a row this year. The agency boasts an enviable roster of long-term clients including CCE (with whom it has worked for 14 years), P&G (also 14 years), Heinz and Kellogg’s. That line-up has been bolstered this year with wins including KP Snacks, Carlsberg and Vimto. Mercieca has also grown its senior team with the addition of a senior B2B consultant, and invested in internal and external training and development for its staff.

Consumer - AMV BBDO: AMV BBDO must have quite a trophy cabinet - it has picked up four MAP awards to add to the 170-odd awards it has also walked away with in the past year. With work such as the inspirational Guinness Made of Black push, and 35 films for the Pepsi Max Unbelievable campaign, it’s likely to keep cabinet makers busy.

Online - Zone: Zone has grown from a single-office operation in 2013 to one with an international footprint. Over the past year it has enjoyed a 68% pitch win rate, securing 13 new accounts including The Glenlivet, Coca-Cola, Tesco and BT. Recent activity has included the Eat Happy Project for Tesco that included the creation of world-first video project Online Field Trips.

Packaging - BrandOpus: With a pitch win rate of 70%, BrandOpus has secured new business including Carling, Mr Kipling and Bernard Matthews. But almost three-quarters of growth has come from referrals or organic growth in existing clients. BrandOpus this year moved to a new office 74% bigger than its previous studio.

Client team - MTJ Asso­ciates: MTJ’s entry was a shining example of an agency and a client - in this case Burton’s Biscuits - working closely and collaboratively. The agency claims it achieved a 54% share of biscuit category voice in the trade press this year, while increasing Burton’s number of Twitter followers by 37% in the year to May 2015.

Consumer PR - joint winners Cirkle and Finn: For the first time ever, our judges have selected a joint winner.

Cirkle enjoyed its best-ever performance last year, growing fee income by 22% and securing business with 15 new brands across 10 clients. The agency grew its headcount by 17% last year to 40, led by the agency’s new MD, the former head of brand PR at Diageo.

Finn puts it success down to its bold decision two years ago to turn down opportunities to focus on its fmcg niche. The move has paid off, with 80% of clients handled by the Yorkshire-based business sold in supermarkets or other retailers. Over half its clients have been with the business for two years or more, while R&R Ice Cream and Quorn have been retained for more than four.

Trade PR - Clarion: Already working with the likes of Diageo, Unilever and Wrigley, Clarion’s recent client wins have included Aunt Bessie’s and Rowse honey. It demonstrated its crisis communications skills this year when client Genius was forced to recall a raft of free-from products that were contaminated with gluten. Reporting directly to the Genius board, Clarion offered round-the-clock counsel, liaised with key industry bodies and implemented trust-rebuilding strategies.