Winner winner winner! 3 Golds at the SMP awards.

In the world of direct marketing, there's a constant pursuit of excellence, creativity, and innovation.
On Thursday 28 September we celebrated clinching not one, not two, but THREE gold envelope awards at the 2023 Strategic Mailing Partnership awards.

Hosted in the vibrant Steel Yard in London, the evening saw 370+ guests enjoy welcome drinks on arrival, with a friendly and insightful introduction from Lucy Swanston (Chair SMP), who delivered an exciting roundup on the industry, and then handed over to comedian Ellie Taylor who entertained the room before the awards were unveiled.

A winning combination of creativity and data driven strategy

Direct marketing has evolved significantly, and we were proud to enter our hard work into 3 categories, and then were beyond delighted to win each of the 3 awards.

This year we saw the new category “Bright Futures” being introduced to champion and showcase the talent emerging in the industry. Not only did this shine a real spotlight on the young talent in the industry, it also highlighted that all the applicants who were shortlisted were female which reflects a real positive change in what has traditionally been a male dominant trade.

We were so pleased and proud to see our amazing Account Manager Ellie Revell pick up the GOLD award for her outstanding performance over the past year across her clients! Ellie understands that each client is unique, and she tailors her campaigns to meet the specific goals and challenges of her clients. This level of customisation and personalisation she applies has not only delighted her clients but has also brought her long-lasting partnerships.

The evening then delivered The Golden Envelope Awards for the industry. We topped off what was already an amazing night, by taking home another two GOLD awards in this category. One for our charity client CHAS and another for our estate agent client, Knight Frank.

For CHAS, (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland) we have produced campaigns that not only drive results but also resonate with the audience on a deeper level. Together with them, our work has touched hearts, sparked conversations, and driven generous donations. This award recognises the success of the Spring Appeal pack which targeted warm supporters.
We’ve also completed several other successful fundraising direct mail packs for CHAS across the year – learn more here. https://www.thedragonflyagency.co.uk/case-study/chas-every-child-everywhere-appeal/

For Knight Frank, one the country’s leading estate agents, we continue to revolutionise their direct marketing journey with the objective of increasing their ROI. Their existing campaigns had been producing moderate results, and they sought a solution that would amplify their success by effectively leveraging data and targeting techniques. They also wanted extreme transparency in their data selection and match back in order to build a single point of view on their target properties. This award recognises the success of this strategy.

You can learn more about our creative work with Knight Frank which won a GOLD SMP Award in 2022 – https://www.thedragonflyagency.co.uk/case-study/knight-frank/

The last award of the night saw agency Paperplanes crowned ‘best in the industry’ with the overall Platinum Envelope Winner Award, for its demonstrable innovation and results achieved for Bower Collective. A huge well done to them!

“It was a fantastic event. It was great to see so many familiar faces and even better to come away with some awards.” Ellie Revell, Account Manager

Impactful insights

The evening featured two sessions with industry leaders and members, sharing their market insights. The first session was hosted by Lucy featuring SMP board members Ben Briggs, managing director of Join the Dots; Lance Hill, managing director of Eight Days a Week Print Solutions; Philip Ricketts, wholesale commercial director at Royal Mail; and Gemma Mitchell, managing director of Paragon Dagenham.

The second session was hosted by Philip Ricketts where we heard from headline sponsors Adam Williams, managing director of DBS Data Marketing; Ben Snutch, chief customer officer of Go Inspire Group; and Jon Wilkins, director of DSA Mail, UK Mail.

Topics that were discussed touched on the key industry challenges for the year, with diversity, automation and inclusivity all on the agenda. Sustainability was also an important topic of discussion, as this is absolutely at the forefront for clients and suppliers.

The event was a huge success, and it was great to see so many people from the industry under one roof. A huge thank you to The Strategic Mailing Partnership for hosting such a great evening. Our awards are not just a recognition of our achievements but also a celebration of the power of direct marketing and how it makes a significant impact in the world of marketing. Congratulations to our entire team!

Watch the event video here https://thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk/smp-awards-evening-23