Previous Winners & Judges Feedback
Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust
Commenting on Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust's Best Business Award for Best Housing Association, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“What I really like about Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust is that they are so focused on helping their tenants or customers as they like to call them. The trust has delivered outstanding service with satisfaction rates that would be the envy of many organisations, not just in the housing sector. The trust is clearly a very forward-thinking organisation and is to be applauded for maintaining such high levels of investment in improvements while strengthening its financial position.”
thebluedoor
Commenting on thebluedoor's Best Business Award for Best Small to Medium Size Business, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Founded only two years ago, thebluedoor offers a one-stop-shop service to clients covering PR, Search Engine Optimisation, social media and marketing. This versatility and integrated approach have undoubtedly been great contributing factors to the agency's astonishing growth and success. The commitment to staff development and high-quality service, using a wide variety of media at the forefront of the digital age, are highly commendable. The glowing testimonials from clients speak volumes about the exceptional quality of the business.”
Capita TV Licensing Business Centres
Commenting on the Best Business Award to Capita's TV Licensing (TVL) Business Centres for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, the Chairman of the Judges said::
“It is clear Capita TV Licensing Business Centres have put in place a remarkable and comprehensive series of measures and policies to ensure they deliver exceptional customer service for the 30 million customers on their database - the biggest in Europe. It is highly refreshing to see a company go to such lengths to ensure their customers receive such a high quality of service, and I greatly admire the objective of seeking to resolve satisfactorily all queries at the first point of contact. Capita's success in achieving this is a superb tribute to its managers and staff.”
Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service
Commenting on the Best Business Award to Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service for Best Marketing for the Apprenticeship Week 2010, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“The issue of youth employment and training is a vital one amid fears of a 'lost generation' of young people who face an increasingly difficult jobs market. Kindred and the National Apprenticeship Service clearly generated some amazing coverage for the National Apprenticeship Week and successfully turned the media spotlight on this area with a wide range of clever and well-devised PR ideas. The success of the week is a reflection of marketing at its best.”
Interface 2
Commenting on Interface 2's Best Business Award for Corporate and Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said::
“Interface 2 deserves to be applauded for its outstanding Corporate and Social Responsibility in taking on a number of long-term unemployed from the local area after being introduced to them via NewCEP. More than this, the family owned electronic manufacturing company in Newhaven, East Sussex, has opened up new horizons for other people by providing voluntary placements. By adopting such an accommodating approach to ease a local problem, Interface 2 has demonstrated not only that it is very much part of the local community but has also provided an outstanding example for other businesses to follow.”
The Workroom
Commenting on The Workroom's Best Business Award for Best Strategic Design/Creative in the Private Sector, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“The team at Workroom took an established brand with nearly 200 years of tradition and have helped transform it into a highly successful new business, Balfour Beatty WorkPlace. This is all the more impressive because the company achieved this at a time when the overall market has been in decline. The growth in business for WorkPlace as an exciting new brand has smashed expectations and is truly outstanding, and much credit for this must go to the very talented and highly innovative work by The Workroom.”
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Barclays Personal Investment Management
Commenting on Barclays Personal Investment Management's Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges, said::
“In these days when the financial sector is often under fire, it is refreshing to see a bank that is putting customers at the heart of its operations. I was particularly impressed with BPIM's newsletter to clients. With so many excellent policies in place to involve customers every step of the way, it's not surprising BPIM achieves such high levels of client satisfaction. And the very impressive financial results confirm that putting the customer first is also good for business.”
Recruitment Genius
Commenting on Recruitment Genius' Best Business Award for Best New Product/Service, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Like many successful enterprises, Recruitment Genius is based on a simple but brilliant idea. By offering an affordable fixed-fee to recruiters, the company has attracted clients from small businesses to large corporations and has seen business grow by a whopping 10% a month. More than this, Recruitment Genius' innovative approach to helping companies fill vacancies is an outstanding example of ways in which business can help kick-start the economy by reducing barriers to employment. The user-friendly website is an added bonus to what is an exceptional Best New Product/Service.”
Johnson Controls
Commenting on Johnson Controls' Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility programme, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“A global leader in automotive seating, Johnson Controls has put itself in the driving seat with its Blue Sky Involve CSR programme. It is always great when a large, international organisation gets involved in community projects and clearly Johnson Controls not only has very strong links with many local communities but also has a very generous workforce who are willing to give their time and effort to help so many good causes. Many congratulations to the company for developing such a successful and inspirational CSR programme.”
NetSupport
Commenting on NetSupport's Best Business Award for Best Product / Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“It's always nice to see companies like NetSupport winning a Best Business Award for the second time in a different category. Having won the Best Customer Focus category last year, they have proved that they not only deliver a great service but also offer an outstanding range of IT support solutions. NetSupport's range of Desktop Management & Remote Support Software products help organisations to reduce costs and improve productivity and the business seems well positioned to grow market share via distribution channels internationally as well as in the UK.”
Morgan Hunt
Commenting on Morgan Hunt's Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Morgan Hunt's CSR programme has delivered measurable benefits for the company and the wider environment. The ethical recruiter has generated at least ??1.2m in revenue directly as a result of CSR activity, improved staff turnover by over 15% and saved around 10% of costs through green sourcing. Morgan Hunt demonstrated a real commitment to their social responsibilities and as a result are reaping the rewards. A example for many other organisations to follow and aspire to.”
Metropolitan Police
Commenting on the Metropolitan Police's Best Business Award for Best Police Service for their use of information technology, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“The Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Information play a key role in supporting front line policing to help make London safer for the general public. Their use of cutting edge ICT gives The Met an operational advantage and enables them to stay ahead of the fight against crime. Innovations like Crime Mapping coupled with the management of major change programmes like C3i demonstrate the Directorate's expertise and ability to support the wider Metropolitan Police Service.”
Founder - Y2 Learn Driver Training
winning this last award has got me an invitation to join the Institute of Master Trainers Association. I’m really pleased
Director of Marketing, Solihull College
Winning a Best Business Award has provided us with a platform to raise our profile via the media. Since winning we have secured press coverage in key national and regional publications regarding the great work we are doing and we have attracted students to the college that may not have otherwise heard about us.
I would recommend the Best Business Awards to any dynamic organisation that wants to prove to stakeholders that it is delivering.
co-founder of Concert Live
If you are a young business without much marketing spend, then entering awards can be a cost-effective way of generating positive marketing and PR, because you are thrown into the spotlight. It also offers a seal of approval.
Potential customers can look at that and think “I’m happy to do business with this company”, because they have that recognition.
Royal Liver Assurance
Commenting on Royal Liver Assurance's Best Business Award for Best Corporate Social Responsibility, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“CSR is fast becoming a 'must do' for those organisations that value the communities in which they operate. Royal Liver have invested with care to ensure that children improve their literacy and financial understanding. Their initiatives have been well executed and delivered tangible benefits for youngsters in the Merseyside community. In turn, the investment has helped to raise the profile and enhance the reputation of Royal Liver and instil that vital ingredient for business success, namely trust.”
OKI Printing Solutions
Commenting on OKI Printing Solutions?? Best Business Award for Best Product / Service Range, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“??OKI??s in-house printing solution addresses a key concern for customers in that it incorporates a design facility enabling them to produce stationery and promotional materials without support from external suppliers. The Template Manager software, which comes free with most OKI printers, delivers a cost-effective solution while at the same time being simple to use. OKI have developed a product that could potentially reduce print budgets significantly while maintaining quality.”
Canterbury City Council
Commenting on Canterbury City Council's Best Business Award for Best Local Authority, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Embarking on a programme of cultural regeneration is a major commitment and challenge for any local authority. Canterbury City Council have transformed the City centre for the benefit of the 148,000 population. The new Marlowe theatre will generate significant additional revenue as well as safeguarding jobs and typifies the commitment of the Council to supporting the community both culturally and financially. It takes vision and determination to drive major change and improvement and Canterbury City Council have clearly delivered with regard to the Marlowe and The Beaney Museum and Library along with the numerous other initiatives that have been successfully completed.”
Phoenix Natural Gas
Commenting on Phoenix's Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Phoenix take a refreshing approach to customer care. They are willing to lead the way with their transparent pricing policy to ensure that the customer gets the best possible value. Energy suppliers can be notoriously slow to pass on cost savings to their customers with prepayment customers often receiving the worst deals despite their vulnerability. Phoenix display a genuine commitment to offer a fair deal for all which should in turn attract new customers and help the business grow, so it's a win/ win approach for both customers and gas supplier. With differentiation between energy suppliers proving to be a challenge, Phoenix are certainly taking a bold stance.”
Welsh Assembly Government
Commenting on the Welsh Assembly Government's Best Business Award for Best Communication, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“The Welsh Assembly Government set itself an ambitious challenge to reposition 'The Valley's' brand in line with its strategic framework for regeneration. The initial communications plan directed at the community was excellently developed and executed by a team of marketing experts. It was the impressive mix of creativity coupled with an orchestrated programme of initiatives embracing a range of media that particularly appealed to the judges. Communicating with a wide range of people spanning the generations requires a well thought through and targeted approach and the WAG have clearly delivered an initial campaign to be proud of. We look forward to seeing how the campaign develops over time.”
Revival Environmental / Rentokil
Commenting on Revival Environmental's / Rentokil's joint Best Business Award for Best Innovation, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Rentokil, in partnership with Revival Environmental have developed Entotherm, a significant advancement in the treatment and eradication of insect pests. This new chemical-free pest control process kills every lifecycle stage of an insect, from eggs to larvae, to fully- grown creatures, making it a more efficient way to treat infestations. Unlike Enthotherm, conventional chemical spray treatments normally need to be repeated several times and can fail to reach insects living in wall cavities or crevices. The judges consider this heat based treatment to be a major step forward in pest control and applaud the way Rentokil and Revival have worked together to develop the treatment and bring this innovation to market.”
EDF Energy Networks
Commenting on EDF Energy Networks' Best Business Award for Best Customer Focus, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“It takes skill, courage and determination to identify and then turn around a major issue with customer satisfaction levels. It's tempting to gloss over the issues but EDF Energy Networks took the bull by the horns and addressed the challenges it faced. At the heart of this change project has been a relentless focus on improving customer communication. Their hard work has significantly increased customer satisfaction levels and lead to an improved commercial performance and an enhanced reputation among its customers.”
XLN Telecom
Commenting on XLN Telecoms' Best Business Award for Best Small to Medium Size Enterprise, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“It is XLN's unrelenting focus on the customer that sets it apart. They have identified a niche providing telecoms support to the small business sector and expertly exploited it to take the business from strength to strength. With the lowest customer churn in the market, a 50% increase in market share over the last two years, an 80% increase in turnover and a 300% increase in operating profit they are one to watch in the telecoms sector. A well run business with a clear and focused strategy for growth.”
University for the Creative Arts
Commenting on the University for the Creative Arts' Best Business Award for Best Communication, Andrew Areoff, Chairman of the Judges said::
“Truly outstanding marketing campaigns are often about seizing the moment by leveraging a topical opportunity. This takes focus and slight of foot as well as an ability to execute a campaign very well. UCA delivered on all fronts with its campaign based around one of its students winning the coveted River Island Gold Award at Graduate Fashion Week. The University set clear but challenging objectives for this international campaign and exceeded them. A great example of what can be achieved when a team work together towards common goals.”
Hillingdon Council
Commenting on Hillingdon Council??s Best Business Award for Best Local Authority, the Chairman of the Judges said::
“??Not only has Hillingdon Council achieved strong results across the board, what makes it exceptional as an organisation is the way it has reinvented its communications strategy and learned how to better understand the needs of its residents and deliver against them in a more effective way. At the heart of this is the Council??s contact centre. Over the last six years it has been developed from almost a standing start to become a model that is now held up by Central Government as an example for others to follow. Delivering significant change and improvement in a large organisation is always a challenge and takes dedicated and skilled management and implementation. Hillingdon Council are clearly leading the way in this respect and set the standards for others to follow.??”
