Category Archives: Contract Wins

Contract Wins, Marketing, News, PR and SEO

Smoking Gun cleans up with Original Source

PR and social media agency Smoking Gun has secured a deal with international consumer goods giant PZ Cussons for an Original Source brand project following a three-way competitive pitch.

The fully integrated PR and social media campaign includes supercharging social media content, mega influencer activation and a stunt.

The campaign will run alongside wider marcomms work including an above the line ad campaign called Nature Hits Different, all aimed at clearer brand differentiation and emphasising the power of Nature Hits Different delivered by the 100% natural fragrance in every bottle of the shower gel.

This appointment comes after a year that included record revenue and  multiple award successes for the Manchester-based agency as well as significant client wins including Best Western Hotels, Phillips and American Golf.

 

Alice Plimmer, Original Source brand manager, said: “Smoking Gun delivered an exceptional pitch. As well as clearly demonstrating their unique skills and approach, they clearly understood the Original Source brand and developed ideas that gave us that butterfly feeling in our stomachs!”

 

Rick Guttridge, Smoking Gun’s CEO, said: “Winning the Original Source brief demonstrates yet again how effectively we blend strategic prowess with top notch creativity and demonstrable results. Our track record in delivering integrated PR and social media campaigns for major brands to transform how customers view, engage, and advocate for them, stands in comparison with the best.

“We thrive on partnering with businesses willing to take calculated risks. PZ Cussons aims to fundamentally shift consumer perceptions and we’ve a clear campaign aimed at helping them achieve this vision.”

This comes as the agency has hit record income levels and is the current PR agency of the year with the PRCA, Prolific North and holders of eight global effectiveness awards.

Construction, Construction News, Contract Wins, Education

Fabricator goes west to support next school project

CARDIFF-based fabricator Dudley’s Aluminium is supporting the redevelopment of Portfield School in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Portfield School is a special educational needs school for students aged between three and nineteen in the county with a diverse range of complex and profound learning needs.

Funded by Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government through its ‘Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme’, the redevelopment of the school includes replacing the current lower school building, refurbishing the sixth form centre and the creation of a new children’s residential centre.

The new and updated facilities will feature specialist therapy rooms, breakout and sensory spaces and dedicated outdoor areas to meet the needs of the school’s students.

Dudley’s Aluminium has teamed up with Morgan Sindall Construction on this project and will install Kawneer doors, windows and capped curtain walling on the build.

The fabricator has previously worked with Morgan Sindall Construction on another school in the town, Haverfordwest High VC School, which has won a number of awards including prestigious Constructing Excellence in Wales awards.

Colin Shorney, Managing Director at Dudley’s Aluminium, said: “We are excited to be back in Haverfordwest to work with Morgan Sindall Construction on another school project to benefit learners in Pembrokeshire. This ambitious project will deliver a modern campus and improved learning environment for students with additional needs.”

Since 1993, Dudley’s Aluminium has offered clients full in-house design and production facilities, completing many successful and prestigious projects within the education, health, commercial, retail, residential and defence sectors throughout the UK and Channel Islands.

Dudley’s reputation for quality has been recognised with several industry-related accreditations. The company is CHAS accredited, Constructionline registered and BM Trada certified to manufacture enhanced security products to align with PAS24:2016 and BS 4873.

Construction, Construction News, Contract Wins

Secondary school project secured by Welsh fabricator

CARDIFF-based fabricator Dudley’s Aluminium has secured another project in the education sector, supporting the construction of a new secondary school in Oxfordshire.

Dudley’s Aluminium will be working with Bouygues UK on St John’s Academy in Wantage. The school is part of the Vale Academy Trust and will be built alongside the already completed primary school, creating the first ‘all through’ school for students from nursery age to year 11 in the local area.

Sustainability will be a key feature of the new school, with the construction including low carbon materials, a green roof with photovoltaic panels and playing fields which use sustainable draining systems.

Dudley’s will be installing Metal Technology System doors, windows and capped curtain walling on the build.

Steve Muir, Commercial Director at Dudley’s Aluminium, said: “Education is one of the key sectors we work in and it’s a joy to be able to work with the team at Bouygues UK on this particular project. The development of this school not only showcases sustainability in construction, but will provide an uninterrupted school journey for its students from nursery to key stage four.”

Since 1993, Dudley’s Aluminium has offered clients full in-house design and production facilities, completing many successful and prestigious projects within the education, health, commercial, retail, residential and defence sectors throughout the UK and Channel Islands.

Dudley’s reputation for quality has been recognised with several industry-related accreditations. The company is CHAS accredited, Constructionline registered and BM Trada certified to manufacture enhanced security products to align with PAS24:2016 and BS 4873.

Contract Wins, News

Smoking Gun hits two holes in one – winning both corporate and consumer briefs for American Golf

The UK’s largest golf retailer, American Golf, has appointed globally-recognised PR and social media agency  Smoking Gun to handle both its corporate and consumer comms.

Smoking Gun will now deliver two separate media relations briefs for the retail giant whose vision is to become the ultimate one-stop destination for everything a golfer requires.

Leveraging the teams’ media relations expertise, Smoking Gun will drive mass brand awareness for its retail offering which includes American Golf’s exclusive custom fit service, brand partnerships and newly launched personalisation service.

At the same time, corporate outreach will be focussed on enhancing brand reputation and credibility through a campaign of thought leadership, communicating business updates and raising the profile of the board.

Smoking Gun aced two competitive pitches for the B2B and B2C accounts, demonstrating the team’s expertise and intelligent approach to both Corporate and Consumer PR.

Scott Taylor, American Golf Executive Board Member for Marketing, said: “From the very  first meeting it was clear that there was natural chemistry and a genuine synergy between our organisations.

“During the consumer pitch process, Smoking Gun showed a thorough understanding of our business and our ambitions for the brand which led to an invite to pitch for the corporate brief as well.

“The team’s creative ideas and category insight were rooted in delivering real business impact – helping us to shift the dial as a business faster and more effectively.”

Caroline Aspinall, Smoking Gun’s commercial director and head of B2B, added: “This win is the latest example of  Smoking Gun’s ongoing journey of expansion and achievement.

“To win both competitive pitches is a huge testament to the quality of both our B2B and B2C offering and testament also to the American Golf team who could see the value of an aligned strategy.

“Working with brands that are shaking up their categories is our passion. American Golf  has big ambitions for 2024 and beyond with industry leading initiatives to unveil.

“Smoking Gun is famous for delivering impactful campaigns that deliver tangible business results. Together we are tee-d up for the future success of the brand and the business.”

American Golf boasts 85 stores across the UK and ROI, employing hundreds of staff focussed on driving participation in the sport.

The golf specialist joins Smoking Gun’s portfolio of brand giants that includes Philips, Alton Towers and Interflora as well as a growing roster of B2B clients in property, construction, tech and travel.

Bristol, Contract Wins, Greater Manchester, London, News, Swansea

Made Tech awarded £10m new contract with the Home Office

Made Tech, a leading provider of digital, data and technology services to the UK public sector, has been awarded a new contract with the Home Office, worth c.£10 million to the Group over a 24-month period with a six-month extension option worth a further c.£2 million.

The Home Office is transforming its services by introducing several new digital systems. Made Tech will work alongside the Home Office team, providing a number of digital, data and technology services.

Made Tech won its first one-year contract with the Home Office in May 2021, worth c.£4 million and secured an additional c.£2 million for the fulfilment of a six-month extension option. The contract award announced today represents a renewal and expansion of the initial contract.

 

Rory MacDonald, CEO of Made Tech, said: “Made Tech’s growth continues to build momentum, as we expand our activity with critical government departments helping them deliver key initiatives. We are delighted that the Home Office has chosen to partner with Made Tech once again, as it demonstrates its confidence in our ability to deliver digital technology and our growing reputation within the market.”

 

About Made Tech

Made Tech is a provider of digital, data and technology services to the UK public sector. Founded in 2008 and now with a headcount of over 480 and offices in four UK locations (London, Manchester, Bristol and Swansea), Made Tech provides services that enable central government, healthcare and local government organisations to digitally transform.

Made Tech’s purpose is to “positively impact the future of society by improving public sector technology”. To achieve this the company has four key strategic missions: Modernise legacy technology and working practices; Accelerate digital service and technology delivery; Drive better decisions through data and automation; and Enable technology and delivery skills to build better systems.

Contract Wins, News, North of England

Manchester City Council Selects Highways Asset Management System from Yotta to Inform Current and Future Programmes of Work

Following an open procedure tender process, Manchester City Council has awarded Yotta, the leading global connected asset management and services provider, a contract worth more than £500,000, to provide it with a highways asset management system.

Manchester City Council required a solution to manage all aspects of its highway maintenance and street works activity. Yotta will be implementing its Alloy and Horizons highways asset management solution.

Yotta is dedicated to applying technology to the advancement of infrastructure asset management and environmental services. Its purpose is to empower those with asset and data-rich environments to make better, more informed decisions about the way their infrastructure assets and environmental services are managed.

 

About Yotta

Yotta is a leading, global connected asset management software and services provider. Its vision is to transform the management of the built world to create safer, cleaner and more sustainable places for everyone.

It empowers organisations to make better, more informed decisions by ensuring its customers’ systems, assets and people are connected, and the data they produce is structured and captured to provide operational, as well as strategic insight.

Innovation is at the heart of everything Yotta does and data drives the company forward. Yotta understands its customers’ needs and provides them with revolutionary connected asset management solutions, utilising its industry-leading software and consultancy services.

The company’s cloud-based asset management platform, Alloy, equips clients with data visualisation, powerful workflow management tools, enterprise-strength and user-specific capabilities. Connected assets lay the foundation for the future of smart cities and communities, and Yotta’s software and services represent a ‘new era’ of connected asset management.

 

 

Contract Wins, Logistics, News

Leading Mattress Specialist Chooses ArrowXL

ArrowXL, the leading 2-person delivery company, has secured a significant commercial client during a busy and unprecedented time in the market. Specialising in the collection and delivery of large goods from some of the UK’s biggest manufacturers, ArrowXL is now delivering for mattress and sleep accessory specialist OTTY Sleep.

The contract, signed during lockdown, has seen ArrowXL provide storage in their Wigan head office as well as delivering award winning-mattresses, pillows and bed frames for OTTY. OTTY Sleep now has access to the nationwide 2-person delivery network to distribute their products within a 48-hour delivery timeframe.

Michal Szlas from OTTY Sleep said: “We were in conversation with Arrow XL for around two years prior to signing the contract, which was agreed upon after our existing couriers unfortunately had to pause their operation during the lockdown. Although current circumstances have proven difficult and unprecedented for many, Arrow XL have provided a great service and we have had very minimal issues.

“Their systems are much more sophisticated and allow us to track our inventory and stock movements more accurately. The delivery and customer service have also been fantastic, allowing us to effectively deal with the surge in volume during Covid-19. As a whole, Arrow XL offer a full-service supply chain solution, including warehousing our products and looking after the entire delivery procedure for our award-winning mattresses, pillows and bed frames, which of course, we are very pleased with.”

ArrowXL, the UK’s largest multi-user 2-person delivery specialist has secured large scale commercial contracts with household names in recent months, including Argos and JLL fitness.

Craig Kavanagh, Sales Director from ArrowXL said: “OTTY Sleep really care about the customer experience, something we also prioritise significantly. Their product is one of the leaders in their market, so delivering it is a huge part of the full cycle from the moment of purchase to the unwrapping. We are very proud to be working with OTTY Sleep and having shared values and priorities makes for a strong partnership. We look forward to many years of successful deliveries of their award-winning products.”

Contract Wins, News

Scandi-inspired Nursery Furniture Specialist Gaia Baby Chooses ArrowXL

ArrowXL, the leading 2-person delivery company, has secured another significant contract. Specialising in the collection and delivery of large goods from some of the UK’s biggest manufacturers, ArrowXL is now delivering for Gaia Baby, which provides sustainable, beautiful nursery furniture with a Scandi-inspired design.

The contract, which started just six weeks ago, has seen ArrowXL provide storage in their Wigan head office as well as delivering the innovative nursery furniture. Gaia baby now has access to the nationwide 2-person delivery network to distribute their products within a 48-hour delivery timeframe.

Karl Millergill, Founder at Gaia Baby said: “Priding ourselves on quality, we wanted to find a delivery service that matched our products. Being a small family run business we were crippled with painful lead times and inconsistency by previous delivery partners. ArrowXL stores and delivers our products from one place meaning our customers receive their goods to a room of choice within two days. It was a no brainer turning to ArrowXL. “

ArrowXL, the UK’s largest multi-user 2-person delivery specialist has secured largescale commercial contracts with household names in recent months, including Argos and OTTY Sleep.

Craig Kavanagh, Sales Director from ArrowXL said: “We are delighted to be working with such a dynamic management team at Gaia Baby who share our core values. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, the flexibility we can provide and the introduction of new services.”

Contract Wins, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

fourfivecbd appoints The SEO Works

Digital agency The SEO Works has been chosen to manage the organic search strategy for leading CBD brand fourfivecbd, co-founded by International rugby union players George Kruis and Dominic Day.

The Sheffield based agency will be responsible for delivering organic growth and a SEO strategy that helps cement fourfivecbd’s mission to make their CBD oils, capsules, drinks and topicals the market leading premium brand for professional athletes and those with an active lifestyle.

As well as the CBD website, The SEO Works have also been appointed to launch and promote their new fourfivenutrition website, specialising in the multivitamin market.

“We’re excited to see what The SEO Works can deliver having put together impressive proposals for both campaigns. Working with a team that is passionate about our brand and its potential was paramount in our decision,” said George Kruis, professional athlete and Co-Founder at fourfivecbd.

Alex Hill, Director at The SEO Works added: “It’s a fabulous opportunity for us to work with such an exciting brand, with so much more to achieve — so naturally, we’re very excited to work with George Kruis and Dom Day and their team. At the centre of their ethos is the pursuit of making CBD widely available, whilst increasing the awareness of its use in both amateur and professional sport, and dispelling any myths around safe use and its impact. We look forward to enjoying the future successes we’ll share with the fourfivecbd team.”

The SEO Works specialises in SEO, PPC, web and paid social advertising and has clients including; Decathlon, Rab, Mondaine, Weldricks Pharmacy, the NHS and Lowe Alpine.

Contract Wins, News

Incentive FM Lands another Retail Contract

Leading facilities management firm Incentive FM have been appointed to manage the facilities at The Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City. The contract marks a series of wins in the retail sector for Incentive FM during 2020. Working across an area of 230,000 square feet, the 18-person Incentive FM team will deliver cleaning, security, high level cleaning, and washroom services.

The Howard centre, named after the founder of Welwyn Garden City Sir Ebenezer Howard, currently ranks 113th nationally out of 4,500 trading locations and provides retail space for 58 units all under one roof.

Carley Beck, Centre Manager, said: “It’s great to have a company as experienced as Incentive FM overseeing the facilities management here. We welcome 8 million visitors each year and we knew that to strengthen our customer experience, we had to align the facilities management. The pandemic has hit retail very hard, and how we manage our facilities with a one team ethos coupled with a partnership approach is paramount to the operation.”

Glenn Wilson, Director for Retail and Distribution at Incentive FM, said: ‘Our client portfolio is increasing as we demonstrate our standards in the sector. It’s fantastic to be awarded The Howard Centre contract, and we share a lot of business values with the client. Our team is now on site and delivering in Welwyn Garden City, and we look forward to working with the centre going forward.’

The contract was mobilised during October and officially started on November 1st.