2024 timeline
Meet the shortlists for all 7 categories of 2024’s NWM Awards.
Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who took the time and made the effort to nominate someone this year. We received 40% more nominations than in 2023, and we really enjoyed reading about each wonderful individual.
For each of our 7 categories, we narrowed down the nominees to lists of 10. 10 brilliant nominations that stood out from the rest.
The judges have whittled our shortlists of 10 to 3 finalists per category. And, now, the wait is almost over…
Meet our finalists below, and discover our winners on 26th September.
Sponsored by Yawn Marketing
Girl Power Marketing
As the founder of Girl Power Marketing (GPM) – an online community and social page – Annie has built a significant online presence and a loyal following. GPM boasts 92,000 LinkedIn followers and over 24,000 Instagram followers, while Annie herself has 52,000 LinkedIn followers and has been recognized as a Top Social Media Voice.
Entering the industry as an assistant at a digital marketing agency—Annie’s journey is a testament to her resilience and dedication. After overcoming a difficult period marked by a diagnosis of anorexia, she channeled her energy into creating GPM in 2020. The Instagram account quickly grew to 1,000 followers in just one month, and today, GPM’s community has expanded to over 150,000 across various social platforms.
Her success is not only in numbers but in creating a vibrant, supportive community for marketing professionals. Annie’s innovative approach and the dedicated following she has cultivated make her a deserving recipient of ‘The Star’ award.
SocialB
Charlotte Travers, is a young and inspiring owner of SocialB, a pioneering women-owned marketing agency in Norfolk, she shines (if you’ll pardon the pun) as a prime candidate for the Star award.
Charlotte’s journey is a testament to her profound impact on the marketing landscape of Norfolk. As someone who worked up the ladder, starting in the business development team, and then becoming operations manager for digital marketing and then becoming owner of the agency last year. She has not only demonstrated unparalleled skill in growing the agency but has also fostered a culture of inclusivity and empowerment within her agency. Through her leadership, Charlotte has cultivated a dynamic team of marketing professionals who are dedicated to driving positive change within the community.
Beyond anything else, Charlotte is a good person who is always trying to do the best she can for others, she is incredibly ambitious but she doesn’t force a hustle culture, instead she oozes positivity and passion which infects everyone she’s around. She is perfectly herself and that’s what makes her so amazing.
Collen & Clare
Having started out in investment finance, Vanessa launched her brand, Collen & Clare (Collen is her maiden name) with a friend over 20 years ago. They were compelled to launch following negative experiences with retailers when buying workwear and high-end fashion, which they found centred around stuffy, judgmental customer service. As such, Collen & Clare was created as a ‘dressing up box for grown-up girls’, empowering the women of Norfolk and Suffolk (and further afield) with a high-quality wardrobe that allows them to feel ‘themselves’.
Within her business, Vanessa is surrounded by a team of incredible women, who she inspires every day. All as passionate about great customer service and fashion as she, the vision and working atmosphere Vanessa has created attracts likeminded employees from the area whose values align with those of the business she has created, and who are motivated to deliver that top-notch, honest, customer service to the women – and men – who shop in their store.
Sponsored by Sponge
Pivotal
Despite being relatively new to both the digital world and Pivotal, Emily’s impact has been remarkable.
What truly sets Emily apart is her proactive approach to improving processes and driving efficiency. From the moment she joined Pivotal, she took initiative in identifying areas for enhancement and implementing changes. Her primary focus on implementing a new reporting system for each department at Pivotal underscores her commitment to streamlining operations and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This change has proven to be crucial for Pivotal, enhancing transparency, communication, and decision-making.
Emily’s dedication, initiative, and ability to drive meaningful change make her a deserving candidate for ‘The Changemaker’ award. Her contributions not only benefit Pivotal but also serve as an inspiration for others, demonstrating the profound impact that a motivated individual can have within an organisation, regardless of tenure.
Meantime Media
Brogan joined meantime a number of years ago as an illustrator and animator, and has now worked her way to being the company’s creative lead.
Brogan has instigated change right from the moment she joined; her creative ability and strategic mind being at the forefront of many meantime projects. She has positively changed the marketing and branding direction of so many of our clients, most recently as design lead on projects for The Trussell Trust, action for children and Norfolk county council. Often a project she leads, turns into something greater for the companies she works with. An animation for peequal turned into a brand refresh and website design, the same for GoWash, and she led the rebranding of Eleria.
However, Her greatest changemaking has really been for meantime, where she has sat on the management board, and led the companies greatest transformation to date……
Select Recruitment
Emma is a prime candidate for the Change Maker Award. Her dedication to excellence and passion for innovation have consistently set her apart as a leader and changemaker in the recruitment industry. Emma’s profound industry knowledge and innovative strategies have successfully connected top-tier marketing talent with forward-thinking companies, driving substantial positive change within the marketing field. Always staying a beat ahead of what people need
Emma’s commitment to her candidates is unparalleled. She goes beyond the typical recruiter role, providing mentorship and career guidance that has transformed the careers of many professionals. For example, she helped a mid-level marketing manager secure a senior role at a leading agency, offering personalised coaching and interview preparation that highlighted the candidate’s strengths. This not only advanced the candidate’s career but also added significant value to the client company.
Her clients also greatly benefit from her expertise. Emma has a knack for understanding the unique needs of each business she works with, ensuring she finds the perfect fit for their teams. One notable instance involved a tech startup struggling to find a suitable Head of Marketing. Emma’s diligent search and thorough vetting process resulted in a hire who significantly boosted the company’s market presence and revenue.
Sponsored by Fountain Partnership
Hansells Solicitors
Laura exemplifies the spirit of The Marketer Award. In just nine months, she’s transformed Hansells Solicitors’ marketing approach, leveraging her digital expertise to create fresh, engaging content across social media platforms (including a first-ever video!), and even introducing innovative podcasts featuring the career of the solicitors. Her dedication and creativity have demonstrably improved the brand image, resonated with new audiences and garnered praise from partners accustomed to traditional marketing methods.
Laura’s journey, overcoming initial inexperience in the legal sector, is a testament to her remarkable adaptability and commitment to excellence. Her ability to thrive in a new environment (having moved from Colombia, two years ago) further speaks to her resilience and determination. Laura is a rising star in Norfolk’s marketing scene, and recognising her achievements would be an inspiration to all women in the industry, especially those seeking a better life in another country.
Beat
Maisie’s exceptional skills and dedication in Marketing and Communications make her a deserving candidate for the Marketer Award. Her innate talent as a marketer shines through in her ability to adapt and excel in various tasks, whether it’s content creation, copywriting for social media, or content strategy. Working in a small team that has recently downsized, Maisie has taken on added responsibilities, including managing the Social Media Officer role alongside her existing Marketing and Communications role since October 2023. In this capacity, she actively engaged with our social media followers, seeking their input on the content they desired and then developed a comprehensive plan to ensure their needs were met. Her proactive approach resulted in increased engagement, reflecting her dedication to creating meaningful connections with our audience.
Moreover, Maisie has been instrumental in updating our branded materials following our rebrand in early 2023. She led on graphic design, ensuring that our updated marketing collateral aligns seamlessly with our new brand and tone of voice guidelines. These materials are vital for our supporters, particularly those seeking resources to aid individuals with eating disorders in diverse settings.
From creating engaging social media posts to designing effective assets and print materials, Maisie consistently demonstrates her impressive range of skills as a marketing and communications professional. Her unwavering commitment to excellence makes her an invaluable asset to our team, and a deserving nominee for the Marketer of the Year award.
Sweetzy
Sophie deserves the marketer award for her exceptional contributions in growing the company’s social media presence and revenue. She has massively expanded the TikTok page, creating engaging/viral content that resonates with the audience. Additionally, Sophie built the TikTok shop from scratch, introducing a significant new revenue stream for the business. Her strategic efforts didn’t stop there; she also boosted sales on Instagram and Facebook, achieving substantial growth compared to last year. Sophie’s innovative approach and impressive results demonstrate her outstanding marketing skills and dedication, making her a clear choice for the award.
Sponsored by Pivotal
Ginger Pickle
A really important part of being a newcomer is having a willingness to learn and get stuck into things, and this is why Emma Cooling is a perfect candidate for The Newcomer award.
Emma is a Digital Marketing Apprentice. She joined Ginger Pickle, a Norwich-based marketing agency, in November 2023 as our first employee. It is not necessarily a ‘usual’ apprenticeship experience to join as a business’s first employee, but she has taken this, and the challenges and quirks that come with it, in her stride.
She is always keen to learn – about every element of marketing – and will try her hand at whatever is needed in order to put her learning into practice and get the job done. We don’t expect her to be an expert in anything and neither do we need her to be; what impresses us most about her is that she gives everything a go, evaluates her own work as she goes, learns from each experience and improves every time.
She has adapted to every change in the business – new clients, growing service offering, new team members – as it happens, and shows enthusiasm and excitement for all of it. This sounds fluffy, but shouldn’t be understated; it can take some time just to get used to the working world when you first join the workforce, let alone do great things within it, so to have things change so quickly around her while she’s still finding her feet and keep producing good work is a real success.
Hansells Solicitors
Laura is a deserving nominee for the ‘Newcomer’ award in the Norfolk and Norwich Women in Marketing Awards. Since joining our firm as my marketing assistant six months ago, she has made exceptional contributions that have significantly enhanced our marketing strategies. With her fresh initiatives and digital skills, Laura has brought innovation to our campaigns, making a distinct difference in how we market Hansells. Her dedication, creativity, and ability to adapt to evolving trends have greatly benefited our team and overall marketing efforts. Recognising Laura’s outstanding impact would be a testament to her talent and commitment to excellence.
Moreover, Laura’s journey from Colombia to the UK to pursue her passions in marketing and communication adds another layer of significance to her achievements. Despite coming from another country, she has obtained an MA in media and international development from the UEA and established herself in the Norwich marketing network. Laura’s adaptability is evident in her diverse work experience across sectors such as customer service, advertising, education, charity, and, most recently, the legal sector.
Freelance
Rebecca is the first person I actually brought into my business. And since working together, my freelance business has flourished.
It started as a trial – I needed someone to help manage my social media and digital marketing (which was virtually non-existent). I suggested we start with three months, see how we get along, and do another three months if it works out. We’re a year and a half in now – with no signs of stopping!
Becca is responsible for digital and sales strategy in my business. She manages my social media accounts, sources new clients and growth opportunities, and takes care of all kinds of business operations for me.
Beyond the metrics, Becca has transformed me as a freelancer. Before, I was quietly writing in my room for a small roster of clients. Now, I’m proudly writing, speaking, and collaborating with top notch tech clients.
Becca is a wonderful candidate for the Newcomer Award, because she has taken to the freelance marketing world beautifully—with empathy, creativity, and a wealth of ideas. Something every marketer needs to succeed today.
Sponsored by Zagwear
Norfolk Chambers of Commerce
Co.next is bridging the gap between leaving education and gaining knowledge, experience, and confidence to climb the career ladder. Focusing on key topics to encourage and engage them within their personal career and personal lives, Co.next supports on anything from getting on the property ladder, pensions, personal branding to ‘how to’ masterclasses on networking to public speaking.
There is no other group out there that supports young professionals and works with employers to ensure their team grows and feels empowered within their own roles.
Independent Financial Advisor
Jessica Moody is an Independent Financial Advisor who is focused on making financial planning accessible to all. Jessica Moody IFA deserves recognition for ‘The Ally’ award as an advisor dedicated to providing financial education, particularly for women and minorities.
Her business is centred around ensuring financial education is available for all, with online resources in the form of blogs and recordings, removing the jargon and fear which often come associated with financial articles in the news. These articles have a specific focus on women and non-binary folk, who may have less access to financial competency or may be earning less.
As a financial advisor, Jessica Moody’s approachability ensures that she meets clients where they are comfortable, whether online, at home, or in public spaces, breaking down barriers to seeking financial advice. Furthermore, her unconventional pricing structure and provision of free initial meeting removes financial barriers to financial planning, improving financial competency for all.
Mainly, Jessica actively addresses issues like the gender pension gap, providing practical solutions and educating other financial advisors to foster positive change in the industry. Overall, Jessica’s empathy, inclusivity, and proactive advocacy make her and her business a standout ally in the realm of financial empowerment.
Pregnancy Loss Charity
TimeNorfolk fits the bill of ally incredibly well! TimeNorfolk offers free counselling to anybody affected by pregnancy loss, baby loss and pregnancy choices across Norfolk & Waveney. One of the tag lines of TimeNorfolk is that they offer ‘Time to listen, time to grieve and time to heal.’ So much of the support that TimeNorfolk offers falls under the category of listening, helping people to grieve and heal after the loss of a baby.
The team are always looking to learn, using ‘team talk’ times to learn together. The team recently had a session with Mark Osbourne looking at Father inclusive practice, next in the diary is a session on trauma informed care with the aim to ensure that trauma informed care happens across the organisation and not just within the counselling rooms.
As well as continuing to learn as a team we also look to educate other professionals across Norfolk. The aim of this is always to improve the standard of care & understanding of professionals who interact & support those who have experienced pregnancy loss. In 2023 we held a training day around caring for those who experienced early pregnancy loss, in June 2024 we are holding a training day looking at ‘Support and Care Following Termination of Pregnancy’. There is still a taboo surrounding termination of pregnancy, stigma and common misconceptions can create barriers for individuals accessing and receiving care following their loss. The hope is that as a result of this training day women will receive a better standard of care from professionals they interact with.
Sponsored by krow
University of East Anglia
Shulla is a force for good in marketing. She inspires colleagues and friends to do their best work, as well as impacting the local/national community through her work in Outreach marketing with UEA.
When we first met at a marketing agency over five years ago, her commitment and drive inspired me and it continues to do so today. She has since shone in her role client-side, leading on a brand transformation project for Outreach and several wider UEA initiatives. It is inspiring to see how she has adapted and excelled in both roles.
As well as undertaking continuous professional development courses to grow her own marketing knowledge, she has recently taken public speaking roles to share her insights and results with others in the education community.
Shulla is confident speaking to colleagues of all seniority levels. She offers both mentoring and shadow opportunities to junior colleagues and manages tough conversations with senior stakeholders while remaining cool, calm and collected.
Shulla isn’t afraid to be honest, get stuck in and see how projects and processes can be improved. With being a social butterfly outside of work too, I don’t know how she balances it all, but she does a sterling job and is an excellent role model for me.
Brown&Co
Lottie goes above and beyond to support the members of her team. The other marketing managers all say that she is willing to pick up extra workload when her colleagues don’t have the capacity and never moans when she is busy.
She is a ray of sunshine in the office and will always be the person to ask how people are, give them a friendly smile and make the workplace genuinely a more cheerful place to work.
Wise
Emma-Jane has overcome a great deal in the past twelve months. She was late-diagnosed as both autistic and ADHD, went through a period of intense burnout which led to her making a hard decision to leave what was her dream role at an respected agency that she loved but she has emerged on the other side as a renewed, truer version of herself, demonstrating to others and herself that she is strong, resilient and capable.
She deserves to have her success recognised as she has come a long way in the past year. Her confidence has skyrocketed, she is a vocal advocate for others, speaking when others won’t or don’t feel comfortable to and she has shown initiative and ownership in her new role by spotting problems/opportunities for improvement, even in the short time she’s been in the team.
She’s also taken active steps to improve her wellbeing and mental health, taking time away from work and away from social media to focus on renewal and to let herself rest so that she can be the best version of herself for everyone.
Sponsored by Kameo Recruitment
University of East Anglia
I am honoured to write this recommendation for Lucill, an exceptional leader whose remarkable qualities and unwavering dedication with the Marketing group have profoundly impacted UEA. I have had the privilege of working closely with Lucill for six years, during which time I have witnessed their exemplary leadership skills and commitment to excellence first-hand.
Lucill possesses a rare combination of strategic vision and operational expertise. She consistently demonstrates an ability to see the big picture while also managing the intricate details necessary to achieve our goals. Under Lucill’s leadership, our team has navigated complex challenges and achieved significant milestones, often exceeding expectations within a competitive student recruitment landscape in her role as the Director for Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing.
SocialB
Charlotte took over SocialB in March 2023 from the founder. During this time, the business went through some big changes. Charlotte’s first role was to re-evaluate the team productivity and makes team changes.
During this time, she also navigated the team going fully remote. As culture and wellbeing are so important to SocialB, this transition needed to be managed well. Adapting and keeping up comms within the team was pushed by Charlotte as well as introducing new meetings like our Company Update (on pipeline, figures and project spotlights), and re-working how we meet up in person. We have transitioned from one day per week together in person, to once a fortnight. This initiative has worked really well so far for the team, lead by Charlotte.
Charlotte exemplifies exceptional leadership through her ability to inspire and guide others. She possesses a clear vision and communicates it effectively, ensuring everyone understands their role and the collective goal.
Charlotte is also a great listener, valuing the input and perspectives of her team members, which fosters a collaborative environment. Her decision-making skills are both decisive and thoughtful, taking into account the welfare of the group as a whole.
Additionally, Charlotte leads by example, demonstrating dedication, integrity, and a strong work ethic, which motivates those around her to strive for excellence. Her empathy and support for her team members’ personal and professional growth further solidify her status as a great leader.
Gravity Global
I always see the spotlight put on leaders who are fiercely ambitious and climb the ladder to heights that us mere mortals couldn’t achieve, but to me a leader is someone who shows up consistently and develops their team to those heights. If you multiply that by 10, you get Helen.
Helen deserves this award more than anyone else I know. Thanks to her leadership, she’s shaped how I value myself and who I want to be in this industry.
She stepped up to mentor and manage people when they needed support, long before getting the job title and salary for it. Now as a manager of a team, Helen has created her own management style and we all massively benefit from it.
Helen leads with compassion and gives us the time and space to develop our own style and make our own mistakes. She’s a force for good in the agency and raises the bar in ways that most managers might see as optional.
Helen’s one of the best people I’ve ever worked and the lessons I’ve learnt from her have encouraged me to question the status quo. She’s teaches us to show up in the ways that we value, not the ways that we’re told are valued.
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2024 timeline
March
Nominations open
May
Nominations close
July
Shortlist released
August
Finalists released
September
Celebration event