Nigel Wright Group hosted its first North East Marketing Awards (NEMAs) Winner’s Breakfast at INNSiDE by Melia in Newcastle, in September. As main sponsors of the awards, Nigel Wright was keen that this event celebrated last year’s winners whilst creating excitement and looking ahead to this year’s awards. For marketers considering an entry, it offered practical advice on what judges look for, how to use AI well and how marketing earns influence at board level.
Kirsty Ostell, Managing Director of O Agency, led a panel discussion with Michele Gettins, Chief Marketing Officer at iamproperty, and David McNiven, Head of Marketing at Hays Travel. This write-up covers the key insights and advice provided by the panellists.
Award-Winning Marketing Lessons
The central message was that award-winning marketing starts with a clear business problem, is measured by commercial results and is presented honestly when entered for recognition.
A strong marketing community working under pressure
Cat Bramwell of Nigel Wright Group opened the event by reflecting on the talent and ambition within the North East marketing community.
Marketers face pressure on budgets and resources alongside higher expectations about commercial impact. Artificial intelligence, changing consumer behaviour and economic uncertainty are also reshaping the profession. North East businesses continue to produce commercially effective marketing in these conditions, yet the region does not always promote its success loudly enough.
What award-winning marketing looks like
According to the panel, successful marketing begins with the business challenge. Understanding the customer, market and competition, setting clear objectives and defining success in advance give creativity a firm foundation.
All panellists said bigger budgets do not guarantee better work. Tighter budgets can sharpen focus and push teams towards more creative solutions.
Success should be judged by business impact, with vanity metrics given little weight. Growth, profitability or a change in customer behaviour can all show commercial value, and that evidence builds trust in marketing at board level.
Why an imperfect campaign can still win an award
Testing, learning and adapting are part of effective marketing. Influencer and partnership activity can be hard to predict, while authentic, employee-led content sometimes resonates more strongly than polished brand campaigns.
For prospective entrants, an award-winning story does not need a flawless campaign. Changes of direction and lessons learned can make an entry more compelling, particularly when a team shows how it responded and still delivered impact.
What judges look for in a marketing awards entry
Judges look for preparation, passion and ownership. They want to hear from people who understand the work and can explain the challenge, objectives, approach, results and lessons learned with confidence.
Evidence of continued impact and progression is often more persuasive than a campaign presented as a one-off success.
How AI should support marketing creativity
AI is a useful tool for insight, reporting and operational tasks, according to the panel. Used well, it frees teams to spend more time on strategy and ideas, and helps smaller budgets go further.
The panellists agreed that AI works best when it strengthens human creativity. Judgement, originality and customer understanding still come from people. Award submissions follow the same rule: a generic AI-written entry is unlikely to convey the passion and insight behind the work.
Earning marketing a seat at the top table
Asked about marketing’s place in senior leadership, the panel said marketing earns board-level influence by showing its contribution to business performance. Greater influence creates room for longer-term thinking and investment, and it brings greater accountability.
The strongest marketing functions speak the language of the wider business, connecting activity to commercial objectives, return on investment, profitability and growth.
Time for the North East to shout louder
One theme ran through almost every conversation: the North East has a collaborative marketing community worth celebrating. Recognition helps businesses attract and retain talent, shows the quality of marketing careers available locally and raises the region’s profile with ambitious marketers.
Closing the event, Kirsty Ostell reflected that marketing keeps getting harder and winning attention more difficult. Work that changes behaviour and delivers lasting impact deserves recognition. The challenge for the region is to keep producing great work and to get better at celebrating it.
Key takeaways from the morning
- Start with the business problem, then plan the marketing activity.
- Measure success through commercial impact and link investment to growth.
- Treat tighter budgets as a spur to creativity.
- Test, learn and adapt, and use those lessons to strengthen award entries.
- Use AI to support human judgement and creativity.
- Celebrate the North East’s marketing success with more confidence.
Nigel Wright Group is proud to be main sponsor of the North East Marketing Awards, which recognise the exceptional marketing talent helping businesses across the region grow and thrive.