Why our third win doesn't matter. And why it does, very much, for our industry.
It restores your faith a bit, this year's B2B Marketing agency of the year award. I believe Twogether's win says something about our industry, not just about us. Of course, we're proud to have won, but why we won is far more important.
There was a principle at the heart of our submission for 2022: that people and wellbeing matter more than pure commercial success. This award is proof that you can't have one without the other. If your people are not motivated and happy, then you won't sustain growth and performance for very long.
The B2B marketing industry has always blithely talked about itself as a people business. The main assets going down in the lift every night. But there's a shift in culture now, and not just because of the pandemic.
As new generations come into the business, they're bringing with them values that are giving clients and agencies new priorities. Yes, green issues and social responsibility. But also mental health, personal wellbeing and a stronger sense of purpose beyond commercial gain.
When we resigned one of our biggest clients last year, it sent a wave of energy through the agency. While everyone understood that there was a commercial dimension to the decision, the real driver was the impact the relationship was having on our people. It was an unequivocal statement that, for us, nothing is more important than the wellbeing of Twogetherers.
It also spoke volumes about the nature of the partnership between clients and agencies. It's not a coincidence that we also picked up four other gold awards, all based on our work for clients who have been with us for a long time.
We won Gold with Lenovo, our partner for over ten years, for our strategic 'Rewards Club' work on customer engagement. Then a double Gold recognised our five-year partnership with Hitachi Vantara 'Powering Partnerships' in the most commercially successful and best use account-based marketing categories. And we won Gold again with Sage, another client that has been with us for more than five years, for the best SME-targeted campaign with 'Raise Your Game'.
Long-term partnerships like these can only work when you have a shared vision of success and a commitment to making it happen. And, frankly, when working together is fun and rewarding. Look after the people, build the trust, and the great work and sustained success will follow.
Looking ahead, I can see more and more clients looking for the kind of honest, trusting partnership that allows agencies to ask tough questions and provide uncomfortable answers. As Scott Berg from Hitachi Vantara put it, clients want to hear what they need to hear, not what makes them feel good.
The B2B judges described Twogether as:
An outstanding, authentic and client and employee-focused business, delivering great work and showing a true partnership approach.
We're so proud and grateful to have been recognised for what we believe in, as well as the effectiveness of our work.
