With the arrival of a new year comes the opportunity to pause and reflect on the past.  And what a year 2023 has been for The Strong Agency.

We were delighted see our work recognised in not one but three industry-leading awards, with The Strong Agency crowned:

• PR Agency of the Year at the 2023 Prolific North Champions Awards
• Small Consultancy of the Year at the 2023 PRCA Dare Awards (North)
• Judges Choice Award at the 2023 MEN Business Awards

We were equally thrilled to see Strong founder Julie Wilson acknowledged and awarded Professional of the Year in the 2023 PRCA Dare Awards.  It is the third consecutive year that Jules has received the prestigious accolade and is an achievement of which we are incredibly proud.

October saw a move into new premises for The Strong Agency with us delighted to join the Bruntwood Works community at Bloc.  It’s an incredible office space located in the heart of Manchester and provides Strong’s clients with access to a suite of state-of-the-art facilities.

The move coincided with us welcoming fantastic new talent to the agency, expanding our ever strong PR and marketing communications team.

And it’s not just the team that has grown over the last 12 months.  We’ve been delighted to expand our portfolio of clients in a wide range of sectors.

We’ve launched and promoted some of the UK’s most exciting new hospitality venues including Liverpool’s highest alfresco bar, 360 Sky Bar; Gino D’Acampo’s latest outpost, Gino D’Acampo Boar Lane, in Leeds; and announced Upmarket Leisure’s acquisition of Radio Rooftop, one of London’s most iconic rooftop bars located at ME London hotel.

We were also thrilled to continue our work with the north’s most prestigious art fair, Manchester Art Fair, as it celebrated its 15th edition in the city.  It’s a story we were delighted to document on BBC Northwest Tonight.

We’ve been proud to contribute to the continued growth and success of all Strong’s clients with  Groobarbs Field Kitchen celebrating a hat-trick of food and drink accolades in the 2023 Taste Cheshire awards, Astra Group awarded Wayfinding Project of the Year at the 2023 UK Sign Awards, and Mint Property Finance crowned Best Short-Term Lender in the 2023 What Mortgage Awards.

We’ve navigated the continually evolving business and media landscape and delivered a 100% increase in linked YOY coverage for one client alone.

We move into 2024 with exciting plans in place and look forward to sharing more over the coming weeks and months.

Should you be looking to build your brand, launch a new product, drive increased sales, reach new audiences, or elevate your market position we’d love to discuss how together we can make your business stronger.

Here’s to a wonderful 2024.

We were lost for words last night as The Strong Agency was awarded PR Agency of the Year (Small) at the 2023 Prolific North Champions Awards.

The prestigious awards celebrate the top teams, innovative companies, remarkable campaigns and influential people all making their mark on the region.

The win follows an independent and rigorous judging process with each entry individually scored against a set of criteria, followed by a discussion amongst all the judges.  The Strong Agency was recognised for its outstanding work and incredible achievements in what remains one of the most challenging times for UK businesses, with Strong founder, Julie Wilson, proud to receive the accolade.

Also celebrating on the night was BBC Breakfast, awarded Broadcasting Programme of the Year for ‘Rob Burrow: Living With MND’, and 7digital Creative (BBC Radio 2), awarded Audio Production of the Year for ’21st Century Folk.’

The event was hosted by one of the UK’s most decorated Paralympians Danny Crates at Emirates Old Trafford, The Point, and saw 30 trophies presented to the region’s most deserving winners.  Celebrations continued late into the evening.

It was a proud moment for The Strong Agency last night as the agency was recognised in the 2023 MEN Business Awards.

The prestigious awards, decided by a team of the UK’s leading industry experts, honour the region’s best businesses and the people behind them.

And there was real cause for celebration for Strong, with the agency thrilled to receive the Judges’ Choice Award, in recognition of its outstanding work and business achievements.

Returning for the 31st year the MEN Business Awards celebrate innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and creativity, shining a light on the fantastic activities businesses are undertaking to make a difference across Greater Manchester.

Also celebrating on the evening was MattressTek who picked up the Global Britain Award, N Brown who received the Innovation Award, Twisted Loom who picked up the Made in Britain Award and Manchester Central who received the Outstanding Contribution to Business Award.  Business of the Year was awarded to Sambro International Ltd, sponsored by Gately Legal.

Speaking on the win, Founder of The Strong Agency, Julie Wilson, said: “Strong was founded with one objective, to deliver great work with great people.  To have that work recognised by the MEN Business Awards and in the company of so many outstanding businesses is incredibly humbling. We’re absolutely thrilled.”

The ceremony was hosted by Olympic sprinter Iwan Thomas MBE and supported by the Manchester Evening News and Reach’s business news site BusinessLive.