Last night I had the extreme privilege of attending the UK Digital Excellence Awards on behalf of Giraffe. We were nominated for Social Media Agency of the Year. Spoiler alert – we won! But let’s start at the beginning.
I arrived at The Montcalm just after doors opened as I was arriving on my own. The attendee list was impressive and the people I spoke to while everyone was mingling (after forcing myself not to hide in the cloakroom) worked for some great agencies, with impressive titles and huge credentials. Putting the inevitable imposter syndrome to one side; I was lucky enough to be sat next to another solo traveller for the evening.
To my surprise, I was sat at a table in the front row, so I had an excellent view of the stage that I hoped I’d later in the evening get to see even closer up. The three-course meal was delicious, the host – Jordan Lee from KISS FM – was as charming as a host should be, and the musical entertainment was extremely talented. The awards part of the evening didn’t start until after 19:30, but the time went by quickly enough and soon an impressive 33 awards were lined up waiting to be taken home by the lucky winners.
As it turned out, our category – Social Media Agency of the Year – was one of the last categories to be announced, so I had a while to wait. Once the remaining awards on the table started to get below 5, I started to get a little nervous. Two of the other companies at our table had already been disappointed not to win. My heart honestly started pounding and when our category got announced – and then OUR NAME, it all just faded away into pure joy. I walked up – actually, no, it’s probably more accurate to say that I danced up – to the stage and accepted our award from the incredible Davina Lines of Mixing Digital.
Honestly, I am immensely proud of the team at Giraffe. Everyone who works for us now, or has ever worked for us in the past, has had a huge part in shaping what our business has become and this award is a testament to their talent, dedication and all their hard work. I am also really grateful to our clients, who we work alongside every day, creating amazing social media campaigns. They give us so much purpose and helping them succeed is what drives every one of us.
The judging panel considered some of our biggest achievements over the last year when deciding we were the winner. These included, our exceptional client retention rate and strategic growth, underscore our commitment to delivering unparalleled value and results. Our success stories, like Maison Noir's Instagram growth to over 1,400 followers, Bed Kingdom's revenue nearing £1 million with a 24.5x ROI, and dramatic engagement increases for Nala’s Baby, exemplify our tailored, impactful strategies. Our continuous evolution, highlighted by significant enhancements in our strategic planning process and the adoption of a comprehensive marketing funnel analysis, sets us apart in the industry. These achievements, driven by our focus on client-specific objectives and a relentless pursuit of improvement, were instrumental in our recognition at the UK Digital Excellence Awards, affirming Giraffe's leading position in delivering exceptional digital marketing solutions.
Don’t Panic Events did a fantastic job organising a really enjoyable night – not in the least because we won! – and I’m so honoured to have been there representing Giraffe.
