It was organised and hosted by the PPA’s Retail Marketing Group and moderated by Mike Mirams, Chairman of NewstrAid and a Trustee of ACE.
Barry McIlheney, PPA CEO, commented: “Retail is absolutely critical to our industry and will remain so for a long time to come.
“This event is a very important date in the PPA calendar and offers a unique opportunity to discuss and debate how we can all continue to work even better together to develop the magazine category at retail.”
The PPA also shared updates on the Press Pause campaign, a consumer-facing campaign that harnesses the collective power of the industry to encourage consumers to take time out from the fast past of everyday life – and press pause with their favourite magazine.
According to the PPA, the campaign leverages the increasing importance of mindfulness and the role of magazines, highlighting that they offer fantastic ‘me time’ and a very welcome break from the pressures of life.
The Winners:
MULTIPLE MAGAZINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
One Stop
Judges’ Comments: “This was an extremely hard-fought category with solid entries from most of the multiple retailers. However, there was one clear winner, and One Stop stood out for its dedication to the category and its willingness to try new approaches.”
MAGAZINE CATEGORY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Tom Sheppard, Retail Spark Connect
Judges’ Comments: “Finding new opportunities is vital for the growth of the category, and Tom has shown outstanding support for new initiatives, along with a dedication to strong category management and training.”
MAGAZINE CATEGORY COLLEAGUE OF THE YEAR
Dave Cowen, James Retail
Judges’ Comments: “Dave’s commitment to the category really shone through. His passion, hard work and dedication are an inspiration – setting a level for others to aspire to.”
BEST SALES OR MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR (SPECIALIST)
Official Tour de France, Sainsbury’s
Judges’ Comments: “This initiative demonstrated clear, well-thought-through objectives and exceptional delivery, pushing consumer price to deliver revenue.”
BEST SALES OR MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR (MASS MARKET CONSUMER)
Knit & Stitch Creative, Tesco
Judges’ Comments: “An innovative campaign delivering exceptional results in a challenging market. A good team effort from publisher, distributor and the Tesco trading team."
BEST SALES OR MARKETING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR (MULTIPLE TITLES)
Tesco Spotlight Promotion
Judges’ Comments: “In a hard-fought category this stood out as a great example of magazines collaborating with retail to achieve a creative promotion, customer engagement and exclusive offers.”
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MAGAZINE RETAILING
Stuart Brown, WHSmith Travel
Judges’ Comments: “Despite pressure from other categories, Stuart has worked hard internally at WHSmith Travel to sell the category and protect space in store. Stuart also looks at ways to improve the shopping experience for the customer.”
INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
News on the Wharf
Judges’ Comments: “Peter Wagg has consistently supported magazines across the News on the Wharf stores, with great promotional signage and a willingness to try new and innovative ideas.”
The awards were supported by event partners Bartuf, Frontline, Marketforce, and Seymour.
