Business Leader asked us to develop and execute a multi-channel communications strategy for Growth 500, a new national initiative aimed at recognising and celebrating Britain’s 500 fastest growing companies. The goal was to elevate Growth 500 beyond simply being a traditional ranking, and create a compelling story that would boost awareness, engagement, and drive community involvement at an awards ceremony at London’s Sky Garden.
We developed and led the campaign from initial planning through to event delivery, acting as an embedded partner within the Business Leader team. Our focus was on creating a connected, story-led experience that positioned Growth 500 as a celebration of scale, ambition, and resilience in the UK business community.
A key challenge was increasing RSVP conversions across multiple audience segments within a tight timeframe of less than 6 weeks. We addressed this by implementing an adaptable communications strategy that responded in real time to engagement levels. Messaging was tailored for the Top 100, the broader 500, partners, and non-RSVP contacts through targeted CRM outreach based on insights gathered after each communications deployment. This flexible approach resulted in a strong conversion rate of 41%, with over 450 RSVPs and an 82% surpassing of the target.
We also coordinated all stakeholder activities, managed timelines and logistics, and produced comprehensive narrative and visual content, including teaser videos, nominee videos, winner videos, branded campaign assets, and speaker briefing materials. Additionally, we created a dedicated content series, “Growth Conversations,” which highlighted key voices from the Growth 500 community. This initiative not only provided Business Leader with a library of high-quality, evergreen content but also maintained campaign momentum long after the event.