The North East based marketing team behind one of the country’s biggest motor retailers who offer a variety of car servicing plans, has won a prestigious award for creating one of the industry’s most well recognised and successful nationwide brands.

The inaugural North East Marketing Awards saw the Newcastle-based team at Lookers handed the In-House Marketing Team of the Year prize in recognition of its efforts in creating a unique brand within a highly competitive marketplace.

The award is the culmination of three years of brand building at Lookers, with the marketing team inherited by the group following the acquisition of North-East based Benfield.

In that time the team has created a new logo, design style, tone of voice and even a four-legged mascot, Lucky the dog.

More importantly by retaining the family values of the smaller business, the team has established a community focussed culture across its nationwide dealership network that has resulted in a thriving internal communications culture and a steady stream of positive news stories appearing in the media.

The team has almost doubled in size since the acquisition and now numbers 30 in the North East head office. It includes Brand Mangers representing manufacturers within the group, a dedicated design team, in-house copywriters, videographers, content and social media specialists and a PR Manager.   

Lookers was able to fend off competition from a number of well-known brand names in the North East, including the University of Sunderland, Sintons LLP, Deloitte and Mincoffs Solicitors.

Heike O’Leary, Group Marketing Director at Lookers, accepted the award on behalf of her team. She said: “I am so incredibly proud of my team here in Newcastle, who have been 100% dedicated to making Lookers the strong, confident brand it is today. The fact that the team have been able to do this during three years of continual change is a testament to their creativity and dedication and I look forward to building the Lookers brand even further with them.

“I would also like to congratulate all of the winners and the runners up on the night. These awards have proved that there is a huge amount of marketing talent in the North East and they should all be proud.”

Justin Barlow, Marketing Director at Nigel Wright Recruitment, which sponsored the awards, said: “Nigel Wright Recruitment is delighted to have been involved with the North East Marketing Awards from its inception and to help it to become such as massive success in its first year. It’s a credit to the quality of the marketing community amongst in-house teams and agencies throughout the region, that the quantity and quality of the nominations were so high. As recruiters of top marketing talent, we are proud to be associated with these Awards and look forward to helping expand their reputation during the years ahead.”

Ends 

Caption: Lookers Marketing Director Heike O’Leary receives the In-House Marketing Team of the Year award from Robert Jefferson, Head of Marketing at Virgin Money.

CONTACTS: For more information, imagery or interview requests, please contact:

Chris Knox         chrisknox@lookers.co.uk         0191 298 1433

Ian Dinning        iandinning@lookers.co.uk       07917803970

To see this story on the Lookers website, as well as further news content, visit https://www.lookers.co.uk/news/

NOTES TO EDITOR;

• Lookers group annual turnover in 2017 was £4.7bn
• Lookers’ adjusted operating profit for 2017 is £84.7m
• Lookers Executive Directors include Andy Bruce (Chief Executive Officer), Robin Gregson (Chief Financial Officer), Nigel McMinn (Chief Operations Officer)
• Andy Bruce, Lookers CEO, won ‘CEO of the Year’ at the prestigious Motor Trader of the Year 2016 and AM - Business Leader of the Year Award
• Lookers has been awarded the exclusive Top Employers United Kingdom 2017 Certification, please visit: top-employers.com.
• Lookers is one of the Sunday Times’ Best 25 Big Companies to Work For.