Two national awards for phs Group

Facilities services provider phs Group is celebrating after scooping two national marketing awards for its period equality campaign.

At the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Marketing Excellence Awards, phs won the Best Education Campaign and Best Innovative New Product/Service awards in partnership with Magic Wand PR. Kelly Greenaway, senior brand and marketing communications manager at phs, was also chosen as a finalist at the CIM Excellence Awards for Marketer of the Year.

The winning campaign centred around period equality, a movement to ensure nobody suffers as a result of being unable to either afford or access period products. It included the creation of new, independent research to lift the lid of the scale of the period inequality in the UK followed by a major drive to raise awareness of the issue. The comprehensive marketing programme included launching a research white paper report, PR and social media activity as well as stakeholder engagement. Simultaneously, phsadopted period equality as a core part of its CSR strategy, including developing coin-free period-product vending machines. The campaign drew praise from campaigners, local authorities and government and inforced phs’ position as the industry leader and expert in this field. As a result, phs was invited to help lead one of just three work streams on the official Period Poverty Taskforce by UK Government in partnership with Bloody Good Period.

phs has already won two awards for their period equality campaigns at the CIPR Wales PRide Awards 2019. While originally scheduled for early 2020, the CIM awards ceremony was postponed by an entire year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the winners were finally announced virtually this month.

Kelly Greenaway commented: “We are unbelievably excited to win these two prestigious marketing awards. This campaign embodies our core ethos as a company of striving to do the right thing. In this case, tackling the injustice of period inequality and helping to create a society where nobody misses out simply because they can’t afford or access such a basic necessity. As a supplier of period products, this issue was a natural fit for us at phs and one we are truly passionate about. To win awards for our work is simply the icing on the cake.”

Laura Windeatt, PR director and founder of Magic Wand PR, added: “I am incredibly proud of everything the period equality campaign has achieved and the recognition it has subsequently earned across the PR and marketing industry. This campaign demonstrates the power of PR not only in making waves to capture the attention of key audiences but also in making a tangible difference and creating a lasting legacy.”