Member Article

Guiseley company scoops two national marketing awards

GUISELEY based White Cross Vets has scooped the veterinary industry’s top marketing award in recognition of its campaigning to persuade antifreeze manufacturers to add bittering agents to the toxic liquid to make it taste less appealing to pets.

The family run veterinary group, which operates 13 UK practices including Guiseley and Roundhay, launched the campaign last year and generated thousands of signatures via an online petition. Since then, several MPs have discussed the issue in Parliament and Lord Trees, a veterinary peer, has agreed to raise it in the House of Lords.

The prestigious Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) Awards are designed to recognise the veterinary industry’s skill and professionalism in marketing its products and services. White Cross Vets and its PR agency Candid PR, won the ‘Presidents Award’, which is a special prize for the best entry selected from more than 300 submissions across the awards’ 14 categories.

In addition White Cross Vets also won the ‘Digital Media Award’ for its new website at www.whitecrossvets.co.uk, which was designed and built by Jonny Ross Consultancy.

Justin Phillips, Marketing Manager at White Cross Vets, says: “Winning these awards and seeing off competition from so many national and international corporate organisations is a major coup. The antifreeze campaign has been hugely successful but we’re still working hard to encourage manufacturers to mask its natural sweet taste, so it no longer appeals to cats, dogs and other wildlife. Even tiny amounts of the liquid are highly toxic and can quickly lead to kidney failure and death. This award will help us to continue to raise awareness of its dangers.

“We’re also delighted to win the Digital Media Award. Our new website combines a modern, eye-catching design with a wide range of innovative features including social media integration, special offers for each individual practice and detailed advice and blog pages. It’s been extremely well-received by new and existing clients alike.”

Steve Wright, a director of Candid PR, says: “As a dog owner I hate to think that so many pets suffer and die unnecessarily after swallowing antifreeze. So far, the PR campaign has been a huge success with more than 40 national and regional articles secured, in print and online, that reached an audience of almost three million people. In addition, the story appeared on regional TV and radio throughout the North, North West and Midlands as well as reaching hundreds of thousands of Facebook and Twitter users, but there’s still more to do to persuade manufacturers to change their ingredients.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Steven Wright .