P&G scoops Brand of the Year award

The award was accepted by Roisin Donnelly, P&G's corporate marketing director and head of marketing, at last night's Marketing Society annual dinner, held at the Roundhouse in London.

Attendees chose P&G, a worldwide sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics, from a list of five shortlisted brands unveiled on the night that included EDF, BT, Sainsbury’s and EasyJet.

Donnelly told Marketing that winning the award in 2012 had extra resonance for the brand owner as it comes in the year of the London Olympics and P&G's 175th anniversary.

"It’s been an incredible year for marketing in the UK so we’re really proud," she said, adding "it was very tough competition – the 20 brands were all great".

The company’s marketing of its corporate brand was "only a year old, with very low awareness in the UK before this".

P&G used its Olympic sponsorship to bring that brand to the fore through a global campaign, 'Proud Sponsors of Mums', that focused on the mothers of Olympians.

At the same event WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell was given the Outstanding Leadership Award for his contribution to marketing and business.

P&G, owner of FMCG brands including Old Spice, Pantene, Ariel and Pampers, was one of several London 2012 Olympics sponsors in the original shortlist of 20 brands in contention. That list included John Lewis, winner of the coveted award in 2011 and 2010.

By the start of last night’s dinner, hosted by comedian Fred MacAuley, the shortlist had been narrowed down to five after more than 12,000 votes had been cast.

Olympic sponsors dominated this year’s contenders, including British Airways, Adidas, as well as non-sponsor Nike.

The dinner followed the Marketing Society’s annual conference, whose speaker line up featured Dame Ellen MacArthur, Disney International chairman Andy Bird and TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk