Sight and sound

Grand Connaught Rooms play host to a night of marketing magic
and communications flair. John Pinching reports

Two became one at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London as a joyous jamboree of marketing and communications excellence, all under one very elegant roof, unfolded.

Pharma’s finest minds gathered to honour the brave, the bold and the unrelentingly brilliant at the industry’s premier awards.

The Marketer of the Year competition was a showcase of strategic sparkle, with top companies unleashing their brightest stars in a bid to claim the crown. These finalists weren’t just good – they were exceptional, not to mention a living, breathing and reassuringly loud testament to the enduring prestige of our long-running competitions.

Meanwhile, the Communications Awards brought the heat of competition to a crescendo, with fierce rivalries battling it out for comms kudos. It was all, however, delivered with a masterclass in creativity and insight, but also mutual respect.

Whether in team efforts or solo categories, the finalists showed off skills that would make even the most seasoned PR pro raise an impressed eyebrow. From cutting-edge campaigns to clever storytelling, the room buzzed with ebullience.

And let’s not forget the ever-evolving nature of these awards. Each year, they’re tweaked and tuned to reflect the shifting sands of our industry – keeping things fresh for seasoned contenders and challenging for the brave newcomers.

A massive tip of the hat to the Executive Steering Groups, judges and sponsors – the unsung heroes who make this all possible. Without them, we’d just be a bunch of pharma folk in fancy outfits (albeit gifted ones)!

Aspiring Marketer of the Year
Lyra Mullen – AbbVie

New Marketer of the Year
Ruairi Wood – Alexion

Marketer of the Year
Tazeem Hussain – Takeda

Market Access Lead of the Year
Nia James – Neuraxpharm

Omnichannel/Digital Marketer of the Year
Katie Walker – AbbVie

Cross-Functional Team of the Year
AbbVie