UK Search Awards 2021

The UK Search Awards are where the great and the good of SEO, PPC, Paid Social and Digital PR gather to mingle, socialise, and make some noise about the successes in their industry. Already knowing we were good; Honchō asked themselves the question, “are we great?”

Looking through our campaigns, difficult choices had to be made. We’re of the opinion that every little thing we do should be award-winning, but we realise that would make life around the office a little impractical if we handed out medals every time someone made a decent cup of coffee.

So, picking out a few choice campaigns to be looked over by the illustrious judges of the Search industry led to sleepless nights, tears, and a touch of madness but eventually our work was submitted to the wider world for consideration and scrutiny.

After weeks of worrying about what our meticulously planned campaigns were being subjected to, we received news that not one, not two, but FOUR of them had received nominations for The UK Search Awards. Like proud parents, we couldn’t contain our joy.

The office was scoured for those elite few who look best in formal wear, but failing that, representatives from our Paid Media, PPC, SEO and Content teams were assembled and despatched from our cosy Hertfordshire base into the wilds of London to see if we could take on the best of the best…and win!

The November mists swirled as this fellowship embarked upon their quest for glory, bravely sacrificing watching the Semi-finals of The Great British Bake Off (no spoilers, please) to converge on the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster and stake our claim to some silverware (and a slap-up meal).

Showed into a plush ballroom, candelabras on tables and a free bottle of Jägermeister provided, it was obvious this was a classy affair with the edge of something dangerously messy on the precipice. To see so many esteemed colleagues all in one place, friends old and new, was quite the experience, only to be topped by the fact the show was being presented by Rob Beckett, that bloke with the teeth, off the telly.

Speeches were given, meals devoured, and drinks sensibly sipped at a reasonable pace but the real reason we were all there was soon to begin.

Nominated for ‘Best Use of Search Retail/eCommerce’, ‘Best Use of Search B2C (PPC)’, ‘Best Use of Search Automotive’ and ‘Best Low Budget Campaign’, we waited with bated breath as our fellow nominees were called, hooting and hollering in the most refined of fashions when our name was announced. Honchō had arrived and we were in with a shout, why not enjoy the moment with aplomb?

Still, nothing quite prepares you to hear you’re a winner as our campaign with online gardening and floristry retailers, specialising in beautiful and high-production plants, Sarah Raven took home gold in the ‘Best Use of Search Retail/eCommerce’ category

Jubilantly we took our stand on the stage, Rob Beckett clearly ecstatic for our hard-earned win, for our moment in the sun. The hard work had paid off and we had been crowned accordingly.

Once the initial thrill had dispersed a little, we sidled back to our seats to pat backs and revel in our success, but the reprieve was short-lived as we were called to accept another award, again for our work with Sarah Raven but this time for ‘Best Use of Search B2C (PPC)’.

Two prize winning turns and a night on the tiles had solidified a fantastic evening into the annals of Honcho history, but we were later informed that we had also managed to nab silver awards in the ‘Best Use of Search Automotive’ category for our work with client, Pentagon Group and for ‘Best Low Budget Campaign’ for vaporiser shop Vaped.com, meaning that we had secured a prize for each one of our nominations.

Ceremony concluded; the team shared a look knowing that this would be the last time they saw each other in one place…until the next time they were in the office. A bold few knew that this win could not be contained and so opted to attend the after party in order to celebrate what a fantastic evening had been had by all.

The more timid of us retired to our beds (well personally, I got stuck in Chingford trying to navigate trains back to Hertfordshire so I could go to bed) safe in the knowledge that we’d given our all and be rewarded for it.

A massive thank you to everyone involved in The UK Search Awards, we’ll see you again soon.