When profit growth doesn’t have to stem from new business
Rather than chasing that new piece of business, what if improved margins on existing business could deliver the same profit? DBA Annual Survey Report sponsor, VisionFR takes a look.
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Spanning work for global companies and government departments, to start-up challenger brands and charities, the winners prove the value of design in creating positive change.
Says DBA Chief Executive, Deborah Dawton: “The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards bring to life design’s ability to deliver competitive advantage for businesses, setting them apart in increasingly complex and crowded markets. And often, when designers are allowed to bring to the table their expertise and knowledge of the changes they see coming in society, such as the drive for a more sustainable world, their solutions for businesses stand to deliver an even better outcome, a better tomorrow for us all.”
24 client and agency partnerships were recognised with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and the coveted Grand Prix Award went to a rebrand of Australian cordials business Billson’s, by Cowan, which resulted in growth from a base of $160,000 to a $7.6million business within 2.5 years.
Reinstated to its heyday, Billson’s staff numbers grew from two to 28, and the business is an integral part of the community once again, positively impacting on the local economy and employment. Find out more about Gold and Grand Prix winner, Billson’s rebrand.
Among the winners were:
Barnardo’s with Leap (Bronze): Helping young care leavers develop skills and confidence to live independently, LifeLabs’ online portal had 1,200 unique users in six months and was such a success, IKEA extended its support enabling national roll-out of the pilot project. Find out more about LifeLabs.
GlaxoSmithKline with DCA Design International (Bronze): Flipping open with a finger, palm or table edge, Voltaren’s new, easy-open cap is a revelation for those with hand pain and dexterity issues. 93% of test consumers agreed the bespoke cap is more intuitive and easier to open first time and sales grew 5.76% in Germany, 35% ahead of the market. Find out more about Voltaren’s easy-open cap.
Little Bellies with B&B studio (Gold): Value sales soared 262% within 3-years of the baby food business’ rebrand, which enabled it to extend its range from eight to 26 products and expand into North America, where it can be found in 6,000 stores. Find out more about Little Bellies’ rebrand.
Ministry of Justice with Design102 (Silver): Consisting of 20 short videos, social media assets and podcast adverts, the #ItStillMatters Campaign resonated with victims of sexual violence and abuse, encouraging them to seek help. It drove 50% of traffic to the campaign website, with 21% of site users clicking through to specialist support services. Find out more about the #ItStillMatters campaign.
Oxford Brewery with WPA Pinfold (Gold): Increasing sales 300% against pre-COVID levels, a transformational repositioning and striking new brand image helped save the brewery following the worst period for hospitality in living memory. The micro-brewer was able to move to the high-end of the market, raise prices, grow margins and secure its future survival. Find out more about Oxford Brewery’s rebrand.
Browse all of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners and take a look at their winning case studies here.
Established in 1989, the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards recognise and celebrate the compelling influence of design on the success of a project or business. Crucially, the awards are evidence-based, with the impact of the design measured and verified.
The Awards are entered jointly by client and designer and winning projects have been rigorously judged by business leaders from organisations such as Aviva, Coca-Cola Company, Costa Coffee, Electrolux, Financial Times, Google, Huawei, Lloyds Banking Group, PwC, Reckitt, Sodexo, and Virgin Atlantic in three rounds of judging.
The Grand Prix award was selected by a special judging panel which included James Bruce, CEO, Buro Happold, Laura Citron, CEO, London & Partners, Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO, V&A, Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole.
Says Chair of the Judges, Clive Grinyer: “It has been inspirational to see the continuing stories of design effectiveness in this year’s submissions. Companies from the largest to the smallest have used design as a strategic tool to strengthen their relationships with customers, engage them in the values of their brand and communicated their purpose to customers. In an increasingly competitive market in such challenging times, they have invested and reaped the measurable rewards of design. The DBA Design Effectiveness Award winners, across Bronze, Silver and Gold, can be assured they have achieved the highest level of evidence that their use of design has bought them success.”
2022 DBA Design Effectiveness Award Winners
| Award | Project | Agency | Client |
| Silver | Horlicks | Brandon | Aimia Foods |
| Gold | Billson’s Rebrand | Cowan | Billson’s |
| Grand Prix | Billson’s Rebrand | Cowan | Billson’s |
| Gold | Little Bellies Rebrand | B&B studio | Little Bellies |
| Bronze | Step into the NHS Rebranding and Website Redesign | Brand Ethos | Health Education England |
| Bronze | LifeLabs | Leap | Barnardo’s |
| Silver | Leitz IQ Autofeed Office Shredder Range | Oxford Product Design | ACCO |
| Silver | Midol Brand Restage | goDutch | Bayer Healthcare |
| Silver | Fred. Olsen Website Optimisation | ELSE | Fred. Olsen |
| Bronze | Raw Halo Rebrand | B&B studio | Raw Halo |
| Bronze | KP Nuts Rebrand | This Way Up | KP Snacks |
| Silver | M&Ms 3D Confectionery Advent Calendar | Path | Mars Wrigley |
| Silver | DRTY Drinks Branding | Pearlfisher | DRTY Drinks |
| Silver | McCain Street Fries | BrandOpus | McCain |
| Bronze | UpCircle Branding | Studio More Design | UpCircle by Optiat |
| Bronze | SO Organic | BrandMe | Sainsbury’s |
| Bronze | Meridian Rebrand | Bulletproof | 3V Natural Foods |
| Bronze | Tidal Rum | Lewis Moberly | Shorts Boy Distillery |
| Silver | Cinnamon Toast Crunch | Pearlfisher | General Mills |
| Silver | Westward Whiskey | Pearlfisher | Westward Whiskey |
| Silver | Old Gold Rebrand | Bulletproof | Mondelēz International – Australia |
| Bronze | My/Mochi Redesign | Bulletproof | My/Mochi Ice Cream Co. |
| Bronze | Voltaren Flip-top Easy Open Cap | DCA Design International | GlaxoSmithKline |
| Silver | #ItStillMatters Campaign | Design102 | Ministry of Justice |
| Gold | Oxford Brewery Rebrand | WPA Pinfold | Oxford Brewery |
More information on the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards and how to enter can be found here.
The deadline for entries into the 2023 awards is 4 November 2022.
Rather than chasing that new piece of business, what if improved margins on existing business could deliver the same profit? DBA Annual Survey Report sponsor, VisionFR takes a look.
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Billson’s Rebrand by Billson’s and Cowan
Became a $7.6million business within two and a half years, impacting on local area’s economy and employment.
Staff numbers leapt from two to 28.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch by General Mills and Pearlfisher
Fastest growing kids’ cereal in the US in 2020, outperforming competitors.
Achieved largest market share in six years.
DRTY Drinks Branding by DRTY Drinks and Pearlfisher
Secured pre-launch listings with Ocado and Whole Foods before product was even ready to sample.
Drove unplanned international growth in seven other markets.
Fred. Olsen Website Optimisation by Fred. Olsen and ELSE
Session durations leapt 44% and bounce rate decreased 23%.
Online bookings rose substantially in just nine months.
Horlicks by Aimia Foods and Brandon
Changed consumer perceptions.
Attracted 46% more younger buyers than target.
#ItStillMatters Campaign by Ministry of Justice and Design102
Inspired action, informing and empowering victims of sexual violence and their family and friends.
Overcame barriers which can prevent survivors reaching out and encouraged them to take first steps in seeking support.
KP Nuts Rebrand by KP Snacks and This Way Up
Revived KP Nuts’ fortunes, re-igniting growth.
Gained 37.9% market value in two years.
Leitz IQ Autofeed Office Shredder Range by ACCO and Oxford Product Design
Enabled a premium price.
Reduced manufacturing costs by 20%.
LifeLabs by Barnardo’s and Leap
1,200 unique users of portal in first six-months.
IKEA extended its support by an extra £70,000, enabling national roll-out.
Little Bellies Rebrand by Little Bellies and B&B studio
Became a dominating force in Australian home market.
Extended internationally, securing listings in 6,000 North American stores.
McCain Street Fries by McCain and BrandOpus
Appealed to a younger audience by an additional 23%.
4.8% market penetration, exceeding 3% target.
Meridian Rebrand by Bulletproof and 3V Natural Foods
Website sales to consumers soared 84%.
Nine new jobs were created at factory in North Wales.
Midol Brand Restage by Bayer Healthcare and goDutch
Increased sales velocity 18.7%.
Opened up innovation opportunities.
M&M's 3D Confectionery Advent Calendar by Mars Wrigley and Path
Created a completely new advent experience.
Changed the way the business employs design as a strategic innovation tool.
My/Mochi Redesign by My/Mochi Ice Cream Co. and Bulletproof
Connected with Gen Z consumers.
Attracted 300,000 followers on TikTok in less than six months.
Old Gold Rebrand by Mondeléz International – Australia and Bulletproof
Average product price increased 8.5%.
Reliance on price promotions reduced.
Oxford Brewery Rebrand by Oxford Brewery and WPA Pinfold
Increased sales 300% against pre-COVID levels.
Effectively saved Oxford Brewery following the worst period for hospitality in living memory.
Raw Halo Rebrand by Raw Halo and B&B studio
Saving two tonnes of plastic and four tonnes of cardboard waste annually.
Enabled the business to meet its ethical aspirations and improve margins.
SO Organic by Sainsbury’s and BrandMe
Reversed SO Organic’s -1.5% market share decline.
Delivered +2% value share growth in a market worth over £1billion.
Step into the NHS Rebranding and Website Design by Health Education England and Brand Ethos
Captured the attention of students and teachers.
Transformed engagement with the careers website, with resource downloads up 65% year-on-year.
Tidal Rum by Shorts Boy Distillery and Lewis Moberly
Smashed year one and two sales objectives by 25%.
Exceeded £150,000 inward investment objective, securing over £230,000 on funding platform Seedrs within two years.
UpCircle Branding by UpCircle by Optiat and Studio More Design
Average spend–per purchase leapt 77%.
Saving waste from landfill and inspiring others on the circular economy.
Voltaren Flip-Top, Easy-Open Cap by GlaxoSmithKline and DCA Design International
93% of test consumers agree the new flip-top design is easier to open first time.
Improved user experience has helped safe-guard market-leading position.
Westward Whiskey by Westward Whiskey and Pearlfisher
From a sales decline of -23% to 280% growth within a year.
Beyond the US, now also sold in the Nordics, France, Germany and the UK.
DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2022 Winners Announcement
Register to attend the winners announcement for free and join us live and online at 12pm BST on Thursday 30 June 2022 to celebrate the power of design.
When profit growth doesn’t have to stem from new business
Rather than chasing that new piece of business, what if improved margins on existing business could deliver the same profit? DBA Annual Survey Report sponsor, VisionFR takes a look.
DBA Roundup
A roundup of industry expertise, exclusive resources, business support and tools for your design business.
DBA Members’ Forum | August Summary
In our August DBA Members' Forum we had an energising conversation about working internationally. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
DBA Members’ Forum | July Summary
In our July DBA Members' Forum we talked about right-sizing, how to spot it might be necessary, and what action to take. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
New DBA board directors appointed at AGM
At the DBA’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27 June, the membership voted in three new board directors.
DBA Members’ Forum | June Summary
In our June DBA Members' Forum we talked about profitability with a specific focus on recovery rates and client servicing. Here’s a...
DBA Members’ Forum | May Summary
In our May DBA Members’ Forum we discussed financial benchmarking, bringing together expert advice and drawing on some in-agency examples. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
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We’re delighted to announce the shortlist of winning entries for the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2024. Congratulations to the agency and client partnerships who will be taking home Bronze, Silver and Gold awards at our live event this autumn.
Delivering value for money – a complex challenge
In 2014, 66% of clients considered their agency to be good value for money but this has decreased to only 45% in 2024. This is an important message to agencies because value for money is a key ingredient of any successful client/agency relationship. So, why the decline?
DBA Members’ Forum | April Summary
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New Designers is the longest running and leading graduate design showcase in the country. This year is the 37th anniversary and will bring together 200 flagship university design courses who will be showcasing 3,000 of the country’s finest design students.
The show runs at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London between 29 June – 9 July 2022.
The event mission is to champion and support the UK grassroots design sector, and connect future leading lights with the design industry for creative exchange and professional collaboration.
It’s a prime opportunity to recruit the freshest talent in the UK and the prestigious ND Awards is the chance to witness the very best graduates being rewarded by industry experts.
ND Awards are being supported in week 2 of the event by companies such as Habitat, Made.com, LMC Design and John Lewis and are being introduced by Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A Museum.
Special invitation for DBA members
DBA members are invited to the ND Awards evening on Wednesday 6 July 2022 and can book a complimentary ticket to attend the New Designers event (entry from 6pm with the awards evening commencing at 7pm).
Secure your complimentary ticket here*
* You may need to login into the DBA Members’ Area to access the booking link.
When profit growth doesn’t have to stem from new business
Rather than chasing that new piece of business, what if improved margins on existing business could deliver the same profit? DBA Annual Survey Report sponsor, VisionFR takes a look.
DBA Roundup
A roundup of industry expertise, exclusive resources, business support and tools for your design business.
DBA Members’ Forum | August Summary
In our August DBA Members' Forum we had an energising conversation about working internationally. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
DBA Members’ Forum | July Summary
In our July DBA Members' Forum we talked about right-sizing, how to spot it might be necessary, and what action to take. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
New DBA board directors appointed at AGM
At the DBA’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27 June, the membership voted in three new board directors.
DBA Members’ Forum | June Summary
In our June DBA Members' Forum we talked about profitability with a specific focus on recovery rates and client servicing. Here’s a...
DBA Members’ Forum | May Summary
In our May DBA Members’ Forum we discussed financial benchmarking, bringing together expert advice and drawing on some in-agency examples. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2024 | Winners shortlist announced
We’re delighted to announce the shortlist of winning entries for the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2024. Congratulations to the agency and client partnerships who will be taking home Bronze, Silver and Gold awards at our live event this autumn.
Delivering value for money – a complex challenge
In 2014, 66% of clients considered their agency to be good value for money but this has decreased to only 45% in 2024. This is an important message to agencies because value for money is a key ingredient of any successful client/agency relationship. So, why the decline?
DBA Members’ Forum | April Summary
In our April DBA Members' Forum, we were joined by Jonathan Kirk, author of Up to the Light’s annual What Clients Think report. Here...
Main Content
- Adam Fennelow, Head of Services at the DBA reminded us of the importance of harnessing the information in the DBA’s Annual Survey Report in the current context of wage inflation; it’s never been more important to understand the ratio between your charge out rates and salaries.
- The DBA’s Annual Survey is segmented by job roles between different agency sizes and different geographic locations so will help you to benchmark salaries and charge out rates. You only get access to the full report if you complete the survey and the deadline for this year is Monday 13th – the email is in your inbox – email Adam if you can’t find your link.
- One member shared a useful tool from the ONS that helped them make their decisions about salary increases in light of inflation.
- Garen Kouyoumjian, Associate Partner at McKinsey shared his top take-away from their latest report that design needs to be embedded within an organisation to create the most value, which we also explored with Eric Quint at our last webinar
- There was a discussion around why numerically more designers in a business didn’t lead to better outcomes, with one member sharing that they can’t grow their team fast enough to keep up with the demand. The report looked at a cross-section of businesses.
- Garen also shared insight into the changing profile of designers businesses are looking, with “other” experience alongside designing being increasingly important.
- Jonathan Kirk, DBA Expert and Founder of Up to the Light, discussed the stat that ‘89% of clients believe their market is moving faster than ever’ from the latest What Clients Think report.
- His top three tips to counteract this trend are; to schedule quarterly strategy meetings with your client, extract data for analysis in real time and build a stronger approach to creative briefs.
- There was a discussion around meaningful KPI’s and one member shared What Matters as a source of inspiration.
- A question to those present was what information did they think is missing from any of these reports that they’d like to see next year? Do let me know.
- John Gleason, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of A Better View Strategic Consulting brought us The Conference Board – a non-profit that can help you be smarter in the work you do.
- You can watch two webinars from 2020 to hear John explore this in more detail.
- More useful sources of business intelligence shared by members were; Sales Navigator, HBR, FT, Interbrand, The Conversation, Deloitte for sector specific reports, Edelman.
Our Members’ Forum takes place on the first Monday of each month, at 4 – 5pm. If you would like to attend, get in touch here.
Our next members forum will be taking place on Monday 4 July.
When profit growth doesn’t have to stem from new business
Rather than chasing that new piece of business, what if improved margins on existing business could deliver the same profit? DBA Annual Survey Report sponsor, VisionFR takes a look.
DBA Roundup
A roundup of industry expertise, exclusive resources, business support and tools for your design business.
DBA Members’ Forum | August Summary
In our August DBA Members' Forum we had an energising conversation about working internationally. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
DBA Members’ Forum | July Summary
In our July DBA Members' Forum we talked about right-sizing, how to spot it might be necessary, and what action to take. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
New DBA board directors appointed at AGM
At the DBA’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27 June, the membership voted in three new board directors.
DBA Members’ Forum | June Summary
In our June DBA Members' Forum we talked about profitability with a specific focus on recovery rates and client servicing. Here’s a...
DBA Members’ Forum | May Summary
In our May DBA Members’ Forum we discussed financial benchmarking, bringing together expert advice and drawing on some in-agency examples. Here’s a summary of the conversation.
DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2024 | Winners shortlist announced
We’re delighted to announce the shortlist of winning entries for the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards 2024. Congratulations to the agency and client partnerships who will be taking home Bronze, Silver and Gold awards at our live event this autumn.
Delivering value for money – a complex challenge
In 2014, 66% of clients considered their agency to be good value for money but this has decreased to only 45% in 2024. This is an important message to agencies because value for money is a key ingredient of any successful client/agency relationship. So, why the decline?
DBA Members’ Forum | April Summary
In our April DBA Members' Forum, we were joined by Jonathan Kirk, author of Up to the Light’s annual What Clients Think report. Here...