The Stationers Company Innovation Excellence Awards Barley Communications 2024 winners of the Communications including Marketing award

Foreword by Kate Howell, liveryman and co-chair of The Stationers’ Company Excellence Awards:

“The Innovation Excellence Awards celebrate the achievements of the most creative and forward-thinking participants in the UK’s communications and content industries. Now in their 11th year, the awards are judged by a panel of highly experienced professionals offering a wide variety of relevant specialisms.

The awards are a unique opportunity for businesses or individuals to celebrate innovation excellence in their fields and to raise awareness for their company or brand. Culminating at a glittering event in October at our historic hall: the awards represent the cutting edge of innovation celebrated in the most evocative of settings.

Here we hear from one of last year's winners, Barley Communications, who have recently joined as SME members.”

Barley has close ties with the City of London, having worked with the architectural wonder that is Leadenhall Market since 2020, repositioning it firmly as a must-visit gem and helping to increase visitors as we emerged from the pandemic. Most recently we saw weekend footfall double as we brought the markets back to Leadenhall in 2024 with pop up vintage and craft themed stalls.

So, when we learned of the Stationers’ Company as the City’s livery company for our industry, we had to enter the Innovation Awards. Barley is a social purpose communications agency. As of 2022 we have been an employee-owned business and in 2023 we became a certified B Corp and launched our Purpose Plus proposition, an innovative approach to communications that reinforces our commitment to support organisations tackling pressing social and environmental issues.

We were thrilled to win the 2024 Stationers’ Innovation award for Communications including Marketing for Purpose Plus. It sets out a manifesto for how we work, backed by clear commitments and action to achieve these - bringing together our commitments to purposeful work which revolve around three core themes of people; work and our clients; and the environment and wider world.

Barley helps charities, commercial businesses and public sector organisations to engage and communicate with audiences. We deliver high impact communications on issues that matter: the environment, heritage and culture, health, social care, science, food, sustainable infrastructure, social justice, consumer protection and more.

Purpose Plus means that we don’t greenwash or purpose-wash and we never will. What is vital is that we walk our talk when it comes to our values and so winning the Stationers’ award means a lot to our team.

We were so impressed by the awards ceremony, the insightful address by Vint Cerf and the detail that was shared about each entry – along with a slightly nerve-wracking on stage interview – that we decided to join Stationers’ as an SME member. It’s a valuable opportunity to network and we’ve already attended several events, including the fascinating London press club panel debate around AI and the future of journalism and democracy. We were also honoured to receive the Stationers’ 2025 warrant for our social purpose communications. More information on Barley and Purpose Plus is available here: www.barleycommunications.co.uk

THE STATIONERS’ COMPANY INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS BARLEY COMMUNICATIONS: 2024 WINNERS OF THE COMMUNICATIONS INCLUDING MARKETING AWARD