Wed 29th Nov 2023 - Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards 2024 finalists revealed Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards 2024 finalists revealed: Finalists have been announced for the sixth Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards, staged by Propel and Think Hospitality to recognise success in marketing and innovation in the foodservice sector. A panel consisting of 20 industry leaders and previous winners judged the entries at Scottish brewer and retailer BrewDog’s Waterloo venue. The finalists are Best Communications: Frankie & Benny’s and the Fitting Room (for Bring It Back), Wahaca (for Wahaca: Bringing Day of the Dead to Life), Hospitality Rising (for Hospitality Rising Rise Fast Work Young), Wadworth Brewery and Wisetiger (for The Hub – tenant and staff communications); Best Community or Charity Initiative: 200 Degrees (for Swap Shop), Admiral Taverns’ Proper Pubs (for Proper Pubs community defibrillator initiatives), Boparan Restaurant Group (for The Bright Star Ball 2022), Pedalling for Pubs, Fleet Street, KAM, Licensed Trade Charity and Only A Pavement Away (for Pedalling for Pubs), Fuller’s (for Fuller’s: partnership with Special Olympics GB), GSG Hospitality (for Empowering Dreams: Bold Street Coffee’s impactful collaboration with the Fire It Up Fund), Tyburn Kitchen and Hilton London Metropole (for Tyburn Kitchen), Hospitality Rising (for Hospitality Rising Rise Fast Work Young), Lexington Catering (for Shelter X Green Force – World Homeless Day campaign), Otolo (for launch of the Otolo people recognition awards), Welcome Break (for Welcome Break Charitable Fund); Best Digital Engagement: Buns From Home and Rebecca Does Marketing (for Buns From Home: Generating Viral Fame With No Marketing Budget), Mr Fogg’s – Inception Group (for Mr Fogg’s), Marugame Udon and Ignite Hospitality (for Virtual Cherry Blossom “Hamani” Party), Popeyes UK (for Winner Winner, Chicken Spinner: Driving Loyalty One Spin at a Time), The Alchemist (for The Alchemist social media engagement strategy), Trison UK (for SSP – Dublin airport – The Mezz); Best New Product Development: Boparan Restaurant Group (for Slim Chicken’s New Chicken Wings), Hall & Woodhouse (for Spooky Signature Serves featuring Kraken), Honest Burgers (for Smashed by Honest), Popeyes Louisiana Chicken UK (for Popeyes Louisiana BBQ Sandwich), Soho Coffee Co. (for SOnuts); Best New Website: Bill’s and The Loyalty Company (for Bill’s Restaurants’ website), Neighbourhood Restaurants, East Coast Concepts and Flaunt Digital (for Neighbourhood Restaurants’ new website), Marcus Wareing Restaurants and United Forms (for Marcus Wareing’s websites), Young’s The Devonshire Pub and Propeller (for Young’s: The Devonshire Pub), Hall & Woodhouse, The Duchess of Cornwall Inn and Propeller (for The Duchess of Cornwall Inn), Bounce Ping Ping and State of Play Hospitality (for Bounce Ping Pong – new website), Bounce Ping Pong, State of Play Hospitality and Black Rabbit with Egg Agency (for Bounce new website launch), Lucy Wong and The Breakfast Group (for Lucy Wong); Best New/Improved Visual Identity: Bill’s, Ideas and That, Spin Brands Agency and TLC – The Loyalty Co Agency (for Bill’s Restaurants), Lina Stores/Bar Lina, EIB and United Forms (for Bar Lina), Faber and Natural Selection Design (for Faber – a sustainable fish restaurant), Il Gattopardo and Poppins (for Il Gattopardo); Best Use of Research, Insight or Data: 200 Degrees, Eat the Elephant and 3800 (for packaging redesign), Giggling Squid, Feed it Back, Airship and Toggle (for Giggling Squid), Stonehouse, Leopard Co and DVA (for Stonehouse: using research, insight and data for sustainable growth), Rosa’s Thai, 2forks and We Are Spectacular (for menu 360 optimisation); Best Use of Technology: 200 Degrees and Airship and Toggle (for Toggle implementation), Giggling Squid, Feed it Back, Airship and Toggle (for Giggling Squid), Inamo Restaurants (for new touch sensitive interactive tables for ordering and entertainment at Inamo Soho), Arcade and Invyted (for Invyted – an influencer platform for Arcade), Turtle Bay and Polaris Elements (for mPay: Polaris Elements and Turtle Bay), Soft Launch London (for Soft Launch London), Craft Union Pubs and Spaceman Marketing Solutions (for Craft Union x Pub Quiz.com); Campaign of the Year: Boparan Restaurant Group (for Slim Chicken’s 99p Flake Shake), Licensed Trade Charity, Fleet Street and Natural Selection Design (for LTC: Because Everyone Needs a Little TLC), Hall & Woodhouse and Eleven Miles (for The Royal Pub Dog Compuptition), Bow Bar and Hilton London Metropole (for Bow Bar Ambassadors), Mr Fogg’s – Inception Group (for Mr Fogg’s Sip of the Alps), Mr Fogg’s – Inception Group (for Mr Fogg’s Sunset Chasing Adventures), Hawksmoor, Kitchen Communications and FC Comms (for Hawksmoor #StrikeSteak), Marugame Udon and W Communications (for Noodle Amnesty), Pizza Pilgrims (for Pilgrimage II), Rick Stein Restaurants (for Summer of Shellfish), The Alchemist and White Kitchen (for The Alchemist Berlin), Frankie & Benny’s and The Fitting Room (for Bring It Back), Wahaca (for Wahaca: Bringing Day of the Dead to Life); Launch Campaign of the Year: Fuller’s (for Fuller’s new kids’ menu – For Kids, By Kids), Inception Group – Mr Fogg’s (for Control Room B), Marugame Udon and W Communications (for Marugame Waterloo x Tamagotchi), Popeyes Louisiana Chicken UK, Scoop and Muckle Media (for Popeyes UK drive-thru launch), The Alchemist and White Kitchen (for The Alchemist Berlin); Innovation of the Year: Faber Hammersmith and Natural Selection Design (for Faber Restaurants Hammersmith brand launch), Mitchells & Butlers and Leopard Co (for digitally transforming guest experiences with seamless integration of “My Account”), Lexington Catering (for Lexington Casual Dining competition), Popeyes Louisiana Chicken UK (for Popeyes UK breakfast launch), Riviera and Spider (for Riviera’s evening shows), The Alchemist Glasgow, Edrington and Rogue Projects (for The Dispensary); Innovator of the Year: Barney Goff (founder, Buns from Home), Jyotin Sethi, Karam Sethi and Sunaina Sethi (founders, JKS Restaurants), Laura Mimoun and Denis Dahan (founders, Kaleido), Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux (founders, Big Mamma Group), William Gordon-Harris (executive chairman and chief executive, Knoops); Marketer of the Year: Anthony Knight (sales and marketing director, Incipio Group), Emma King (marketing director, Hawksmoor); Hilary Ansell (marketing director, Marugame Udon Europe), Juliette Keyte (marketing director, Red Engine Team), Megan Burton-Brown (marketing director, Tortilla), Sorrel Ward (marketing director, Franco Manca). The Restaurant Marketer & Innovator Awards take place on Wednesday, 24 January at Boxpark Wembley. Tickets are £160 plus VAT per head and can be purchased by contacting Jo Charity at Propel on jo.charity@propelinfo.com. Finalist social tiles can be accessed here.