Clever Clicks Wins Marketing, Advertising & PR Startup of the Year
This week, the Clever Clicks team had the honour of attending the UK StartUp Awards for the Midlands, hosted in Birmingham. The UK StartUp Awards celebrate the most exciting and innovative new businesses across the UK, highlighting standout startups that are disrupting their industries and pushing boundaries.
The UK StartUp Awards are one of the most respected celebrations of emerging business talent in the country. Designed to shine a spotlight on the most promising new ventures, the awards recognise and reward innovation, resilience, and impact across a wide range of industries. Each year, regional events take place in 10 major UK cities, bringing together the boldest and brightest new businesses in their early years of growth.
What makes these awards truly stand out is their integrity. They aren’t about popularity contests, flashy entries, or pay-to-play submissions. They’re free to enter and judged solely on merit by a panel of experienced entrepreneurs, business leaders and industry experts. That makes the recognition all the more meaningful because it’s earned, not bought.
The UK StartUp Awards provide a platform for ambitious founders to gain visibility, build credibility, and connect with a wider entrepreneurial community. It’s a celebration of those who are making noise, challenging the norm, and shaping the future of their sectors.
This year’s Midlands event was hosted by Calvin Eden, a dynamic entrepreneur and presenter with experience working with Channel 4 and ITV. His energy and passion for storytelling helped bring the room to life and set the tone for the evening.
Alongside him was Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, the founder of the UK StartUp Awards and one of the UK’s most prominent champions of entrepreneurship. With decades of experience supporting high-growth businesses, he’s also the driving force behind initiatives like IDEAS, the UK Fast Growth Index, the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Ideas Fest. His dedication to spotlighting the journeys and achievements of startup founders is nothing short of inspiring—and it was a privilege to share the stage with someone so deeply invested in the future of British enterprise.
This year saw more than 5,000 startups apply to the UK StartUp Awards – a record-breaking number that reflects just how competitive and vibrant the startup landscape has become across the UK. To be shortlisted from such a high volume of entries was a huge honour in itself.
Each winner from the regional events earns a place at the national finals, held in September at Ideas Fest, an exciting event designed to bring together the UK’s top startup talent, investors, and thought leaders. It’s a moment not just for recognition, but for possibility. For Clever Clicks, it means we’ll be stepping onto a national stage, representing the Midlands with pride, and sharing our story among some of the most exciting businesses in the country.
This year, we were thrilled to be recognised not once, but twice, by the UK StartUp Awards. Clever Clicks Digital was nominated in two categories: Marketing, Advertising & PR Startup of the Year, and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, a personal honour for our founder and Managing Director, Jade Hallam.
Being nominated alongside such an inspiring group of businesses and individuals was already something we were incredibly proud of. These weren’t just names on a shortlist—these were passionate, purpose-driven companies doing brilliant things in their industries. To be considered among them felt like a moment of reflection for us. A reminder of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown over the past three years.
When the winner was announced for the Marketing, Advertising & PR category, and “Clever Clicks Digital” was read out, it was surreal. A moment of disbelief, quickly followed by pure joy. It was more than a win, it was a recognition of every late night, every client breakthrough, every risk, and every small win that’s built the foundation of our agency.
Hearing our name called as the winner was an unforgettable moment. The energy in the room was absolutely incredible. This award is a reflection of the hard work, creativity and dedication our team brings every single day, for every single client. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together. Being shortlisted for Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the second year running is a huge honour and it’s only motivated me to keep raising the bar for our clients and our industry.
Winning the Marketing, Advertising & PR Startup of the Year isn’t just a proud moment for our team; it’s a win for every client that’s partnered with us on this journey. At its core, this recognition validates the way we approach marketing: strategically, creatively, and always with the client’s goals front and centre.
For our clients, this award is further proof that you’re working with a team that delivers. A team that doesn’t cut corners. That treats your brand like it’s our own, and is committed to helping you grow, evolve and stand out in competitive markets. It shows that the campaigns we create don’t just look good, but they drive real results and get noticed by industry experts.
Our clients place an incredible amount of trust in us, and this win reinforces why that trust is well placed. It’s recognition that we’re not just keeping up with the industry, we’re helping to shape it.
We want to take a moment to thank the people who’ve made this all possible. First and foremost, our incredible clients, past and present, who have trusted us with their brands, their challenges, and their ambitions. Your belief in us is what fuels everything we do, and this win is every bit as much yours as it is ours.
To our collaborators, supporters, mentors, and friends of the agency – thank you for every recommendation, every introduction, and every moment you’ve championed Clever Clicks from the sidelines. We’ve never taken that support for granted, and we hope you see this award as a shared milestone in our journey.
And to the Clever Clicks team – this is your win. The energy, passion, and dedication you bring to work each day are what makes this agency special. This award is a direct reflection of the heart and hustle you put into everything we do.
This award marks a milestone in our journey, but it’s also just the beginning. We’re more driven than ever to build on this momentum and take Clever Clicks to the next level. The vision has always been big, but now the path feels even clearer.
We’ll continue to raise the bar with every campaign we deliver, investing in the latest tools, strategies and talent to help our clients stay ahead. We’ve got exciting plans in the pipeline, from growing our team and expanding our services, to launching new training and consultancy offers designed to empower in-house teams and marketing managers to thrive.
And, of course, we now head to the national finals at Ideas Fest this September, where we’ll represent the Midlands on an even bigger stage. It’s an exciting next step, not just for us, but for everyone who’s believed in what we’re building. The recognition is wonderful, but the real win is seeing our clients grow and succeed with us by their side.
We’re just getting started. Watch this space.
We’re proud to announce that Clever Clicks Digital is officially an award winning digital marketing agency.
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