ILKLEY-based PR and social media consultancy Approach is celebrating after being shortlisted for two industry accolades in the PRmoment awards for The North.

The seven-strong agency, which this year marks 18 years and holds more than 28 business and industry awards, is in the running for Not-for-Profit Campaign of the Year and B2B Campaign of the year.

The 2019 shortlist focuses on the Bradford Manufacturing Week campaign on behalf of West and North Yorkshire Chamber, who wanted to educate young people about manufacturing careers and improve communication between businesses and schools to help close the manufacturing skills gap and secure a pipeline of talent for the sector.

Approach’s PR campaign saw the initiative featured in more than 153 articles across regional, trade and national press. As part of the project, Approach implemented strategic PR tactics to target business leaders, sector ambassadors and ‘student influencers’, taking a regional campaign onto a national platform. The integrated campaign included high profile and targeted media relations, social media and event support.

Suzanne Watson, managing director at Approach, said: “Bradford Manufacturing Week was an incredibly rewarding campaign to work on – it truly demonstrated the power of strategic and creative communications resulting not only in national and regional broadcast, print and online media coverage plus social content that promoted exceptional engagement, but which helped to secure 3,000 work experience days to 1,000 pupils across 23 schools from 43 manufacturers. We’re delighted with the shortlisting in our PR capacity but also recognise that the West and North Yorkshire Chamber team and a passionate steering group helped to make sure the initiative actually happened.”

Nick Garthwaite added: “We’re delighted that the efforts of the Approach team have been recognised with a northern PR industry award.”

The annual PRmoment awards, which celebrates the most outstanding talent in the UK PR and Communications sector, will be held at the Hilton in Deansgate, Manchester on March 13 and will be attended by over 100 agencies from the north.