Maidstone firm wins our Creative Industries award

The EMC-sponsored award for Best Business from the Creative Industries in the 2011 Kent Excellence in Business Awards has been won by Maidstone-based media and marketing company We Love.

EMC Kent director Desmond High is pictured (far left) with We Love’s James Easley and Mark Anderson, and one of his co-judges, Yvette Illsey from The Creative Foundation.

This is the first year that EMC has sponsored the Kent Excellence in Business Awards, organised jointly by Kent County Council and the KM Group.

Desmond said: “We are delighted to have been involved with such a prestigious event and such an important category.

“Creativity has rarely been more essential to business than now. The innovation and vitality it brings will be key drivers in our economic recovery. Kent is fortunate in having a large, diverse and successful creative sector as exemplified by the award entrants. From fireworks to photography, and design to digital media, there was a remarkable array of talent for us to consider when we carried out the judging.

“How do you distinguish between these extremely diverse businesses, some in their relative infancy, some long established? We visited six who had made our shortlist and were hugely impressed with their collective verve and vitality.

“In the end, though, the decision was quite easy. We Love had looked good on paper, but not significantly better that the others at that point. But when we visited the business we saw a boundless enthusiasm and motivation in terms of their client service, allied to a very clear commercial focus which set them well apart from the rest.”

The winning firm, based at Springfield House, Sandling Road, Maidstone, was founded three years ago and now employs 14 full time and four freelance staff. It aims to boost the headcount to 37 within the next two years through international growth and acquisition. Current clients include blue chip names like Sony Ericsson, Yamaha Europe, L’Oreal and MTV.