Viva named PR Agency of the Year at Prolific North Champions Awards 2026

Viva has won two top honours at the Prolific North Champions Awards 2026, taking home PR Agency of the Year and B2B Marketing Campaign of the Year for its work with CoolKit.

Viva’s PR Agency of the Year win recognised the consultancy’s deliberate transformation in 2025 from a traditional 12-person agency to a 8-person core team supported by specialist partners.

The new operating model delivered a 20% increase in revenue per head, productive utilisation rising to 75%, and 100% retention of key clients through the transition.

Judges said:

“Viva PR really stood out as a modern, forward-thinking agency with a clear point of difference. A combination of strong commercial performance, distinctive operating model and meaningful investment in people and the wider industry made this a well-rounded and impressive entry. It feels like an agency not just delivering great work, but actively shaping the future of PR.”

The B2B Marketing Campaign of the Year award was given for “Electrifying the Cold Front”, Viva’s integrated campaign for CoolKit, the UK’s largest temperature-controlled van specialist. The campaign repositioned CoolKit from a capable converter to the recognised leader in electric refrigerated vehicle innovation, in a sector deeply sceptical about EV.

Headline results included:

• More than 90,000 views of “The Future’s Electric” podcast series, exceeding the target by 80%
• Branded search interest rising from near-zero to peak Google Trends interest, coinciding directly with podcast releases
• Earned coverage across six trade publications: TCS&D, What Van?, Business Vans, Fleet Point, Transport News and Fleet Transport Ireland
• CoolKit winning the What Van? Innovation Award 2026

Daniel Miller, Managing Director of CoolKit, said:

“Viva helped us address industry scepticism directly through strong storytelling. We were delighted to see spikes in search interest for unbranded terms related to refrigerated EVs shortly after the podcast launched.”

Beyond client work, the agency entry recognised Viva’s investment in the wider industry. PR in the Real World, the consultancy’s CIPR CPD-accredited podcast, has now passed 50 episodes and is downloaded in 89 countries. NextGen Viva, its paid, mentored early-career programme, has given four practitioners the kind of hands-on agency experience hybrid working has made harder to access.

Tony Garner Managing Director of Viva, said:

“Two wins on the same night does not happen by accident. It happens because every member of our team backed the work, the clients and each other. We built Viva to prove that an agency does not have to be bigger to be better, or in London to lead nationally. The judges have agreed, and that is a moment we will not forget.”

Viva was also shortlisted in the B2C PR Campaign of the Year category for its Secret Menu campaign for Bolton Food and Drink Festival, which delivered 903,000 views and an 845% year-on-year increase in content interactions.

The awards, judged by senior industry figures from organisations including Warburtons, Kellogg’s and Formula 1, were presented at Emirates Old Trafford on Wednesday 14 May 2026.

Storytelling with impact. Proven.