In a remarkable achievement at the 2024 Global Search Awards held in Kraków, Poland, RugbyPass has secured two prestigious awards – ‘Best Use of Content Marketing’ and ‘Best Use of PR’. The accolades were granted in recognition of their outstanding campaign work during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
RugbyPass, in collaboration with its digital agency partner, Another Concept, received these honours due to the innovative strategies employed during the Rugby World Cup. The ‘Best Use of Content Marketing’ award was primarily attributed to RugbyPass’s custom-built, interactive content tools available on their site. These tools enabled users to select and share their predictions and greatest line-ups for the tournament. The implementation of these ‘picker tools’ and the accompanying search-led content resulted in significant engagement from both existing and new audiences, increased keyword rankings, and substantial traffic growth.
Moreover, the ‘Best Use of PR’ award recognised RugbyPass’s promotion of these tools to an international audience. The campaign effectively utilised insights and stories from rugby legends, creating compelling narratives that stood out in a highly competitive news cycle during the tournament.
First launched in 2011, the Global Search Awards are a hallmark of excellence in the digital and online sectors, inviting entries from global companies aiming to showcase their exceptional search strategies and results. This year’s event saw intense competition, particularly in the categories where RugbyPass excelled. The judging panel, comprising numerous digital experts from around the globe, lauded RugbyPass for their creative content and strategic approach.
The judges highlighted the originality and creativity in RugbyPass’s submissions: “[RugbyPass] excelled in creating original content by leveraging the expertise within their team and emphasising EEAT. Their strategy showcased a clear sense of individuality and they have achieved incredible results.” The panel further commended the strategic use of digital PR, SEO, and interactive content tools, noting how they effectively captured audience interest and drove sign-ups. Their approach not only delivered compelling PR opportunities but also achieved dual purposes with impressive efficiency.
Reflecting on the achievement, RugbyPass’s Head of Product, Tom Rendell, stated, “We’re absolutely delighted to have won these two awards. It’s incredibly satisfying to see all the hard work the team put into these campaigns to be recognised like this on the global stage and lauded by the judging panel. This level of content quality is something we strive for here at RugbyPass across all our channels and I believe this is just the start of many more awards to come.”
RugbyPass’s Head of SEO, Kim Ekin, who oversaw the campaign, added, “From the pre-planning stage of our Rugby World Cup campaign, the teams at RugbyPass and Another Concept considered user experience from end to end, researching search intent, historic keyword rankings, and user need. We then used this data to uncover what would deliver unique, interesting and performant content – it’s testament to this process which led to both excellent results for our site, and two international awards.”
Ekin further noted, “We knew how competitive the landscape was during one of the world’s biggest sporting tournaments, so achieving these results – particularly with the PR coverage – demonstrates the incredible drive, expertise and dedication of all involved.”
The twin victories at the 2024 Global Search Awards not only highlight RugbyPass’s commitment to excellence but also set a benchmark for future campaigns. The accolades affirm the effectiveness of their innovative strategies and the dedicated efforts of their team.