Two Big Wins for Impact at the CIPR NI Awards
Northern Ireland’s PR and comms community is still buzzing after an exciting night at the inaugural CIPR Northern Ireland Awards held recently at the Europa Hotel. The leading celebration of excellence in public relations and comms across Northern Ireland, these awards gathered the best and brightest of our sector to celebrate creativity, strategy, and innovation in PR, communications and marketing campaigns and teams.
Team Impact enjoyed a standout evening, securing not just one, but two prestigious Gold Awards in the categories of Best Use of Content for our work with Granlab, and Small Consultancy of the Year, recognising our agency’s continued growth.
Rethinking chronic skin conditions with Granlab
to transform an early-stage lab innovation into a credible, investable brand ahead of its 2026 product launch.
Our award-winning work with Belfast-based forward-looking dermatology startup Granlab was rooted in telling a powerful, human, story that blends compassion with science and helping to transform an early-stage lab innovation into a credible, investable brand ahead of its 2026 product launch. Starting from a minimal digital presence, we delivered a content-first, organic strategy designed to build awareness, trust and long-term audiences without creating premature product demand and reinforcing the brand’s dedication to transforming the way people experience skin health through steroid-free, molecular-science backed treatments.
Over four months, Impact – working alongside our brand development partner Break – developed a scalable brand identity, a one-page investor-focused website, and a bank of evergreen photography, video and physical brand assets that made the startup feel established and real. A dual-channel approach was central to our strategy: Granlab’s channels acted as a professional shop window for investors and stakeholders, while founder Dr Pragya Sharma’s personal TikTok showcased her authentic journey as a scientist and entrepreneur, driving trust and interest.
Impact planned and executed a multi-platform social strategy across TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, informed by social listening, competitor analysis and audience insights. Content highlighted Granlab’s ethical, science-led positioning and USPs, alongside Pragya’s personal story. PR activity included business media outreach and interviews to reach potential investors and reinforce credibility.
Delivered on a lean budget and without paid media, the campaign generated strong organic growth and extensive media coverage, delivering tangible impact. Granlab gained investor confidence, funding momentum, engaged audiences, and community sign-ups – proving that strategic content and creative storytelling can successfully take a lab spin-out from concept to investable brand.
The judges’ response
As the judges noted in their feedback, this was a great entry, “with excellent use of insight, social listening, competitor analysis and audience profiling”. The entry “delivered hugely impressive qualitative and quantitative results” by producing thoughtful brand storytelling, accessible educational content and strong media assets. We helped Granlab articulate why their work is so valuable, especially to those who are suffering from chronic skin conditions. Being recognised at the CIPR Awards felt like a fitting acknowledgment of the care, strategy, and creativity our team continues to devote to Granlab.
A team effort recognised
Buzzing from our award win for Granlab, being recognised as a team was the cherry on top of a wonderful night as Impact were announced as ‘Small Consultancy of the Year’. This award was a testament to what a compact, dedicated team can achieve when we combine excellent insight, nimble execution and a commitment to delivering the very best for clients, with strong ethics at our core.
The judges noted that, “Impact Communications presented a highly compelling entry with strong business performance, strategic clarity, and an outstanding commitment to professionalism. Their consistent client retention, high-profile wins, and ability to deliver tangible results across multiple sectors highlight their excellence as a small consultancy”.
Following a 2025 marked with team and client growth, continued investment in skills, processes and innovation and our unbroken focus on delivering work that creates an impact, we are inspired and ready for what’s next in 2026.
Interested in teaming with Impact to make a difference for your brand’s communications and marketing strategies? Get in touch for a chat!