BEST NEW CREATIVE BUSINESS
FINALIST
LEVALZ Creator Network
Headline news – Tees Business sales manager Chris Garbutt presented SASS Media directors Sarah Dale ( centre ) and Sarah Walker with their Best New Creative Business trophy .
WINNER
SASS Media
They ’ re best friends who met while reporting the news – and now they ’ re celebrating making news of their own .
SASS Media – a PR and copywriting firm set up by former Gazette journalists Sarah Walker and Sarah Dale – celebrated a double win at the Best New Tees Business Awards 2024 .
For not only did Sarah Walker win the Standout Achievement award for her inspiring personal journey to business success , the two Sarahs were delighted to share the Best New Creative Business prize .
And for the “ poacher-turned-gamekeeper ” duo , whose journalistic experience means they know exactly how to tell and pitch clients ’ stories , there was only one way to celebrate .
Sarah Dale laughed : “ We always said that if we ever won an award , we ’ d get a bottle of champagne , so that ’ s what we ’ ll do !
“ It ’ s been a brilliant journey . And the fact it ’ s a Best New Creative Business award is brilliant because we thrive on creativity – that ’ s who we are . We ’ re not maths or science people – we ’ re creatives , we ’ re writers and we ’ re thrilled to win this .”
The company , launched in September 2022 , is based at Regus Fast Track House in Thornaby , with clients ranging from car sales to an education trust .
And Sarah Walker agreed that creativity is at the heart of everything SASS Media does – even in a world where AI is making inroads .
She said : “ AI has a place , of course , and you ignore it at your peril , but I don ’ t think it will ever replace good writers and journalists .
“ We ’ re over the moon to have won this award . We ’ ve been finalists quite a few times for a few different awards and we ’ re always honoured to be shortlisted alongside some fantastic businesses , but to get the win is a really nice feeling .”
Sarah Dale added : “ We have different clients across the board and it ’ s about being able to use that personal touch and creative flare – whether it ’ s for a car sales operation , a charity or a theatre company – to capture what they ’ re all about .”
It ’ s one of the world ’ s most popular social media platforms – and the growth of TikTok is behind LEVALZ Creator Network , which helps people be part of the TikTok community and , while doing so , earn themselves a wage .
From initially just being an online business , owner Ben has grown LEVALZ to the extent that it now has its own professional studio and looks after more than 600 content creators , training them to make the most of TikTok , allowing them to showcase their talents and , hopefully , seeing them increase their income while doing so .
And as it grows , LEVALZ hopes to be known just as much offline as it is online .
FINALIST
The Odd Barron
Formed to revolutionise marketing through innovative and engaging campaigns that drive sales , The Odd Barron has achieved significant commercial success by securing contracts with clients ranging from large multinational companies to local startups .
One of its proudest partnerships is with Butterwick Hospice , where its innovative strategies have made a meaningful impact , while standout achievements have included a groundbreaking reverse graffiti campaign across 200 locations , showcasing a commitment to eco-friendly marketing .
It now aims to create an all-encompassing marketing warehouse with state-of-the-art studios so firms can efficiently produce highquality content .
164 | Tees Business