Country Walking took home the coveted ‘Best Use of Social Media’ trophy for their fantastic #walk1000miles campaign at the PPA Awards at Grosvenor House on June 27.

Polly Vernon was Highly Commended in the Columnist of the Year (Consumer Media) category for her weekly column in Grazia.

The PPA Awards celebrate the very best in the UK magazine media world and are a huge accolade to take home – the “big one” in publishing.

Approaching their 30^th year of publication, Country Walking were tasked with creating a campaign that would increase sales and inspire their audiences. It found by mounting a challenge to all-comers: walk 1000 miles in a year and feel the incredible benefits to your health and happiness walking can bring: #walk1000miles.

It ended 2017 not just the biggest but also the market’s fastest-growing magazine, 58% ahead of its nearest rival, with a 50,000-member campaign growing exponentially, deluged with testimonies of lives changed, and a participation base 99.9% of which said they would recommend this ‘life-changing’ challenge to a friend.

PPA commended the inspiring campaign as “a force for good.”

The impact across social media was phenomenal with shareable #walk1000miles infographics, a Facebook group of 28,000 members, 4 million+ interactions, £23,000 of new revenue from #walk1000miles merchandise and national press coverage.

More than that, the campaign fostered a close-knit, supportive online community of walkers taking part in #walk1000miles.

Guy Procter, Editor of Country Walking, said, “We’re thrilled to bits a campaign that’s done so much good for the magazine and its readership has at last earned an award!”

Congratulations to all of our Bauer Media people nominated on the night and, of course, to Country Walking & Polly Vernon.

Campaign homepage: www.walk1000miles.co.uk

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/walk1000miles