My-MK, the Business Improvement District for Milton Keynes City Centre, has won the prestigious Best Marketing & Branding Scheme category at the 2025 Town & City Industry Awards.
The awards, organised by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), were presented at the organisation’s annual Summer School, held this year in Bradford.
The award recognises My-MK’s ambitious transformation of its marketing and communications strategy, including a bold dual-brand approach, the launch of a dedicated consumer website for Milton Keynes City Centre, and a repositioning of the organisation’s identity.
Jill Farnsworth, Chief Executive of My-MK, said: “This award recognises not just a rebrand, but a complete rethink of how we position the City Centre and ourselves. Our new consumer website, vibrant brand identity, and joined-up digital strategy have already made a real difference. We’re proud to lead the way with a place-based marketing model that’s tailored to Milton Keynes and its unique character.”
The winning scheme included the launch of www.mymk.cc, a user-focused, state-of-the-art website designed to promote the city centre as a unified, compelling destination. Alongside this, My-MK launched a refreshed corporate website, new visual identities for B2B and B2C communications, a quarterly magazine, updated BID uniforms and collateral, and a more strategic use of social media.
The project impressed the judges for its clarity, innovation, and impact. Ojay McDonald, Chief Executive of ATCM, commented: “This was an exceptional example of place marketing done right. My-MK identified a real gap in how Milton Keynes City Centre was being presented and responded with a solution that was not only strategic and tech-forward, but genuinely innovative. Their work sets a new benchmark for how BIDs can lead in positioning town and city centres for future growth.”
The judges praised the scheme’s use of scalable, headless technology, integrated wayfinding tools, and commitment to building a stronger connection between businesses, workers, residents, and visitors. My-MK’s model is already being explored by other BIDs following Marketing Director, Charlotte Pearson’s presentation to The BID Foundation Place Marketing Steering Group earlier this year.
