Book of the Night Awardsview Book of the Night Homepage
Private Sector Department of the Year
WINNER
Shell Chemicals external affairs team
An internal reorganisation of Shell Chemicals within the Shell Group, plus its growth in China, saw the UK-based external affairs (EA) team successfully execute comms plans in more than 80 countries.
The EA team was created just five years ago but judges were impressed at how well the ten-strong UK team, working with offices in Houston and Singapore, communicated complex issues across the globe, contributing significantly to the Shell Group's overall reputation.
It stepped up its lunches, briefings, site visits and conferences with senior management after a 2004 MORI study among journalists showed that the media sought more involvement of Shell Chemicals top brass. Media perception of Shell Chemicals has altered dramatically as a result. The latest MORI study of UK chemicals journalists found that between 2003 and 2005, familiarity with Shell Chemicals rose by 23 per cent, while positive comments about innovation increased by 22 per cent over the period.
The team also showed success in its internal comms. To handle the group's reorganisation sensitively, it launched a series of Chemicals Leadership webcasts allowing senior management to engage with employees worldwide. Staff were kept abreast of emerging priorities and opportunities via e-newsletters, face-to-face meetings, strategy leaflets and global webcasts. Employee research showed that one strategy leaflet by the EA team was responsible for 20 per cent of employees saying they had changed their personal goal-setting.
But it has been in skilful stakeholder engagement and the support of local communities, government officials and NGOs that really impressed. Getting media on-side was integral to Shell Chemicals' development of Nanhai, a petrochemicals plant in China. Nanhai was launched in 2006 with favourable press coverage, while good relationships with NGOs and international organisations were also achieved.
The 2005 MORI survey of international journalists showed that these initiatives made Shell Chemicals the most socially responsible company in the petrochemicals sector.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
HBOS press office
In a crowded banking and housing market, HBOS's press office took the company to the front pages and maintained consistent coverage.
HBOS linked council tax to inflation, and called for the industry to share customer data in its lobbying of parliament. These alone created a number of parliamentary debates. Housing-related surveys included its First-Time Buyers Housing Market Trends report, which stirred up major media interest. MORI's last poll of finance journalists put HBOS's press office top for the fourth year running.
FINALISTS
EDF Energy media relations
Eurostar corporate comms
Click here to view the interview with the winner
