With the Institute of Public Relations achieving Chartered status, 2005 has been a huge year for the PR industry. As a result, the PRide Awards hold greater kudos now than ever before.
Yorkshire & Lincolnshire has a huge amount to offer the PR and communications industry and although Leeds tends to get most of the glory, there is superb work being produced right across the region for national and international clients.
The talent, hard work and belief of the practitioners that work here is clear for all to see – entry levels to the awards were up 40 per cent
in the region this year.
All of the finalists thoroughly deserve the recognition that the CIPR PRide Awards bring. PR and communications have never been
in better shape in Yorkshire & Lincolnshire and Chartered status for the CIPR can only help to build this reputation further.
Congratulations to all of the 2005 finalists.
Richard Griffiths
chairman
CIPR Yorkshire & Lincolnshire
GRAND PRIX
Northern Lights PR, Apprenticeships
BEST CONSUMER CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Brahm pr
Helping the Shire 'Be Lucky'
East Stirlingshire FC finished bottom of Scottish League Division Three for two seasons in a row, with four wins from 72 matches. So, when Littlewoods Pools launched its 'Be Lucky' strapline, Leeds-based Brahm PR had the perfect team for it to sponsor. After new shirts were sent to sports journalists, every national paper attended a photocall to mark the deal. Interviews on Football Focus and Sky News followed, Loaded magazine adopted the team, match attendances tripled, and they even won some games.
BEST CORPORATE / FINANCIAL CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water 'Baywatchers'
Yorkshire Water has invested £120m in water treatment facilities in the past five years with beaches at Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington climbing the cleanliness rankings. To promote this, it persuaded Scarborough Borough Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council to let it sponsor lifeguards with give-aways by a 'beach crew' in a Yorkshire Water-branded camper van. The launch, assisted by model Nell McAndrew, secured media interest from the BBC's Look North and BBC Radio York.
BEST B2B CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Yorkshire Forward
Virtual Business Pioneering the Future
The business community of Yorkshire & Humberside – which comprises 96 per cent SMEs – can now compete on more of a level playing field for major contracts, thanks to Yorkshire Forward's work promoting Virtual Enterprise Networks. The initiative enables SMEs to bid together for contracts, and for the launch at a conference in Harrogate the team secured former London 2012 head Barbara Cassani and Olympic gold medallist Sir Matthew Pinsent as keynote speakers on the value of collaboration.
This attracted procurement officers from Boeing and Rolls-Royce to provide free seminars, sponsorship from the Yorkshire Evening Press and a front-page story in Business Week. More than 1,000 SMEs attended the event with membership take-up at 90 per cent. More than £300m worth of contract opportunities were showcased.
BEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGN
GOLD
The publicity Bureau
Local Democracy Week
When Doncaster Council wanted to promote its support for Local Democracy Week – a national initiative to involve young people
in politics – it commissioned The Publicity Bureau to research its 13 to 17-year-old age group.
The agency had just three weeks to devise a strategy. Initial research revealed that young people felt stereotyped and that viral PR elements were the best way to reach them, so the Bureau devised an integrated campaign using email movies, stickers, posters and text messaging to push the Youth Council's 'Speak Your Mind' event.
Such was the success that 700 teenagers attended the event, which even secured a guest appearance by ITV Woman of the Year Jennifer Ellison. After the event Doncaster's mayor allocated £10,000 for youth projects in 2005.
FINALISTS
Blueprint PR, Anti-Piracy Spring/Summer Campaign
Ptarmigan, UEFA Women's 2005 Campaign
The Top Banana Consultancy Ltd, Yellow Pages
Yorkshire Forward, Virtual Business Pioneering the Future
Yorkshire Water, Communicating Price Rises
BEST IN-HOUSE CAMPAIGN
GOLD
British gas
Safety in The Home
Cannabis and British Gas don't automatically go hand in hand, but this was just one of the bold and quirky news hooks that British Gas's in-house team used to promote itself as the expert body for gas and electricity safety.
The cannabis story originated from British Gas raids on people suspected of stealing gas in the Yorkshire region, during which 47 cannabis farms were discovered. This story was supplemented with hard-hitting campaigns on the dangers of carbon monoxide (including a mother who lost her son to CO poisoning) and around child safety – on preventing burns.
Coverage from GMTV, The Sun, Look North and numerous radio stations has contributed to British Gas having one of its most successful PR stints at a time when energy providers are facing increasingly hostile editorial.
BEST ISSUES OR CRISIS MANAGEMENT CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Yorkshire Water, Reservoir Safety
SILVER
Yorkshire Water, Communicating Price Rises
FINALIST
Environment Agency, Turning the Tide
BEST LOW-BUDGET CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Brahm pr
Yorkshire Jim saddles up
In March, the famous Royal Ascot race meeting took place at a different venue – York – while the Ascot course was
being redeveloped. To promote the move Brahm PR developed the idea of drawing a jockey astride the 300-foot tall chalk-engraved White Horse near Thirsk, Yorkshire. Working closely with the White Horse Association, a 150ft rider was 'sat' on the horse in new colours registered with the Jockey Club.
SILVER
Green Communications
How to build a media profile in six months
New gardening mulch product Strulch had no media profile until Green Communications got on board. Initial coverage targets were exceeded in six months.
Parker communications
Creating a Phoenix
Burngreave was one of Sheffield's most deprived
areas, abandoned by business until the first-ever Burnside Business Enterprise Event.
FINALISTS
Brahm PR, Chocolate on the Net
Brahm PR, Mad Fur It!
Ptarmigan, Broadband Brownies
The Publicity Bureau, The Crown Hotel
BEST CHARITY / NON-PROFIT CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Corporate Communications Ltd, Seafood Week 2004
Parker Communications, Creating a Phoenix
SILVER
Approach PR, National Eczema Week
Ptarmigan, Lucas Radebe Testimonial
FINALISTS
Blue Print PR, 'Tackling DVD Piracy in the rune up to Xmas'
Cicada PR, Living Life with Henshaws College
HBOS, HBOS: Million £ Challenge
Navigator PR & Marketing Communications Ltd, Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Pennine Way
Pelican Public Relations, The Big Recycle
BEST COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Pelican Public Relations, The Big Recycle
SILVER
Beattie Communications, Community United
FINALISTS
Dig for Fire, Brain Power
Parker Communications, Creating a Phoenix
Ptarmigan, Broadband Brownies
Sheffield Hallam University, Love 2 B in Sheffield
BEST TRADE OR TECHICAL CAMPAIGN
GOLD
Brahm PR, Hitting the Marque
Yorkshire Water, Stand Up for Standpipes
BEST PUBLIC SECTOR PROGRAMME
GOLD
Northern Lights PR
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are still seen as the 'poor relation' to degrees in terms of career-boosting qualifications. Northern Lights PR was set the ambitious challenge of increasing the number of Year 11 students taking apprenticeships in the North Yorkshire region by 20 per cent.
It set about this by organising an edgy 40-minute roadshow that went to 33 schools, using presenters including Alex Herbert from BBC series The Apprentice. Case studies from the shows were also used to target local papers and radio, timed to coincide with GCSE results day in August.
The activity translated into an 87 per cent rise in the number of students asking about apprenticeships on the previous year.
SILVER
The Publicity Bureau
Local Democracy Week
Doncaster Council's 'Speak Your Mind' event used viral PR to attract young people to support Local Democracy Week. See above for details.
BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS / LOBBYING PROGRAMME
GOLD
HBOS plc, Fighting the Fiscal Drag
TaylorSyms Marketing & Public Relations Ltd, Six Appeal - More Trains for Hull Trains
BEST RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
GOLD
Ptarmigan, The 'npower Active' Community Programme
SILVER
TaylorSyms Marketing & Public Relations Ltd, Coupling Up for PR Partnership
PR TEAM OF THE YEAR
GOLD
Ptarmigan, Consultancy
Yorkshire Water, In-house
FINALISTS
Brahm PR, Consultancy
Green Communications, Consultancy
The Publicity Bureau, Consultancy
British Gas, In-house
Yorkshire Forward, In-house
YOUNG COMMUNICATOR
Clancy Walker, Vital Communications
SMALL TEAM / SOLE PRACTITIONER
WINNER
Quest Public Relations Ltd
Approach PR Ltd
Gratterpalm PR
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY, DESIGN OR NEW MEDIA
GOLD
Green Communications
Green puts SYIF in the frame
The South Yorkshire Investment Fund (SYIF) provides integrated financial support for businesses in, or planning to move to, the area. Its main target is regional B2B press and specialist corporate finance titles, and retained agency Green Communications persuaded SYIF to invest in high-quality photography to illustrate case studies. For a fee worth £10,000, business grants were transformed into colourful photo-stories and Green has since maintained a 100 per cent success rate in placing stories to local media. The agency estimates that it generated £500,000 worth of coverage over six months.
SILVER
The Publicity Bureau, Local Democracy Week
FINALISTS
Gratterpalm PR, Focus Local Store
Ptarmigan, babycream guerilla marketing campaign
BEST USE OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
GOLD
Ptarmigan, Two Days/One Destination
BEST NEWSLETTER
GOLD
Words & Pictures, Perspectives
SILVER
Summersault Communications, Asda News
Words & Pictures, Home Truths
FINALISTS
HR Media, 'I Live in Burngreave'
Words & Pictures, Inform
Yorkshire Forward, Ontrack
Yorkshire Water, Squeeze Every Last Drop
BEST USE OF MEDIA RELATIONS
GOLD
Approach PR Ltd, Launch of Imutest
SILVER
Brahm PR, Leeds Leads
FINALISTS
Brahm PR, Helping the Shire Be Lucky
Navigator PR & Marketing Communications Ltd, Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Pennine Way
