Bath public relations, social and digital media agency Clearly has been awarded a prestigious industry award for the third consecutive year.
The agency, which was established in 2014, triumphed in the Best Medium-Sized PR Consultancy category in the South West PRCA DARE Awards.
Organised by the PRCA, the world’s largest professional body for the public relations industry, the awards recognise and celebrate the best campaigns and consultancies in the South West over the past 12 months.
Clearly, whose clients include Monahans, the South West’s largest independent accountancy firm, and Bath’s Oldest charity St John’s Foundation, will now compete against fellow regional winners from across the country in the same category at the PRCA’s national Grand Prix awards later this year.
Clearly founder and managing director Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, pictured, far right, with the Clearly team at the awards cedremony, said: “The PR industry has encountered its fair share of challenges over the past three years and Clearly has been no exception to that.
“Seeing off those challenges and enabling the business to continue moving forward has been down to one thing: an unswerving commitment among the team to the vision of making a difference to the clients we work with, the people we employ, and the community and environment within which we all live.”
He said to be recognised as the best PR consultancy of its size for the third time in as many years was a fantastic achievement for every one of the team.
“Theirs is a role that has become increasingly integrated over the last year, which in turn has meant having to quickly adapt to the constantly changing media landscape and rapidly shifting client expectations,” he added.
In 2021 Clearly became only the second PR agency in the South West – and seventh nationally – to gain B Corp certification, demonstrating its commitment to its people and the planet as well as profit.
Paul said this elevated its already existing ESG (environmental, social and governance) communications service to B2B organisations and gave the agency an edge over many of its competitors in this space.
“The pandemic changed the world of PR forever,” he added. “Research we conducted as early as the summer of 2020 showed how clients were increasingly making purchasing decisions based on how a business performs on an environmental and societal basis and the values it holds.
“Follow-up surveys undertaken by Clearly have since shown that this is not a moment, it is a movement that is showing no sign of slowing down.
“This, in turn, has stimulated a sharp rise in greenwashing, with a growing number of businesses exaggerating their ethical credentials in a bid to appeal to today’s conscious consumers. It’s a risky strategy that risks reputational consequences.
“Our role has evolved over the last 12 months to focus on developing communications strategies that enable businesses to shout about the great things they do by demonstrating the impact of these initiatives.
“In doing so, clients can confidently communicate their ESG credentials without fear of recrimination.”
Clearly reported record billings last year and is expected to reach the £1m mark in 2024 – its 10th anniversary year.
