Bath PR firms Geometry and Media Safari are celebrating after scooping seven awards between them at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ West of England PRide Awards.
The hotly-contested awards recognise the best work of the region’s top public relations and communications professionals over the past 12 months.
Media Safari, which specialises in tech PR and social media, collected a total of four awards while Geometry won three categories.
Geometry’s Axe the Pasty Tax campaign won two golds while a campaign for Bath Building Society also topped a category.
The Axe the Pasty Tax campaign was conducted on behalf of the Cornish Pasty Association after the Chancellor unveiled proposals to introduce 20% VAT on all hot baked goods, won the Best Use of Media Relations Award as well as the Crisis Communications Award.
Geometry’s swiftly compiled campaign produced 84 pieces of coverage featuring the Cornish Pasty Association
in six weeks. By the end of it, the Government announced that freshly-baked goods, including Cornish pasties, would be exempt from VAT.
Its Up Close & Personal campaign for Bath Building Society used a variety of media to give the society a higher corporate profile.
Geometry director Linda Donaldson said: “Winning these three awards serves as a resounding vindication of what we are doing here at Geometry, and our focus is on continuing to be a fast-moving, client-focused agency that provides results.
“We have enjoyed considerable success at the PRide awards in previous years and winning a hat-trick of golds is something we are tremendously proud of.”
Media Safari’s haul included gold awards for Best Healthcare for a case study and media relations-led programme for Siemens Hearing Instruments, and Best Sporting Campaign for supporting Ottobock Healthcare as the Official Technical Service Provider of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
It also won two silvers awards for its work with Ottobock, a company specialising in mobility solutions, for Best Use of Social Media and Best Healthcare Campaign.
Media Safari managing director Matt King said: “Powered by a passion for technology, the team at Media Sa
fari strives to deliver top results in all its campaigns. The CIPR PRide awards are designed to promote excellence in public relations and communications and we are delighted the Chartered body has recognised this across several of our results driven campaigns. We look forward to building on the foundation of these successes in 2013.”
Feedback from the judges for the gold healthcare category win was that the campaign selected an excellent choice of celebrity ambassador in Kirsty Swain from BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance, sourced by Twitter, which added youth appeal to help raise awareness of this strong campaign. The team used established media platforms and built these into the campaign including a combination of features such as video testimonials, which all helped with the key objective of challenging the stigma of hearing loss. Feedback on the sporting campaign win was that it was a topical and timely campaign with a relevant link, which met the objectives of Ottobock.
The awards were presented in front of more than 150 guests at a glittering ceremony last Friday at The Grand in Bristol jointly compered by CIPR West of England chair Sarah Pinch and chairman of Mentor Communications Consultancy Magnus Carter.
Ms Pinch described the evening as “an opportunity to recognise the hard work, dedication, success and commitment of public relations professionals up and down the region”.
The awards were sponsored nationally by Precise, PRWeek, and Specialist Speakers, and locally sponsored by ST16. Guests enjoyed a black-tie dinner before the awards and post event entertainment.
The 2012 West of England PRide Awards winners were:
- Corporate and Business Communications Geometry PR – Up Close and Personal
- Not-for-Profit The Honest Truth Partnership – The Honest Truth
- Best Campaign £10,000 and Under The Honest Truth Partnership – The Honest Truth
- Best Sporting Campaign Media Safari/Ottobock – Passion for Paralympics
- Healthcare Media Safari/Siemens Hearing Instruments – Live out loud – Challenging the stigma of hearing loss
- Consumer Relations 10 Yetis PR Agency – Zombies, zombies, read all about them!
- Best Use of Media Relations Geometry PR – Axe the Pasty Tax
- Integrated Communications The Vine – Ignite 2012
- Best Use of Social Media PamLloyd PR – Pink Lady Apples – Join the Club
- External Publication The Honest Truth Partnership – The Honest Truth Resource Booklet
- Best Event Grayling/St David’s – Ladies night at St David’s
- Outstanding Young Communicator Ellie Lean MCIPR
- Outstanding Small Consultancy Inside Media
- Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy PamLloyd PR
- Crisis Communications Geometry PR – Axe the Pasty Tax
- Best Use of Photography or Design PamLloyd PR – British Asparagus – Best of British
- Regional Campaign of the Year Grayling/English Heritage – Days out worth talking about
- Outstanding Contribution to CIPR West of England Sylvie Pender
For the full list of results including runners up and gold winner case studies, click here
