PRide Awards celebrate North East’s thriving PR community
200 public relations professionals gathered at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle last night to celebrate the achievements of the North East’s prospering PR community.
The Awards saw Newcastle-based Gardiner Richardson win four Gold Awards. Karol Marketing and integrated agency DTW each secured a hat-trick of wins, with the latter claiming the coveted Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy prize.
Newcastle City Council was crowned winner in the Best Use of Digital category for an innovative campaign that inspired residents to engage with the council’s draft budget proposals. ‘A digital blueprint for local democracy’ attracted the judges’ praise for “informing the decision-making of the business, as well as engaging the public in a complex topic”.
O’s Kayleigh Hepburn MCIPR saw off stiff competition to be named Outstanding Young Communicator, while Small PR Consultancy and In-House Team awards were presented to Fusion PR and Durham University, respectively.
We’ve enjoyed another bumper year of entries into the PRide Awards – our best yet. To be shortlisted is a huge achievement. To win a PRide Award is a real accolade.
It’s testament to the exceptional work that individuals, in-house teams and agencies are doing across our region to engage with the right people, at the right time and in the right way, as a strategic management function rooted in ethics and professional practice, for the organisations they represent.
On behalf of the CIPR North East Committee, I’d like to say a big congratulations to all of tonight’s winners. You are demonstrating the very highest professional standard of public relations practice and should enjoy every moment of your well-earned celebrations.”
Full Gold Award winners from the 2017 CIPR North East PRide Awards:
• Corporate and Business Communications Campaign - Karol Marketing and Hadrian Technology, Re-vision-ing Hadrian Technology
• Consumer Relations Campaign - O, #NanoSmile
• Public Sector Campaign - North East and North Cumbria urgent and emergency care network and North of England Commissioning Support, Plasticine people
• Community Relations Campaign - Newcastle City Council, Safer Partying
• Public Affairs Campaign - Gardiner Richardson and Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, Cheap White Cider – Time for Action
• Not-for-Profit Campaign - Karol Marketing and Northumbria Blood Bikes, Where's the #bloodbike?
• Healthcare Campaign - Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Find Your Place
• Integrated Campaign – DTW, RSGB NE - Look out for each other
• Low Budget Campaign - North East and North Cumbria urgent and emergency care network and 26 NHS organisations in North East and Cumbria, Regional NHS response to the international cyber-attack
• Arts, Culture or Sport Campaign - Gardiner Richardson and Active Northumberland, Join for a Coin
• Education Communications Campaign - Gardiner Richardson and Northumbria University, I Am Northumbria
• Regional Campaign of the Year - Gardiner Richardson and Nexus for Tyne and Wear Metro, Great North Snowdogs
• Best Use of Media Relations - Karol Marketing and Vango, Vango's Green Room: Showcasing Innovation• Best Use of Digital - Newcastle City Council, A digital blueprint for local democracy
• Best Use of Social Media – DTW, Bolton Food and Drink Festival
• Best Publication - Home Group, Homelife
• Best Event - Cool Blue Brand Communications, Opening Newcastle’s City Pool to the city
• Outstanding Young Communicator - Kayleigh Hepburn MCIPR, O
• Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team - Durham University
• Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy - Fusion PR
• Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy - DTW
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).