Top Scottish public relations talent honoured at 2012 CIPR PRide Awards

Public relations agencies, in-house teams, individual practitioners and an infamous primary school student were honoured last night at the CIPR Scotland PRide Awards at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange, for their contributions to public relations over the last year.

Among winners and finalists at the black-tie gala event were Consolidated PR whose work with the Scottish Government picked up three gold awards for campaigns including My Marriage, My Prison and The Gift of Life. Stripe also celebrated, picking up the gold award for ‘Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy’ and for ‘Healthcare’, working with the Scottish Government on Alcohol Behaviour Change.

Martha Payne, a nine-year-old primary school student who caused a storm earlier this year when she posted pictures of school lunches on the NeverSeconds blog, which her local council subsequently tried to ban, was awarded with of the evening’s biggest accolades, walking away with the title of Scotland’s ‘Inspiring Communicator of the Year’.

Over 300 of Scotland’s leading public relations practitioners attended the annual awards ceremony which recognised twenty-one different gold award winners and was hosted by BBC Scotland’s Catriona Shearer.

Laura Sutherland MCIPR, Chair of the CIPR Scotland Group, applauded all attendees saying that it was “a mixture of determination, skill and hard work that had resulted in so many people being present to celebrate their achievements.” She went on to say that “success in the tough field of consummate professionals that Scotland can boast in the PR and Communications world is a true accolade in itself and one to be celebrated and applauded.”

The full list of the 2012 Scotland PRide Awards winners is as follows:

• Corporate and Business Communications: Grayling / Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets - Oil & Gas: Rising Fortunes
• Not-for-Profit: Shelter Scotland - No Room at the Inn for Scotland's Homeless Children
• Internal Communications: Scottish Enterprise - Becoming a Great Place to Work
• Community Relations: Consolidated PR & The Scottish Government - My Marriage, My Prison
• Public Sector: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - Standing Together Against Homophobia
• Best Campaign £10,000 and Under: Union Square / Grayling - The Summer Hub
• Best Sporting Campaign: Holyrood Partnership - U.S. Kids Golf European Championships - Junior Golf Tees Off In the Media
• Healthcare: Stripe Communications & Scottish Government - Alcohol Behaviour Change 2011/12
• Consumer Relations: 3x1 Public Relations - Garner's - PR in a Pickle
• Best Use of Media Relations: Consolidated PR & The Scottish Government - The Gift Of LIfe
• Integrated Communications: Midlothian Council - Local carers for local kids
• Best Use of Social Media: Smarts - Bikeability Scotland - Call for volunteers
• External Publication: Think - Escape, First Great Western
• Internal Publication: West Dunbartonshire Council - Talk Newspaper
• Best Digital Campaign: 3x1 Public Relations - Garner's - PR in a Pickle
• Best Event: Wave PR / East Kilbride Shopping Centre - Stars of Service
• Outstanding Young Communicator: Jo-Anne Hamilton MCIPR - Action for Children
• Outstanding Small Consultancy: Frasermedia
• Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team: Scottish SPCA - The Scottish SPCA: Success Through Outstanding Public Relations
• Scottish Public Sector Team of the Year: Scottish Government PR and International Marketing - Small country, big ambitions - realising Scotland's potential
• Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy: Stripe Communications
• Public Affairs: Pagoda Public Relations - Waitrose: winning minds... then hearts
• Corporate Responsibility: Aberdeen Asset Management and Tricker PR - Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Traditional Boat Festival
• Best Use of Measurement and Evaluation: Consolidated PR - The Gift Of Life
• Inspiring Communicator of the Year: Martha Payne

View the full list of results, with gold winner case studies, on the CIPR website.