To view pictures from the Thames and Chiltern Pride Dinner, visit the Jay Butcher Photography website.
02 Not-for-Profit
Gold winner
- 3 Monkeys Communications
Just Tick It
This entry ticked all the boxes as far as award criteria is concerned and is a stand out PR campaign. The objectives were clearly defined and outstanding results delivered in a tight time frame. The judges were very impressed with the creative use of heavy weight ambassadors and the development of an effective toolkit to ensure longevity of the campaign. True testament to the quality of the campaign was the engagement with Trading Standards' stakeholders in driving grass-roots awareness in regions and amongst key partners.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Twelve PR
Marshalling an Army of Armchair Beekeepers: 'An Unbeelievable Success'
View case study (PDF format)
03 Internal Communications
Gold winner
- Avvio Design Associates
Sky+HD Employee Roadshow
The judges felt that this entry illustrated perfectly how to execute an internal communications campaign in a dynamic and engaging way. It showed the identification of a corporate issue which needed direct communication and an effective means to communicate with staff in order to achieve the objectives. The campaign showed great creativity and engagement with staff across a wide geographic area. It also showed that giving staff a hands on experience had a direct impact on staff attitudes, helping to achieving the objectives.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Thames Water
Make The Pounds Go With The C.O.O.
Finalists
- University of Bedfordshire
in.beds.ac.uk - University of Hertfordshire
2020 Vision
05 Community Relations
Gold winner
- Primal Public Relations
Elmsleigh Shopping Centre - Get Schools Growing
The judges were impressed with the level of direct engagement with schools, children and in particular their parents, which had been identified as a hard to reach audience. The Get Schools Growing campaign brought a mutual benefit, firstly to Elmsleigh Shopping Centre which affirmed its status as a family centre and secondly to schools, children and parents by getting them passionate about campaigning to win their own allotment. Primal PR used a range of techniques to inspire involvement with the audience and the media, resulting in a successful campaign.
View case study (PDF format)
07 Public Sector
Gold winner
- 3 Monkeys Communications
Just Tick It
In this category the winning entrant from 3 Monkeys Communications aimed to increase awareness of the problems of fake music and sports events tickets. It met all the requirements for this award, meeting the clearly defined objectives generating outstanding results delivered in a tight time frame. The judges were impressed with the creative use of heavy hitting ambassadors and the development of an effective toolkit to ensure longevity of the campaign. They were particularly impressed with the well structured delivery of the campaign. The quality of the campaign was evidenced from the level of unprompted engagement with Trading Standards' stakeholders in driving grass-roots awareness.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Communications Management
Who's the Daddy? Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health Campaign
08 Best Campaign £10K and Under
Gold winner
- Thames Water Press Office
'Bin It - Don't Block It' Campaign
Thames Water demonstrated amazing creativity in their 'Bin It - Don't Block It' Campaign. The judges were extremely impressed with the use and mix of public relations tactics and techniques, media reach and the minimal cost of the overall campaign. All of the objectives were met and the approach of spreading out activity to keep the campaign fresh worked extremely well, with Thames Water's in-house team achieving outstanding levels of media coverage for each individual element of the campaign. The judges were particularly impressed with the 'Singing Sewermen' and the way in which this element of the campaign was released. To achieve all of the objectives and the extensive media coverage on such a minimal budget is very impressive and the Thames Water in-house team are worthy winners of this category.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Jargon Public Relations
InvisibleHand - Changing the Way Consumers Shop Online
Finalist
- Primal PR
Michael Van Clarke ''3 More Inches''
09 Consumer Relations
Gold winner
- Loud Group
The Future is Oblong
The judges were very impressed with Loud's entry in this category for their campaign to raise awareness of Bahlsen's Jaffa cakes (Messino) which had low brand awareness, despite having been on sale for years. The campaign showed that Loud had engaged directly with consumers, using a wide and diverse range of PR tactics and creativity, including online, traditional, live and experiential. The results of this campaign speak for themselves, with a reasonably limited budget and just over a four month timeframe, Loud were able to achieve extensive media coverage, communicate directly with consumers and help Bahlsen to expand into other national stores. Most importantly, sales of Messino are up 94% since the campaign started, showing it to be extremely effective. A great campaign with fantastic results.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Blue Zebra PR
Chessington World of Adventures: Wild Asia Launch
Finalists
- 3 Monkeys Communications
Monkeys Go Guerrilla with Bing - 3 Monkeys Communications
Stay Insured - 3 Monkeys Communications
The Launch of Windows 7
10 Best Use of Media Relations
Gold winner
- Thames Water Press Office
'Bin It - Don't Block It' Campaign
Blockages cost Thames Water more than £12m each year. This is a serious problem which affects the entire water industry and highlighting the consequences of abusing your drains and encouraging people to take simple steps to prevent blockages is key. However, it needed a fresh approach to get the attention it deserved with what was seen as a rather tired story. Thames Water's in-house PR team knew that a creative aspect, with a strong news hook' was needed for the campaign and timing was critical to gain an impact. A customer survey undertaken through the Thames Water website gave them a hook for some interesting angles and to coin the term 'sewer abuse' - a nice soundbite for the broadcast media. This material was used in the launch aspect of the campaign. What impressed the judges is how this activity was then rolled forward with 'bursts' of timely activity showing an excellent understanding of what makes the media tick and how to continue to engage them . 'This Christmas Think of Sewermen' Singing Sewerman for 'Yuletide activity' was both well targeted and provided an excellent touch of humour. It was picked up nationally, and was leveraged as media content online and offline. Similarly the filming of clearing the sewers beneath Leicester Square also brought the problem to life in a very direct way with '1000 tonnes of fat being removed' - a stat used in the broadcast coverage and in the print press. It is clear from the results that this was a successful campaign in terms of media coverage, but is also one which importantly succeeded in conveying the key messages that needed to be brought home through its approach.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Primal PR
The Lady Magazine - The First Six Months
Finalists
- Blue Zebra PR
Chessington World of Adventures: Wild Asia Launch - CC Group
Mobile Broadband without Barriers - Sustaining Global HSPA Momentum
11 Integrated Communications
Gold winner
- Twelve PR
Giving the can a voice
Twelve PR were tasked by the Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association with helping the can fight for its survival. Initiatives had focused on the weight of packaging sent to landfill and the tin can was perceived as heavy. However while some within the retail industry understood the recyclability of the can and its sustainable credentials, category managers were looking for alternative lighter weight materials. The category managers are hard to reach - time poor and suffer from information overload. A group of around 60 key stakeholders was identified and workshops were used to help clarify key sustainability messages. Twelve PR used direct mail supported by trade press advertising to reach these stakeholders, and implemented a trade media relations campaign and a bespoke microsite to underline these. A very successful campaign, nicely executed, which achieved and exceeded its aims, and resulted in other opportunities such as speaker platforms. The Judges particularly liked the way all the elements of the campaign worked together in harmony, with a consistent look and feel, the sign of some really joined-up thinking. Also great care was taken to get the messaging right which was then used successfully through the different communications elements. This is a great 'best practice' case study of integrated communications, well done.
Twelve PR – Integrated Communications - case study not available
12 Corporate Responsibility
Gold winner
- Thames Water Press Office
Green December (Poo To Hoo)
Thames Water publish their Corporate Responsibility Report every year. They appreciate that although the information within the report may be news to the company, it isn't necessarily news to anyone else. Recognising the need to be creative to get their CSR messages heard, Thames Water decided to run a month long campaign, Green December. The campaign highlight's Thames Water's creative approach to delivering messages, which are often complicated and can be seen as dull by the media. The team coined the phrase 'poo power' and 'poo cake' which was extremely well used by the media. The aims of getting coverage were to enhance Thames Water's reputation and to drive more viewers to the online CR report. Both of these objectives were achieved with extensive media coverage nationally and even in New York, Namibia and Malaysia. The judges were extremely impressed with the creative approach and the impressive results. The teams show a real understanding of what makes a good media story. They are very worth winners.
View case study (PDF format)
15 Best Newspaper
Gold winner
- Dacorum Borough Council
Dacorum Digest
The judges were impressed with the look and feel of the publication, as well as the overall positive attitude towards to the publication from stakeholders. The Dacorum Digest is a community newspaper that is targeted at all residents, distributed to 59,000 households across diverse communities and age groups. The judges felt that the content of the publication was well targeted and engaging and that research showed the target audience found the publication to be useful. The judges were particularly impressed with the range of local stories, essential information, and over all accessibility of the publication.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- University of Bedfordshire
Life
16 Best Publication
Gold winner
- Hertsmere Borough Council
A-Z Guide of Services
The aim of Hertsmere Borough Council's A-Z guide is to provide residents with an easy to use contact list of the range of services that the Council provides. The team worked hard to ensure that the A-Z Guide was easily recognised as a council document, without it looking too much like a council document. They also understood and appreciated that the Guide should have a professional feel to it, without looking too glossy or expensive so as to draw criticism from the public. The judges we impressed with the A-Z Guide, it was professional, easy to read and full of useful information. The team behind the A-Z Guide clearly understands their target market and has developed a publication that ticks all the boxes. The anecdotal evaluation shows that the publication has been well received by the public and staff, therefore achieving its objectives. The judges were pleased to see how cost effective the publication was, coming in at just 14pence, per guide. Well done!
Hertsmere Borough Council – Best Publication - case study not available
17 Best Magazine
Gold winner
- Hertsmere Borough Council
Hertsmere News
Hertsmere News is Hertsmere Borough Council's quarterly magazine produced for residents and delivered to every home in the Borough. It is also available on the Council's website and as an audio package, and can be provided in different language formats. The magazine has a very diverse audience - with residents representing all ages and social backgrounds, and some for whom English is not their first language. Appealing to this range of readers is a challenge which the in-house communications team at Hertsmere has successfully met. The magazine is used to address issues raised by residents or highlighted locally and nationally, for example, as well as inform residents about Council-led services and how they can access them, updates and support on a range of issues. What made it stand out for the Judges was the mixture of strong design, clarity of content, and it is an easy read. It was noted that the entire Councillors' photos and contact details are on the back cover. It is evident that Hertsmere News is a vital part of the Council's communications strategy with its residents, and is produced in a very cost effective way. It is both professional looking but accessible and strikes the right tone and balance the Judges felt for this type of publication.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Hertsmere Borough Council
Hertshere
Finalist
- Bracknell Forest Council Communications & Marketing Team
Forest Views - Bracknell Forest Council Staff Magazine
19 Best Website or Microsite
Gold winner
- University of Bedfordshire
beds.ac.uk
The largest university in the county, with more than 19,000 students and 1,000 staff across multiple campuses and sites, www.beds.ac.uk is the hub of the University's communications. The judges were particularly impressed with the sense of community that the website had developed, the impressive attention to detail across all areas of the website and the extensive use of new and social media elements that integrated seamlessly with the site. The website is easy to navigate and boasts a large number of student video testimonials, making it much more than just an information source. The team at the University of Bedfordshire has also understood how to appeal to and target a range of stakeholders, both in the UK and internationally. The judges felt that the design, layout and ease of navigation made www.beds.ac.uk very strong contender for this award and they felt that other universities across the country could learn a lot from this website. Evaluation of the website shows that it is receiving high year on year increases in visits and that users of the site are extremely satisfied with the level of information, with 91% of people surveyed confirming they had found all the information they were looking for on the site. www.beds.ac.uk is a very worth winner in this category. Congratulations.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Thames Water Utilities
Thames Water Customer/Corporate Website
20 Best Event
Gold winner
- University of Hertfordshire
The Forum's Got Talent
This fun and entertaining event was hugely successful in achieving the objectives. Primarily, it allowed the local community to experience their new environment ahead of the student intake, and to realise its potential as a local entertainment destination. The integrated communications strategy heightened awareness of the Forum, placing it firmly and positively into the local consciousness.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Thames Water Utilities
Thames Water Love Water Ball 2009
21 Outstanding Young Communicator
Gold winner
- Lisa-Marie Nelson
NFU Mutual
Lisa-Marie impressed the judges with her leadership, professionalism and sheer enthusiasm for her profession. Her career progression in the complex financial market has been admirable, building a strong rapport with the specialist media and championing PR in-house management. Her positivity is infectious and she will be a major asset to any employer.
View case study (PDF format)
Finalists
- Amy Dutton
Thames Water Utilities - Emma Kingston
Twelve PR
22 Xchangeteam Freelancer of the Year
Gold winner
- Stuart Brooks MCIPR
Blackbird Communications
Good income fiqures have been achieved in year one and an impressive list of clients have been won. Results have been excellent for clients. His use of new media to promote the business and communicate have been well delivered. This freelancer is clearly providing an excellent value for mobey service to his clients.
View case study (PDF format)
23 Outstanding Small Consultancy
Gold winner
- Jargon Public Relations
This business set clear objectives and has exceeded them. Their financial performance is impressive as is their list of retained clients. With a bold proposition for a tech PR firm, Jargon has really excelled and built an impressive business in difficult economic conditions.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- CubanEight
24 Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team
Gold winner
- Thames Water Press Office In-House PR Team
An outstanding entry that showed the smart strategies ands creative genius of this small but effective team. The approach to the Price Renew was particularly impressive as were the results around specific campaigns. This isn't an easy job and the team's commitment to turn technical engineering language into 'pub speak' which captures the media attention is commendable.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Hertsmere Borough Council Corporate Communications
25 Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy
Gold winner
- 3 Monkeys Communications
A Wise Approach in the PR Jungle
This is clearly a highly impressive business in all regards. The client list is outstanding and the New Business track record is impressive. There is a strong culture which as attracted and retained people. The agency has also created an interesting range of products and services. The commitment to training and the speed in this area is also very impressive.
View case study (PDF format)
Silver winner
- Primal Public Relations
That's What Gets Results
