AN Edinburgh-based company plus the tourist authority, VisitScotland, were among the big winners at an awards ceremony celebrating the best of the Scottish public relations industry.
With wins in four categories, VisitScotland was chosen the ‘Outstanding in-house public relations team’, while, with three gold medals to its name, Stripe Communications was conferred the equally prestigious top title of ‘Outstanding public relations consultancy’.
The awards ceremony took place in Glasgow last night and were organised by the Scottish group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
And also sharing the spotlight was Falkirk Council, which was was named ‘Public sector team of the year’ and also the winner of the ‘Best use of photography or design’ and ‘Internal communications’ categories.
Attending the awards were the immediate past president of the CIPR, Elizabeth Lewis-Jones, and the chair of CIPR Scotland, Debbie Byers, an associate director of Glasgow PR agency, 3×1.
As well as the ‘Outstanding in-house public relations team’ accolade, VisitScotland also took ‘Best sse of measurement and evaluation’, ‘Best use of social media’ and ‘Best publication’.
Meanwhile, Stripe’s other gold medals were for ‘Best use of integrated communications’ and ‘Best campaign for £10k or under’.
Said managing director, Juliet Simpson: “This is a fantastic moment for Stripe – it’s been quite a year for us with a number of high-profile new business wins and continued growth, so this is a wonderful way for the team’s achievements and on-going client support to be recognised.”
One of the most eagerly-anticipated awards was for ‘Outstanding young communicator’ and it went to Anna Edmond, an account director at Firefly Communications. The awards’ host was STV presenter, Stephen Jardine.
Scotland’s local authorities and public sector teams emerged from the evening with a raft of awards. The Scottish Government won ‘Corporate and business communications’, while the ‘Crisis communications’ and ‘Best leaflet’ accolades went to NHS Lothian.
Grampian Police took the Community Relations title, while the ‘Best newspaper or magazine’ and ‘Best event’ titles were won by South Lanarkshire Council. The ‘Best website or microsite’ gold medal went to the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
No award was made in the ‘Public affairs’ category; there being no entries.
The full results leads.
Corporate and business communications
Gold: Scottish Government, Eat More Fish
Silver: Weber Shandwick Ltd, Promotion of Chez Roux, Rocpool Reserve, Inverness
Finalist: Platform PR Group Limited, From Highland clouds to PR gold: Launching Alchemy Plus’s Inverness Computing Centre
Finalist: Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise: A Model of Public Sector Reform
Not-for-profit
Gold: Artisan PR, The Flight Fantastic
Silver: Weber Shandwick Ltd, Launch of Condemned
Finalist: British Heart Foundation, YOOBOT – Food 4 Thought 2008
Finalist: Northern Constabulary, Safeness – Festival safety campaign
Finalist: The BIG Partnership, MHFS 10k for Men – Every Step Counts
Finalist: Tricker PR, The big green challenge
Internal communications
Gold: Falkirk Council, Carbon Crusader
Silver: NHS Lothian, Steal me
Finalist: Business Stream, Driving engagement: Putting our employees behind the wheel
Finalist: VisitScotland, One Team Talking Together
Crisis communications
Gold: NHS Lothian, Asking for trouble
Silver: Grampian Police, Operation Crimond
Finalist: Production Services Network, Brightest Prospects
Measurement and evaluation
Gold: VisitScotland, Measuring Success to Shape the Future
Silver: Platform PR Group Limited, From Highland clouds to PR gold: Launching Alchemy Plus’s Inverness computing centre
Community relations
Gold: Grampian Police, Operation Lochnagar
Silver: Consolidated Communications, Cracking Down on Fire Starters
Finalist: Falkirk Council, Green Dog Walker
Finalist: Falkirk Council, The MOD’s Coming Home
Public sector
Gold: Consolidated Communications, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Immunisation
Silver: Scottish Government, Eat More Fish
Finalist: Pagoda Public Relations Ltd, European Parliamentary Elections 2009 Campaign
Finalist: Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise: A Model of Public Sector Reform
Best campaign £10k and under
Gold: Stripe Communications, Shelter ‘Hometime Scotland’ Campaign
Silver: Platform PR Group Limited, Bake Off: The search for Britain’s perfect scone
Finalist: 3×1 Public Relations, BUPA Great Edinburgh Run – 10k for £10k
Finalist: Budge PR, PR for Prize Pies Propels Sales at James Allan Bakers
Finalist: Holyrood Partnership, PR Success – Off to a Tee
Finalist: Weber Shandwick Ltd, ‘Inspiration!’
Consumer relations
Gold: The BIG Partnership, The Black Grouse – A Breed Apart! with The Famous Grouse
Silver: VisitScotland, Real Scotland – The Locals’ Guide
Finalist: Beattie Communications, Beattie Communications Scottish Campaign for Warburtons National Bread Week 2009
Finalist: Matthews Marketing, Forth’s Timeline
Finalist: Weber Shandwick Ltd, Scotland’s Canals – Yours to enjoy
Finalist: Whyte & Mackay, Goodness Nose
Best use of media relations
Gold: Scottish Power, Switch-on at Whitelee Windfarm
Silver: The BIG Partnership, ‘Think Pink’ – Greaves Sports
Finalist: Consolidated Communications, Join our Celebrations – The Homecoming Scottish Cup
Finalist: Indigo, Budgeting to Save the Scottish Construction Industry
Finalist: Royal Navy, Recognising Royal Navy Aviation in Scotland
Finalist: Weber Shandwick Ltd, Has Anyone seen Granddad’s Telly
Integrated communications
Gold: Stripe Communications, Taste of Edinburgh – Continuing to Whet the Appetite
Silver: Scottish Enterprise, Now’s the time to ask
Finalist: DADA, River Clyde Homes ‘Up Close’
Finalist: Matthews Marketing, Forth’s Timeline
Finalist: South Lanarkshire Council, International Children’s Games
Finalist: VisitScotland, Homecoming Scotland Part One
Corporate responsibility
Gold: RMJM Ltd, Architecture for Everyone
Silver: Beattie Communications and Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Borders Schools Eco-Challenge
Best use of social media
Gold: VisitScotland, VisitScotland Best Live Act
Silver: Matthews Marketing, Forth’s Timeline
Finalist: City of Edinburgh Council, Chemical Romance
Finalist: Tricker PR, The big green challenge
Best use of photography or design
Gold: Falkirk Council, The MOD’s Coming Home
Silver: Tricker PR, Ice Cream Snowman
Finalist: Budge PR, Two Clydes to Every Story
Best newspaper or magazine
Gold: South Lanarkshire Council, South Lanarkshire View
Silver: Indigo, Tempo with Pagan Osborne and Oneworld
Finalist: NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Dialogue
Finalist: NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Healthwise
Best publication
Gold: VisitScotland, Real Scotland – The Locals’ Guide
Silver: RR Donnelley, Culture Delivers
Finalist: RR Donnelley, Towards a mentally flourishing Scotland
Best leaflet
Gold: NHS Lothian, Storing up trouble
Silver: South Lanarkshire Council, Environmental Information
Finalist: Matthews Marketing, Forth’s Timeline
Best website or microsite
Gold: General Teaching Council for Scotland, Probationer Teacher Scotland
Silver: RR Donnelley, RRD Creative – rrdcreative.com
Finalist: NHS Lothian, Influenza A H1N1 Microsite
Best event
Gold: South Lanarkshire Council, ‘Save’ Print and Design Open Days
Silver: VisitScotland, Launch of Homecoming Scotland 2009
Finalist: Elaine Howie Public Relations, Magners Scottish Golf Club Championship
Outstanding young communicator
Winner Firefly Communications Ltd, Anna Edmond – Variety is the spice of life
Finalist: Aura PR (Scotland) Ltd, Laura M. Campbell
Finalist: Scottish Government, Carolyn Rae
Outstanding small consultancy
Gold: Wave PR, Making Waves
Silver: Axis Media Group, AXIS Media Group
Finalist: Cloudline PR, Cloudline PR – Finding the Silver Lining
Finalist: Matthews Marketing, Matthews Marketing Limited
Outstanding in-house public relations team
Gold: VisitScotland, Homecoming Scotland 2009 PR Team
Silver: Amey, Amey In-House Public Relations Team
Finalist: National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Scotland Press Office
Outstanding public relations consultancy
Gold: Stripe Communications, Stripe Communications
Silver: Weber Shandwick Ltd, Weber Shandwick Scotland
Scottish public sector team of the year
Gold: Falkirk Council, Communications Crusaders
Silver: Scottish Enterprise, Team Enterprise: Operation Revival
Finalist: NHS Lothian, Proud and Positive
