11/03/2008

The Scottish public relations industry was celebrating a hatful of top prizes - including the very top one - at UK-wide awards hosted by its trade body, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Beating off 1400 entries to take the Best Overall title was tourism agency, VisitScotland. On its way to victory, it also took the Best Integrated Campaign title.

The prizes were for the agency’s ‘Winter White’ campaign, aimed to encourage more visitors to take a trip to Scotland in the quieter winter months. The campaign incorporated the Snowdrop Festival, which was devised to encourage more visitors to Scotland’s gardens in February and March.

A later evaluation of the campaign found that media coverage of the campaign reached 17.4 million, while an additional £92,000 was generated for the gardens participating in the Snowdrop Festival. In total, for every £1 spent on the campaign, £120 worth of business was generated.

Meanwhile, because of its speed in having Glasgow airport back in operation after the failed terrorist attack on it - in June, last year - owners, BAA Scotland, took the Grand Prix award for Crisis Communications. In addition, BAA Scotland was also highly commended in the 'Best Overall Campaign' category. In other words, two Scottish organisations took the awards’ arguably two top prizes.

The Grand Prix award added to BAA Scotland’s victory in the same, Crisis Communications category at the CIPR Scotland awards in November.

BAA Scotland got the airport back, fully-functioning within just a couple days of a blazing jeep being driven into the glass front doors of the airport. Since the attack, it has been much in demand, around the world, as an expert on crisis communications.

Donald Morrison, head of media for BAA Scotland, told allmediascotland.com that - at the time of the attack - his organisation received lots of support from local media, as a way of getting information out to passengers.

Also among the winners at the UK-wide awards - which were held in Birmingham - was Aberdeen-based Tricker PR, which took the Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy title. Tricker PR was also highly commended in the Best Use of Media Relations category - for its Swamp Soccer (yes, playing football in the mud) campaign.

And Artisan PR won the Outstanding Small Consultancy accolade.

West Lothian Council received a highly commended in the Best Leaflet category, for its Drive of Your Life campaign, while YoungScot was also highly commended - in the Best Website section.

Says CIPR Scotland chair, Carol Matthews: “Winning a Grand Prix award is sound evidence to your clients, employers and peers that you really are one of the best in the UK – at the top of your professional game.

“The winning campaigns show in-depth planning, creativity and clear results. Most importantly, they demonstrate how public relations contributes to the success of public and private sector organisations.”


* Send your Scottish media news and gossip, in the strictest confidence, to  info@allmediascotland.com