Connect captures eight titles at ‘Communicators in Business’ competition

A PAISLEY and Edinburgh-based communications and publications agency was the biggest winner at a Scottish awards ceremony celebrating the best of communications in business.

Connect Communications took eight titles at the Communicators in Business Scotland Awards, held on Friday evening, in Glasgow.

Among its haul was Designer of the Year (for Renny Hutchison) Project Manager of the Year (for Jim Byers) and Writer/Editor of the Year (from Brian Henson).

Its other prizes were:

* Staff Newsletter for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – Best employee newsletter

* The Key for Glasgow Housing Association – Best stakeholder newsletter

* Connections for NHS Lothian – Best employee newspaper

* Healthlink for NHS Lothian – Best stakeholder newspaper

* Unfiltered for SMWS – Best member magazine.

Said Connect managing director, Alan Ramsay: “It was an exciting evening, and we were delighted to have won so many awards for our clients…and for three of our staff to be judged worthy of individual honours by our industry peers is doubly satisfying.”

The winners list reads in full:

Best employee newsletter

SN: Staff Newsletter, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Best stakeholder newsletter

The Key, Glasgow Housing Association

Best employee newspaper

Connections, NHS Lothian

Best stakeholder newspaper

Healthlink, NHS Lothian

Best employee magazine

Refresh Magazine, Redhouse Lane Communications

Best stakeholder magazine

Choice Magazine, Redhouse Lane Communications

(Discover NLS, Think Scotland – Highly Commended)

Best one-off employee publication

OnSite, Scottish Water Solutions

Best one-off stakeholder publication

The Price of Fish, Seafish

Best member publication

Unfiltered Magazine, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

(Historic Scotland, Think Scotland – Highly Commended)

Best annual report

Robert Wiseman Dairies Annual Report 2009, Emperor Design

(Cairn Energy PLC Annual Report 2008, Emperor Design – Highly Commended)

Best annual review

The Yard Review, Tayburn Ltd

(Uncover Discover Review 09, National Museums Scotland – Highly Commended)

Best corporate social responsibility report

TOTAL in The UK: Environment and Social Responsibility Report 2008, TOTAL E&P UK Ltd

Best use of visual communication

Bus Stop! 1 Second, 1 Life, Art Department / CSK

(Doing the Right Thing on a Difficult Day, Speakeasy – Highly Commended)

Best use of interactive media

HMIE – Teachers’ Self-Evaluation Tool’ CD Rom, Speakeasy

Best use of social media

Social Media Company for the Scottish Learning Festival 2009, Learning and Teaching Scotland

Best website/microsite

Stirling Castle Website, Historic Scotland

Best intranet

Lothian & Borders Police Intranet, Lothian & Borders Police

Best Ezine

FACe, City of Edinburgh Council

Best redesign

Robert Wiseman Dairies Annual Report 2009, Emperor Design

(Whale & Dolphin, Think Scotland – Highly Commended)

Best use of photography/illustration

Cairn Energy PLC Annual Report 2008, Emperor Design

(The Art Of Learning, Scottish Arts Council – Highly Commended)

Best new corporate ID/rebrand

GHA Brand Evolution, Glasgow Housing Association

Best live communications event

Murder, Mystery and Microscopes, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute

(CFS – The Next Chapter, Speakeasy Productions – Highly Commended)

Best campaign

Tackling Health Inequalities, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

(‘It’s In Your Hands’ – Protection of Adults at Risk, The City of Edinburgh Council – Highly Commended)

(Your Feedback, The Royal Bank of Scotland – Highly Commended)

Writer/editor of the year

Brian Henson, Connect Communications

Designer of the year

Renny Hutchison, Connect Communications

Account/project manager of the year

Jim Byers, Connect Communications

Printer of the year

J Thomson Colour Printers

Communication team of the year

UK Retail Internal Communications – The Royal Bank of Scotland

Communication manager of the year

Nicola Cameron, FMC Technologies

Young communicator of the year – Joint winners

Aislinn McGrane, NHS Lothian

Stephanie Antezana, Seafish