A FORMER award-winning Belfast business journalist who in the 1990s made the transition into public relations when it was still a relatively nascent discipline in Northern Ireland has scooped the regional PR industry's Outstanding Achievement Award.
Alan Watson, a former director at Holywood-based Smarts Communicate, claimed the accolade at the CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards in the Culloden Hotel in front of more than 250 public relations practitioners.
Recognised by his peers as a ‘raconteur, mentor and confidant’, Watson left journalism to help a fledgling start-up and become a key player in what is now one of the north's most prestigious PR companies, employing more than 70 people in Northern Ireland, London and Scotland.
His contribution to Smarts was described by CIPRNI chair Samantha Livingstone as "enormous".
She said: "While the burgeoning team won countless new clients and extended the company’s footprint outside Ireland, quietly and confidently, with no need for the limelight, Alan helped endless clients navigate the world of crisis and issues management and schooled dozens of staff members in what really makes a story.
"Director, copywriter, account handler and an always assured ‘wise head’, he was one of the pivots that saw the small company he took the risk to invest himself in transition into a genuine global player, winning business from bigger names in London, New York and Singapore.
"He helped prove that it was possible for the industry here to lift its eyes and look to a more distant horizon, and when he retired at the end of last year it was truly the end of an era."
Although Watson has retired from full-time employment, he continues to act as a consultant to Smarts Communicate and remains very active.
Fittingly, Smarts Communicate claimed the 'Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy' award on an evening of glitz and glamour at which more than 20 gongs were distributed.
Belfast City Council was named Public Sector Team of the Year and Outstanding In-House PR Team. Judges praised the Council team for their “deftness in touch in providing communications on essential local services for residents”, whilst also “raising Belfast's profile on the international stage”.
MCE Public Relations & Special Olympics Ireland claimed a number of accolades on the night, winning three Gold Awards for their work on Team Ireland’s appearance at the Special Olympics World Summer Games.
Their campaign spotlighted Team Ireland’s achievements in Los Angeles and attracted judges’ praise for “delivering beyond expectations on a minimal budget”.
Action Mental Health (AMH) and Turley PR & Public Affairs’ struck Gold in the Healthcare and Public Affairs categories. Their bold campaign ‘Regress? React? Resolve?’ skilfully threw down a challenge to Government to tackle underinvestment and fragmentation of mental health services.
Massive PR were crowned Outstanding Small PR Consultancy, whilst Smarts Communicate complemented their Gold Awards in the Internal Communications and Integrated categories by grabbing the coveted Outstanding PR Consultancy title.
Full Gold Award winners from the 2016 CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards:
• Corporate and Business Communications Campaign - Translink and Morrow Communications, Metro Legends
• Internal Communications Campaign - Smarts Communicate, The Two Thumbs Up Awards
• Consumer Relations Campaign - Jago Communications, Launch of Rankin Selection Irish Family Sausages in the UK
• Public Sector Campaign - Housing Executive (NIHE), Changing Lives, Building Communities
• Community Relations Campaign – JComms, Saving the hearts of Local Communities
• Public Affairs Campaign - Action Mental Health / Turley PR & Public Affairs, Regress? React? Resolve?
• Not-for-Profit Campaign - MCE Public Relations & Special Olympics Ireland, Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Summer Games (LA2015)
• Healthcare Campaign - Action Mental Health / Turley PR & Public Affairs, Regress? React? Resolve?
• Integrated Campaign - Smarts Communicate, BT Superfast - Sure She's Superfast
• Low Budget Campaign - dcp strategic communication, Tayt'eau de Cologne - Le Fromage et L'Oignon
• Arts, Culture or Sport Campaign - MCE Public Relations & Special Olympics Ireland, Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Summer Games (LA2015)
• Education Communications Campaign - Jago Communications, Educating the Educators: the Hunt for Ireland's Best Young Sports Analyst
• Best Use of Media Relations - MCE Public Relations & Special Olympics Ireland, Team Ireland at the Special Olympics World Summer Games (LA2015)
• Best Use of Digital - Translink and Morrow Communications, Metro Legends
• Best Use of Social Media - Morrow Communications, All Hail The Mighty Spud
• Best Use of Photography or Design - Navigator Blue & Irish FA, Hometown Heroes
• Best Publication - International Fund for Ireland, Annual Report 2015
• Best Event - Navigator Blue and Irish FA , Irish FA Northern Ireland Squad Announcement - Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
• Outstanding Young Communicator - Dawn Hesketh MCIPR, Serious PR
• Public Sector Team of the Year - Belfast City Council
• Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team - Belfast City Council
• Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy - Massive PR
• Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy - Smarts Communicate
