HOLYWOOD-based Smarts Communicate picked up four gold awards, including the coveted Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy award, at the 2018 CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards ceremony, the region’s annual public relations showpiece.
Judges said they were impressed by the agency’s commitment to CPD, professionalism and “eye-catching employee engagement” initiatives.
Morrow Communications also won four gold in addition to four silver awards, the most of any agency on the night, while JComms also claimed four golds, including two for Jcomms’ campaign launching the Titanic Hotel Belfast - the world’s most authentic Titanic Hotel, residing where the famous ship was designed and built.
Two Chartered PR Practitioners shared the individual awards with Massive PR’s Brittany Breslin named Outstanding Young Communicator and Maurica Mackle crowned Outstanding Independent Practitioner.
Chris Pollock, chair of CIPR Northern Ireland, said: “We can be rightfully proud of the local industry here as we continue to showcase our talents, ambition and capabilities on the world stage.
"The quality of entries to this year’s CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards surpassed all expectations with the scope and scale of the thinking, conceptual development, execution and successful delivery testament to the professionalism of all involved.”
Full Gold Award winners from the 2018 CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards were:
• Corporate and Business Communications Campaign - Morrow Communications, Bringing Neueda into a New Era
• Internal Communications Campaign – Portview, Hub - The intranet that's got people talking
• Consumer Relations Campaign - Morrow Communications and Translink, #GetOnBoardNI - Bus + Train Week 2017
• Public Sector Campaign - JComms and National Museums NI, Poppies: Weeping Window
• Community Relations Campaign - ASG & Partners, M&S - Supporting the Community for 50 Years
• Not-for-Profit Campaign - Morrow Communications and Mencap NI, Move it For Mencap - Belfast City Marathon
• Healthcare Campaign - ASG & Partners, Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI - Empty Chairs
• Integrated Campaign - Morrow Communications and Translink, #GetOnBoardNI - Bus + Train Week 2017
• Low Budget Campaign - Weber Shandwick and CRISPP, Let’s Keep on Supporting People
• Arts, Culture or Sport Campaign - JComms and National Museums NI, Poppies: Weeping Window
• Travel, Leisure or Tourism Campaign – JComms, Titanic Hotel Belfast: The Hotel that History Built
• Regional Campaign of the Year – Clearbox, BoxyMo - Rewarding Safe Driving
• Best Use of Media Relations – JComms, Titanic Hotel Belfast: The Hotel that History Built
• Best Use of Social Media - Smarts Communicate, Harp's Pure Here
• Best Use of Content - Smarts Communicate, Diageo Bar Academy
• Best Use of Photography or Design - Smarts Communicate, Bank of Ireland UK: More than a Mortgage
• Best Event - Clearbox and Bushmills Irish Whiskey, #AnswerTheCall
• Issues, Crisis or Reputational Management - Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Daisy Hill Hospital Pathfinder Project
• Outstanding Young Communicator - Brittany Breslin Chart.PR, MCIPR, Massive PR
• Outstanding Independent Practitioner - Maurica Mackle Chart.PR, FCIPR, Mackle Communications
• Outstanding In-House Public Relations Team - Cancer Fund for Children
• Outstanding Small Public Relations Consultancy - Massive PR
• Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy - Smarts Communicate
