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Gautrain takes gold at PRISA PRISM

27 Mar 2008

The 11th PRISA PRISM Awards took place last night, Tuesday 26 March 2008, at the Vodadome in Midrand, with the Gautrain Project scooping gold awards in both the Media Relations and Public Sector categories, as well as walking away with the overall PRISA PRISM Gold Award.

The judges praised the Gautrain submission as “highly professional” and commented on its huge successes in changing people's negative perceptions about Africa's largest public private partnership into positive ones. The project faced tremendous criticism in the beginning phases, fuelled by negative media coverage.

The Gautrain Media Campaign had two objectives:

To achieve a minimum of 50% positive and very positive coverage overall from May to July 2007.
To achieve a minimum of 50% positve and very positive coverage on major issues (skills; 2010; spatial development; construction; public transport in relation to Gautrain; and socio-economic development) from May to July 2007.

Both of these objectives were met, through a proactive implementation campaign with his diverse stakeholder groupings. The execution of the Gautrain public relations campaign was also highly ranked. The media activities were implemented in a short time frame from May to July 2007. The campaign evaluation was exceptional. In May to July of 2007 there were a total number of 844 media reports on the Gautrain, with an overall total of “positive to very positive” reports being 68.7% of those media reports. Objectives were not just met, but exceeded by more than 18%.

Transparency was central to Gautrain's planning process, resulting in increased respect, support and understanding from the media. The message that Gautrain Media Relations formulated is that Gautrain is a safe and reliable world-class mode of public transport. Traditional media activities were used, but along with those, monthly construction updates were distributed and personal contact and interviews were held which helped build face value and credibility.

The Gautrain Media Relations campaign will be submitted to the international IPRA (International Public Relations Association) Golden Awards. The project also received the Jenna Clifford Trophy and the Ivan O' Brien Award.

Five key criteria

Campaigns entered into the PRISM Awards must demonstrate a high standard of excellence in a number of programme aspects. Five key criteria were assessed during the judging – statement of the problem or opportunity, research, planning, execution and evaluation.

Winners in all categories for this year's PRISA PRISM Awards were as follows:

Category	Campaign	PR company	Client	Award
Crisis Management	TB Threat at Worcester Medi-Clinc	Magna Carta	Medi-Clinic	Silver
Media Relations	Gautrain Media Relations	Gautrain	Gauteng Provincial Government	Gold
Media Relations	Sanlam Investment Management Speed - Dating	Atmosphere Communications	Sanlam Investment Management	Silver
Media Relations	Your Baby Show	The Lime Envelope	Exposure Marketing	Silver
Media Relations	SEB (Sanlam Employee Benefits) Symposium	Atmosphere Communications	Sanlam Investment Management	Bronze
Corporate Communications	Mango Corporate Communications	Marcus Brewster Publicity	Mango	Gold
Launch of a New Product	Launch of Floyd's 99 Barber Shop	Tribeca PR	Floyd's 99 Barber Shop	Gold
Consumer PR for Existing Product	Get a Grip	Magna Carta	Standard Bank	Silver
Launch of a New Product	Halo 3 Launch	Kilimanjaro Communications	MicroSoft SA	Silver
Consumer PR for Existing Product	Leopards Leap Wines	Atmosphere Communications	Leopards Leap Wines	Gold
Consumer PR for Existing Product	Launch of Journeys and Discoveries	Ogilvy PR Cape	Weylandts Homestores	Bronze
Consumer PR for Existing Service	Remax	Marcus Brewster Publicity	Remax of SA	Silver
PR on a Shoestring	Destiny Magazine Launch Campaign	Magna Carta	Ndalo Media	Bronze
PR on a Shoestring	M & M Shrek	Greater Than	Mars Africa	Silver
Internal Communications	Tribute to Nurses	Magna Carta	Medi-Clinic	Silver
Internal Communications	Icenergy	Atmosphere Communications	ICG/Educor	Gold
Public Sector	National Zoological Gardens	Marcus Brewster Publicity	National Zoological Gardens	Gold
Public Sector	Gautrain Integrated Communication and Marketing Strategy	Gautrain	Gauteng Provincial Government	Gold
Financial Services & Investor Relations	Barclaycard Launch	Mortimer Harvey	ABSA Communications	Gold
Event Management	Emerald Spring Derby	Marcus Brewster Publicity	Emerald Casino	Gold
Event Management	Launch of the SAEON Egagasini Node as a side event of the 2007 GEO Ministerial Summit	Malachite Marketing and Media	SAEON	Bronze
Technology	MWEB Wimax Trial	Atmosphere Communications	MWEB	Gold
Travel & Tourism	Thanda Private Game Reserve Public Relations Campaign 2007	Southern Spoor Marketing	Thanda Private Game Reserve	Silver
Sponsorship	Miller Genuine Draft	Marcus Brewster Publicity	SA Breweries	Silver
Sponsorship	VISA Rugby World Cup	Redcube Agency	VISA International	Silver
Sponsorship	Barloworld Tour de France	Magna Carta	Barloworld	Gold

Individual Awards

Best Small PR Consultancy: Galia Kerbel - Greater Than
Creativity In PR: Hein Kaiser for So-Siety - Marcus Brewster Publicity
Best Use Of Strategy In PR: Hein Kaiser for Mango Airlines - Marcus Brewster Publicity
PRISM Gold Award: Gautrain