PR Expert wins PRISM Campaign of the Year Award
The 19th PRISM Awards took place on Sunday 17 April at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, celebrated, recognised and rewarded excellence in the public relations industry.
“Groundswell delivered the public relations X-Factor with a very limited budget,” added PRISMs judge Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect: DNA Brand Architects. “They deserved to win Campaign of the Year as it was classic public relations with no Above The Line support, nor an established brand/campaign over time”.
Creating Groundswell
Reflecting the state of the film industry locally, where funds are spent on creating the movie and almost zero on marketing, the film Hear Me Move (HMM) relied solely on public relations as a tool to drive word-of-mouth and excitement for South Africa’s first dance movie to hit SA screens in 2015. Despite massive challenges, the public relations team never gave up and the success of the campaign resulted in HMM achieving local and international acclaim - a position that will continue to resonate well into the future.
Pan African Campaign of the Year
The Pan African Campaign of the Year was awarded to FleishmanHillard SA and Discovery Networks for their “TLC’s Next Great Presenter” campaign. In June 2015, FleishmanHillard (FH) announced Discovery Network’s first-ever African presenter search. The TLC Next Great Presenter (NGP) competition aimed to uncover a hidden talent and TLC Entertainment (TLC) host, broaden awareness of the channel and position TLC as a brand which is committed to its African audience.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This newly introduced award recognises individuals with over 25 years experience who have had an impact on the profession, shown leadership and innovation and who have a long-term vision for its future. Nine nominees were adjudicated on these criteria and seasoned professional, Peter Mann, founder and chief executive officer of Meropa Communications, took top honours.
Gold Awards Winners
| Category | Campaign/Person | Public Relations Consultancy | Client | Sponsor |
| Sectors | ||||
| Business to business | The square peg movement: Boosting entrepreneurial aspiration in South Africa | Epic MSLGROUP | Business Partners | GroundUp Media |
| Resources | Kwanalu Uplifting Agriculture Campaign | UrbanHouse Media | Kwanalu | The Indaba Hotel |
| Public Sector | Someone in Cape Town | Atmosphere Communications | City of Cape Town | Lounge Around |
| Corporate responsibiltiy | Blue Bikes | Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town | Volkswagen South Africa | The Indaba Hotel |
| Public Relations on a shoestring | #Celebratecapetown | Atmosphere Communications | Taj South Africa | Media Update |
| Practices | ||||
| Corporate Communication | KovsieGear | University of the Free State | Zoom Photography | |
| Internal Communication | On Board, connecting the dots between strategy and employees | Sappi Tugela Mill | Redzone | |
| Crisis Management | Cape Town Cycle Tour 2015 | The Phoenix Partnership | Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust | CliffCentral |
| Media relations | Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2015 | Tribeca Public Relations | African Fashion International | Mix FM |
| Best use of an Event to Build/Change Reputation | Taste Drive | Bonfire Media (Pty) Ltd | NESCAFE Dolce Gusto | VonH Brand Provocateur |
| Individual Awards | ||||
| Best Up and Coming PR Professional | Roxanne Leibrandt | Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town | ||
| Consultancy Awards | ||||
| African Network of the Year | Burson-Marsteller Africa | Amandla Cultural Ensemble | ||
| Best Small Public Relations Consultancy | Positive Dialogue Communications | Afroflame | ||
| Best Mid-Sized Public Relations Consultancy | Tribeca Public Relations | ROI Africa | ||
| Campaign Awards | ||||
| Pan African Campaign of the Year | TLC’s Next Great Presenter | FleishmanHillard SA | Discovery Networks | Vukani Fashions |
| South African Campaign of the Year | Creating Groundswell for South Africa's first Dance Movie | PR Expert | Coal Stove Pictures | |
| Over-Arching Awards | ||||
| Best Up-and-coming Public Relations Professional | Roxanne Leibrandt | Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town | ||
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Peter Mann | Meropa Communications | Bizcommunity |
Sponsors of the 2016 PRISM Awards: Afroflame, Blue Apple, CIMA, Don’t Forget George, Ground-Up Media, Lounge Around, Mango, PEAR, ROI Africa , Stageline, Von H Brand Provocateur, Vukani Fashions, WeCollaborate and Zoom Photography.
Media Partners: Bizcommunity, CliffCentral, JoburgToday TV, Jozi Maboneng Radio, Media Update, The Event, UJ Radio and UNISA Radio.
