Suffolk and Essex PR specialists celebrate PRide Awards success
Pier Marketing receiving its CIPR award: Peter Allen from BBC Radio 5 Live, Jack Everett, Philippa Davey, Sophie French, Cat Kobylinski, Helen Gilmour, Kate Bowden Smith, Paula Bennett, Chrystal Harris, Mike Kelly, Precise Media/Yellow News. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards for the Anglia, Thames and Chiltern region which were held at the Cambridge City Hotel - Credit: Archant
PR specialists from Suffolk and Essex are celebrating after striking gold at a regional industry awards event.
Felixstowe-based Pier Marketing scooped the Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy title at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards for the Anglia, Thames and Chiltern region, which took place at Cambridge City Hotel.
Judges praised an entry which “buzzed with energy”.
“In exceeding their budgeted turnover growth by over double in the last year, their strategy of staying focused on the client’s objectives is clearly working,” they said.
“Pier’s excellent pro bono work with local charity is worthy of praise and delivers the feel-good factor for staff and the organisations they work with.
“As a client comments, Pier has a proactive and passionate approach, and it’s clear from their entry this is what places them above others as an outstanding consultancy.”
The Low Budget Campaign award went to Genesis PR, based at Holbrook, near Ipswich, for its efforts in promoting the Great East Swim.
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The CIPR described it as a “simplistic but effective and engaging” campaign and its “excellent” use of spend versus extensive media coverage achieved.
“The judges felt that Genesis PR delivered above any reasonable expectation to gain competitors for the swim,” said the CIPR.
Meanwhile, Essex County Council was a double gold award-winner. It took the Public Sector Campaign accolade for its Essex Energy Switch, helping residents to get a better deal on their gas and electricity prices.
And Essex County Council communications manager Jessica Baldwin took the Outstanding Young Communicator after “leading from the front” on issues-based integrated campaigns from school admissions and special educational needs to dementia and public sector redesign.
Pier director Kate Bowden Smith said: “I am delighted that Pier has been recognised as the outstanding public relations consultancy in the region.
“This is a great achievement which recognises the excellent work we do for our clients, as well as the enthusiasm and commitment of the whole team.”
Penny Arbuthnot, director of Genesis PR, said they were “delighted” to win the gold award, as well as a silver and reaching the finals in six categories.
“The campaigns we created and delivered to win these awards involved an effective mix of social media and traditional PR techniques which generated fantastic media coverage and produced the desired results,” she said.
