2009 Platinum PR Awards: Large PR Firm—Ogilvy PR

During volatile times, Ogilvy PR reinvented itself to meet client needs and relearn what makes the agency truly unique. The result: a 10% increase in Ogilvy PR’s global revenues for 2008, with profits in the $50-to-$55 million range.

Ogilvy PR worked in 2008 to generate estimated new business revenues of $30 million and marquee-level account wins for Chevron, Virgin America, CSC, California Closets, Nestle and T.J. Maxx. The agency was tasked to develop Nike’s social media program, launch IAC’s new brand RushmoreDrive.com, become global AOR for Lance Armstrong Foundation and SunPower and provide development support to the Children’s Defense Fund.

Another of the agency’s many achievements during this period was representing eight of the official sponsors of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Ogilvy trained corporate spokespersons and advised the Chinese government; it also initiated the original Project 2008 Poll with Millward Brown, which surveyed Chinese attitudes about the Olympic Games. ■

Honorable Mentions:

Edelman—Edelman continues to lead the PR industry as a frontrunner in the trust and reputation space, releasing the 10th edition of its Annual Trust Barometer in January 2009. Edelman execs have also been active on the digital public affairs front, releasing a study that examined the use of digital communications platforms in Obama’s successful campaign for president in 2008.

Fleishman-Hillard—The global agency continues to sharpen its international perspective through worldwide collaborations, with 90% of its clients being served by more than one of Fleishman’s 80 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Weber Shandwick—Despite the economic downturn in 2008, Weber Shandwick continued to win market share and register solid growth. It recently won a number of high-profile business pitches including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide—Waggener Edstrom has grown to be the world’s second largest independent PR firm, with 15 offices scattered throughout the globe. The agency has been at the cutting edge of many major technological advances, including the launch of every version of Microsoft Windows. This past year, WE created twendz, a Twitter mining application, which allows the user to discern the sentiment of a tweet. ■

October 26, 2009