PR News honored its 2016 Agency Elite Awards winners and honorable mentions at its annual Agency Elite and Platinum PR Awards Luncheon on October 19, 2016 sponsored by Aflac and Business Wire. The event honored the top PR agencies and the people and campaigns that make them great. Also honored at the event were the 2016 Platinum PR Award winners and honorable mentions.
PR News Agency Elite Awards 2016 Winners and Honorable Mentions
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Advocacy
Irwin Gail Consumer Communications - Badger & Winters #WomenNotObjects
Honorable Mentions:
- JPA Health Communications - Concussion Prevention: Digital Outreach
- LDWWgroup - The Big 12 Conference: Changing the Game, So Legislators Don’t Have To/li>
- Momentum Communications Group - Empowering Nonprofit Voices
Agency Awe Professional
Winner: Telly Wong, IW Group
Honorable Mentions:
- Kathy Bloomgarden, Ruder Finn
- Beth Monaghan, InkHouse
- Christian Rodgers, Pascale Communications
Agency Team of the Year
Winner: IW Group
Honorable Mentions:
- Klick Communications
- Murphy O'Brien Public Relations
- Ballantines PR
Best Training/Education Program
Winner: WE Communications - Centralized Internship Program
Honorable Mentions:
- Hotwire PR - Hotwire DNA
- Infinite Global - Attorneys vs. Accountants: Content Success Study
- INK Public Relations - INK University
- Newlink Academy
Branding
Winner: Hotwire - Meet Swivelfly
Honorable Mention:
- RF Binder - Changing Public Perception of Algae: A Groundswell Marketing Campaign from the Thrive Brand
Business to Business
Winner: Bhava Communications - Hedvig: Going Back to Basics - Launching from Stealth in an Overcrowded Industry
Honorable Mentions:
- Antenna Group - Miraah
- Bhava Communications - CrowdFlower Campaign: “The Data Behind Today’s Data Scientists”
- INK Public Relations - INK for Datapipe
- NCR Small Business with Arketi Group - NCR Silver Generates Small Business Media Buzz
- SHIFT Communications - Creating a Security Rainmaker
Cause/CSR
Winner: Lippe Taylor - Cetaphil Celebrates Camp Wonder 15th Anniversary
Honorable Mentions:
- Cone Communications - Delivering Impacts Across Business, Brand and Society
- Ingram Micro, Inc. - Elementary School IT Makeover
- Weber Shandwick & Mars, Inc. - M&M'S Red Nose Day #MakeMLaugh Campaign
Community Relations
Co-Winner: Sage Communications - Leadership Greater Washington Fully Integrated Communications Campaign
Co-Winner: SKDKnickerbocker - Katrina 10: Resilient New Orleans
Community Relations/Volunteer Programs
Winner: Coyne PR - Good to Go
Honorable Mentions:
- Community Unit School District 308 - PRIDE Recognition Program
- Strategic Public Relations Group - Care • Connect • Contribute by SPRG
Consumer Marketing
Co-Winner: MWWPR - Consumer Marketing Practice
Co-Winner: R&R Partners Public Relations - Vegas Season
Honorable Mention:
- 5W Public Relations - jane iredale Blogger Initiative
Content Marketing
Co-Winner: Atomic 212 Group - Lucy the Robot
Co-Winner: W2 Communications - ThreatConnect Project Camera Shy
Honorable Mentions:
- Digital Brand Expressions – SEMPO
- Weber Shandwick & Mars, Inc. - M&M'S 1 Million Tastes of Crispy Giveaway: #NashHasCrispy
Crisis Management
Winner: LDWWgroup - Ensuring the Safety of Yemeni Hostages
Digital / Social Media
Co-Winner: R&R Partners Public Relations - Vegas Season
Co-Winner: Weber Shandwick & National Pork Board - Grill Crashers
Honorable Mentions:
- Bel Brands USA/The Laughing Cow - Love Your Local Events
- MWWPR - Accelerating Change with Innovative Social Strategies
- Weber Shandwick & Mars, Inc. - M&M'S Red Nose Day #MakeMLaugh Campaign
Financial Communications
Winner: Vested - The Business of Star Wars: A Citadel Conversation
Honorable Mentions:
- LDWWgroup - GameStop EARNING Extra Lives
- Olmstead Williams Communications - Oberthur Technologies: Driving chip cards into American wallets
Integrated Communications
Winner: The Mosaic Company - The Great Yield Mystery
Honorable Mentions:
- APCO Worldwide - Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE)
- LDWWgroup - Integrated “Big Game” Campaign Creates New Demand for Cruising by Drawing Consumers “Back to the Sea”
- R&R Partners Public Relations - Vegas Season
- Sharp Communications & Benjamin Moore - Announce Benjamin Moore's 2016 Color of the Year
Internal Communications
Co-Winner: Newlink - OneNewl1nk
Co-Winner: US Postal Service - Western Word
Marketing Communications
Winner: RF Binder - Changing Public Perception of Algae: A Groundswell Marketing Campaign from the Thrive Brand
Honorable Mentions:
- Atomic 212 Group - Lucy the Robot
- The Hawaiian Electric Companies - A Sustainable Solar Future for Hawaii
- Makovsky - Soraa Product Guide
- Stein IAS and Trelleborg Marine Systems - Measurable Marketing Quality
Marketing to Women
Winner: Lippe Taylor - MonaLisa Touch: Improving a Woman’s Gynecologic Health and Quality Of Life
Honorable Mentions:
- 5W Public Relations - OneStopPlus Rebrands to FULLBEAUTY Brands, Revolutionizes Plus-Size Style
- GOLD PR - Invisalign "Unbrace Teen Confidence"
- Green Works - Green Works Encourages Girls to Unleash Their Natural Potential
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Measurement/Evaluation
Winner: INK Public Relations - THE DMM: Daily Media Report for an International Renewable Energy Company
Media Relations
Winner: Cone Communications - 2015 Jiffy Lube National Donut Day
Honorable Mentions:
- Fineman PR Produces National Impact for HNTB and Foster Farms
- Murphy O'Brien Public Relations - Santa Catalina Island Company: Breathing Life Back into an Iconic Destination
- Sweeney Marketing + PR - Jo-Ann Local Television Coverage
- Voce Communications - Tile Holiday Campaign 2015
Nonprofit/Association
Winner: SKDKnickerbocker - Katrina 10: Resilient New Orleans
Honorable Mentions:
- Momentum Communications Group - Empowering Nonprofit Voices
- Piper & Gold Public Relations - T3 Launch Campaign
- Sage Communications - S&R Foundation Fully Integrated Communications Campaign
Product Launch
Co-Winner: Alpaytac Marketing Communications/Public Relations - SharkNinja Enters Coffee Market with Ninja Coffee Bar Launch
Co-Winner: Murphy O'Brien Public Relations - Lynx Smart Grill: Smart Gadgets Enter a New Market
Honorable Mentions:
- GOLD PR ~ Galderma Laboratories, L.P. – “Perfecting the Pout”: Launch of Restylane Silk
- Inner Circle Labs – The L16: Bringing New Light to Photography
- PAN Communications - Artec 3D Shapify Booth Launch
- Peppercomm - LEVL CES Launch
Promotion of Firm (Marketing, Advertising, PR)
Winner: RED PR
Honorable Mentions:
- Fineman PR - Get Your Ship Together in a Crisis: Do a PANTCHEK
- Hollywood Public Relations - Hollywood Holiday Wishes 2015
- Racepoint Global Business Development and Global Marketing Team - Post-Integration: How One Agency Promoted an Evolving Brand, Increased Clients and Attracted New Talent
Public Affairs
Winner: Butler Associates Public Relations Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York - Correct the $27/Day Disability Crisis for New York's Bravest
Honorable Mentions:
- Davies Public Affairs - Vancouver Energy
- Powell Tate - Halting a tax on medical innovation
- SKDKnickerbocker - Katrina 10: Resilient New Orleans
Publicity
Winner: TopFire Media - Mission: Fit to Own
Honorable Mentions:
- Sweeney Marketing + PR - Jo-Ann Local Television Coverage
- Think PR - Aloft Hotels Emoji Room Service Launch
Reputation Management
Winner: BRG Communications - Walmart’s “Holiday Sing to Salute Military Families” campaign
Honorable Mentions:
- Deveney - UMC Grand Opening Reputation Management
- LDWWgroup - Carnival Corp: “Big Game” Campaign Draws Consumers “Back to the Sea” and Accelerates New Demand for Cruising
- MWWPR - MWWPR's Reputation Management Practice
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Word of Mouth/Viral
Winner: Irwin Gail Consumer Communications - Badger & Winters #WomenNotObjects
Honorable Mentions:
- Minnesota Pork Board - Pig + a Pint
- RF Binder - Changing Public Perception of Algae: A Groundswell Marketing Campaign from the Thrive Brand