The 19th PRISM Awards, which 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”.

“The entry showed good strategic thought and understanding of the target audience,” said Chief Judge Marilyn Watson, founder of Cinnamon Communication. “It managed complex issues very well and demonstrated exceptional X-factor - off a very low budget.”

“Judges were looking for a number of criteria – most importantly, the unmistakable “WOW factor”. Groundswell clearly had this, in addition to all the other elements that make up a great public relations campaign: sound research, measurable objectives, detailed planning and tangible results demonstrating the achievements of the objectives set”.

Creating Groundswell for South Africa’s first Dance Movie

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 South African 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.

“This entry was a good demonstration of research and application,” said PRISM judge Jerry Mpufane, Group Managing Director of M&C Saatchi Abel, Gauteng. “The consultancy leveraged existing client knowledge/brand assets/existing media platforms very well.” 

Student Campaigns

“It’s important for us to encourage students to enter the projects they have worked on during the year and for them, as entrants to our profession, to receive positive feedback and encouragement to aim for excellence,” said Kevin Welman, managing director of FleishmanHillard SA, sponsors of the Student Campaign category.

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 CEO of Meropa Communications, took top honours.

For more information, visit www.prism-awards.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Twitter.