The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) has presented it annual awards for Excellence in PR. Twenty one awards for Excellence were presented.

PRCA chairman Sharon Murphy said: “The bi-annual industry survey, the PRCA Healthcheck shows that 50% of agencies are likely to recruit additional staff over the next year and 80% expect the PR industry to grow in the year ahead. The key skills that employers are looking for in young people looking to get ahead in the sector are creativity, strategic insight, media and influencer relations and social media campaign development.”

• BEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGN: Drury Porter Novelli and the Irish Association of Physical Therapists’ – Listen Up Leo campaign
• BEST CONSUMER PUBLIC RELATIONS - BUDGET LESS THAN €20,000: The Graham Norton Wine Launch from TRA Brands at The Reputations Agency and SuperValu
• BEST CONSUMER PUBLIC RELATIONS - BUDGET OVER €50,000: “Change is in the Eir” —  re-branding programme entered by Fleishman Hillard and eir
• BEST USE OF MEDIA RELATIONS: Irish Design 2015 from Elevate PR and the Design & Craft Council of Ireland
• BEST USE OF DIGITAL PR INCLUDING CONTENT CREATION: Vodafone Ireland #4G LIVE campaign from Weber Shandwick
• BEST PUBLIC SECTOR CAMPAIGN: Carr Communications – NSAI “Check your insulation products and installers are NSAI Certified”
• BEST INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: Bringing “Our Way” to Life at Three entered by Three Ireland
• BEST CAMPAIGN BY A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION: Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal 2015 from Walsh:PR and Team Hope Ireland
• BEST CORPORATE COMMUNICATION IN SUPPORT OF ORGANISATIONAL VALUES: The Lidl Health & Wellness Campaign from The Reputations Agency and Lidl Ireland
• BEST CORPORATE CAMPAIGN: Ryanair – Always Getting Better programme entered by Edelman and Ryanair
• BEST B2B CAMPAIGN: PSG Plus’ work on the Bord Gáis Energy SME Outreach campaign
• BEST FINANCIAL/INVESTOR RELATIONS CAMPAIGN: H+A Marketing +PR’s ‘Cost of Raising Kids Index’ to support Laya Healthcare’s life insurance offering
• BEST HEALTHCARE CAMPAIGN: HPRA Cosmetics Campaign – Weber Shandwick and the Health Products Regulatory Authority
• BEST USE OF SPONSORSHIP: Electric Ireland: Electric Picnic 2015 — Wilson Hartnell
• BEST USE OF SPONSORSHIP - BUDGET Exceeding €50,000: AIB Campaign – Backing Club & County — Wilson Hartnell and AIB Bankcentre
• BEST PR FOR AN EVENT: AIG Fenway Hurling Classic, PSG Sponsorship and AIG
• BEST PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN - Save Roscommon Campaign from Tempus Media and the Roscommon Boundary Group
• YOUNG COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR: Mark O’Toole, Beachhut PR

The judging panel said that Mark O’Toole had differentiated himself with his perspective on the wider vision of public relations and communications. “Mark’s career demonstrates his ability to be effective in challenging situations and establishing genuine credentials at the heart of an important industry,” said his citation.

Photo: Ger McCarthy and Siobhán Molloy of Weber Shandwick

In Association with

• Click here to view 2016 Survey of PR Sector in Ireland published in Business Plus magazine