Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication

February 7, 2022 By Raleigh PR Society

Join Us for an After-work Celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022!

It’s Time To Celebrate, Marketing and Communications Pros!

We are thrilled at the quality of submissions received in our latest round of Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication and look forward to honoring our newest inductee receiving the Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement
.

Please join us Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. at The Loading Dock’s Beryl Road campus for the after-work celebrations, complete with light bites and adult beverages. (Not quite ready to gather back in a group setting? We have a complimentary virtual-only attendee registration, too!)

Bonus: Get a Free Day of Coworking!

We are thrilled to have The Loading Dock on Beryl Road as an event sponsor for our awards program. In addition to serving as a our venue on Tuesday, Feb. 22, The Loading Dock is always treating RPRS subscribers to a free day of coworking.

Take a tour, stay for the rest of the day, and see what The Loading Dock is all about.

Check Out Coworking

We’ll see ya over morning coffee or a lunch break, friends!

October 31, 2019 By VP@rprs.org

2019 Awards Banquet Recap & Photos

Many thanks to all of the guests who joined us at Transfer Co. on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, to celebrate the best in professional communications that Raleigh-area practitioners have to offer!

The food provided by many of the food hall vendors was delish, our local celebrity MC Hayes Permar brought lots of laughs and industry stories, and our 2019 President and Awards Chair Lindsay Priester and Carolin Lehmann handed out many, many awards to YOU, our submitting organizations.

The Winners

CAMPAIGNS

Crisis Communications
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Island Beaches Invites Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence with Integrated Campaign – SILVER

Integrated Communications
Largemouth Communications – Ascom Breaks Through the Noise at HiMSS – SILVER

Media Events
Largemouth Communications – Stewart Takes The Dillon – SILVER
French|West|Vaughan – PSCU in NYC: The Launch of Inaugural Payments Research Study – SILVER
Clairemont Communications – Vita Vite Midtown Hosts a Toast-Worthy Preview – SILVER
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler ICONS at the Austin Motel – GOLD

Organizational or Branding
Clairemont Communications – Who Says? Journelle Forces Lingerie Conversations into Limelight – Honorable Mention
Clairemont Communications – Western Governors University Builds a Brand in North Carolina – SILVER

Bang for the Buck
North Carolina Museum of Art – Cocktails for O’Keeffe – Honorable Mention

Sports Program
French|West|Vaughan – Moe’s Southwest Grill of the Triangle Shows its School Spirit – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Certified Angus Beef Super Bowl LIII (53) Takeover – GOLD

Special Events
APCO Worldwide – How EPRI Electrified 2018 – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – PSCU Goes “Beyond Limits” During Member Forum 2019 – Silver
Tompkins International – Supply Chain Leadership Forum (SCLF) – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Theodore Alexander and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer Debut Royal Furniture Line – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Certified Angus Beef Super Bowl LIII (53) Takeover – Gold

Sustainability / Corporate Social Responsibility
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler’s Sustainability Goals are Rooted in Traceable Cotton – Silver

Social Media
French|West|Vaughan– Influencing Millennial Parents and Fitness Enthusiasts with Healthy Sweetpotato Recipes – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Reimagining Holiday Traditions with Riceland – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – The Super Bowl of Rodeo Right At Your Fingertips – Gold
Benecomms – Marketing On Pointe: Shining a Spotlight onOne Community’s Local Ballet – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – Influencing Holiday Comfort & Joy for Wrangler – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – Cowboy Up: Wrangler Launches Branded GIFs – Platinum

Cowboy Up: Wrangler Launches Branded GIFs
With innovation at the core of the brand’s business strategy, Wrangler introduced the first-of-its-kind branded GIFs during the Super Bowl of rodeo, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. To align with the brand’s biggest event during the 10-day rodeo, French|West|Vaughan developed a video tutorial showcasing how Instagram users can share the GIFs, and distributed the tutorial to Western influencers, cowboys, and cowgirls ahead of Wrangler’s “Magic of Rodeo” party and the Wrangler NFR.

Before the rodeo began, the GIFs received 847K views – making it the most creative engagement and awareness tactic by the brand in years at their largest event.

Community Relations
Media Partners, Inc. (MPI) – RAYSAC “Be In The Picture” Campaign – Honorable Mention
Media Partners, Inc. (MPI) – Horizon Behavioral Health “Off-Opioids” Campaign – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Teamwork, Timing and Rock: Roll Magic: Bringing the Teen Cancer America Story to Millions – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Lighting a Fire for Everyday Heroes – Platinum

Your house is on fire. You call 911. The bell rings at the closest station but no firefighters suit up and hop on the truck. It’s unimaginable yet, all too familiar in some NC communities due to the critical shortage of volunteer firefighters. The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) tapped Clairemont Communications and The Felice Agency to launch a communications campaign in an effort to recruit volunteer firefighters across NC. Clairemont’s work resulted in 17 news stories, a surge in online traffic and an increase of approximately 170 new volunteers.

TACTICS

Magazines
Tompkins International – MonarchFx Ad – Honorable Mention

Media Kits
French|West|Vaughan – J. Peterman Media Kit – Gold

Videos – Long-Form Productions
Coastal Credit Union – Coffee with Chuck – Silver
North Carolina Museum of Art – “Art + Nature + People: Find Yourself at the NCMA” – Silver
APCO Worldwide – Bringing the GRE to Life – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler Legends- Gold

Websites
Clairemont Communications – Your People Are Here – Briar Chapel’s Website Refresh – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – North Carolina SweetPotato Commission Gets a Sweet New Look – Gold

Social Media
APCO Worldwide – Elevating Patheon by Thermo Fisher Scientific at DCAT Week 2019 – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Beaches Invites Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence Through Authentic Social Storytelling – Silver

Publication – External or Internal
Coastal Credit Union – Community & Member Impact Report – Honorable Mention

Multimedia – Streaming or Podcast
Largemouth Communications – Eaton Battle of the Holmes Livestream – Silver

Writing – Op/Ed
Clairemont Communications Writing – WGU North Carolina Takes Higher Education to Another Level – Silver

Writing – News Releases
Clairemont Communications – Transfer Co. Food Hall Hits the Downtown Scene – Gold

Writing – Blog or Feature
Largemouth Communications – Forbes Series: CloudFactory on “AI, Data and the Future of Work” – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Briar Chapel’s Four Great Gains of Going Green – Silver

Media Relations

French|West|Vaughan – Racing for the Future: ABB Helps Pave the Way for E-Mobility with Formula E Racing – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Island Beaches Encourages Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence with Earned Media Campaign – Silver
Largemouth Communications – Fork & Salad Brings “Aloha Spirit” to the Mainland – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Royal Media Affairs with Lord Spencer and Theodore Alexander – Platinum

Imagine hanging out in Toronto, one of the greatest cities in the world, with Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, just five days after Prince Harry’s royal wedding. This is exactly what Clairemont Communications got to do when hired to promote a furniture collection that Lord Spencer designed in partnership with North Carolina-based furniture manufacturer, Theodore Alexander. Clairemont’s noble efforts generated royal results, including a feature story on Canada’s most watched morning show, several lifestyle magazine articles and placements in The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

Word of Mouth
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler Claps Back – Lil Nas X Collection – Platinum

Wrangler Claps Back – Lil Nas X Collection
“Wrangler on my booty” captured the ears and hearts of millions and after rapper Lil Nas X launched his hit, “Old Town Road.” The single landed in the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 14 weeks in a row (and counting), and the attention led Wrangler to capitalize on the famous lyrics and launch a limited-edition Lil Nas X-inspired capsule collection. Within a lightning short period of just 10 days, a fully integrated marketing campaign launched Wrangler into viral excitement resulting in 2B+ earned media impressions, 16.7M social impressions, 1.7M social mentions, 133K public content engagements and 11.3K new social media followers.

PR Professional of the Year

Kat Harding, NC Museum of Art

“Kat’s dedication to the Museum has brought international attention to the NCMA, front-page newspaper placements, trackable revenue through social media, and some of the largest increases in new social media followers since the Museum channels were started. In the last year, key achievements include seven front page and cover placements; viral marketing campaigns like the Art in Bloom trash cans and Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired cocktail program; announcement and coverage of the hiring of the Museum’s new director, Dr. Valerie Hillings; and promotion for special exhibition You Are Here and its featured new acquisition by art superstar Yayoi (YAH-yoy) Kusama, which became the fourth most-attended exhibition in Museum history.” – Karlie Marlowe, NC Museum of Art

PR Team of the Year

Clairemont Communications

Inside a historic home nestled in downtown Raleigh is an energetic, creative, passionate PR team: Clairemont Communications. When the Clairemont team members aren’t strategizing in the brightly appointed office, they are facilitating media interviews with Lord Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, hosting a beloved chocolatier at Charleston Wine and Food Festival, conducting deskside briefings with the chancellor of WGU North Carolina or meeting with a fashion client in New York City. As Clairemont approaches its 10-year anniversary, founder Dana Phelps said, “I follow the advice of ‘hire people smarter than you,’ and it is my privilege to work each day with the smart, kind, caring and funny women who make Clairemont Communications what it is today.”

Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement

The Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement is presented to an individual who has made lasting and meaningful contributions to the field of public relations over the course of a career. It is given in memory of Watt Huntley, who served as public relations chief at Carolina Power & Light in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Huntley also served as President of the Raleigh Public Relations Society, and so the organization’s highest honor bears his name.

This year we’re excited to honor Dana Phelps from Clairemont Communications.

The Pictures

July 17, 2018 By VP@rprs.org

Join Us! RPRS Summer Social – “Unconference” – July 24, 2018

Shake up your summer evening routine and join us on the patio at Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar on Tuesday, July 24, 2018, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. for our summer social which we’ve themed as an “unconference”!

RPRS Summer Social "Unconference" 2018 — Join us Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar

There’s no rigid agenda here, just the best things you love about going to industry conferences… a few hot tips, some inspiring takeaways, networking with old and new contacts like, and of course, a few product demos…

RSVP Today

The event is free to attend, but drinks are on your own. Sorry, no big spender sponsors for this “unconference”! 😉

Please register for your ticket below. We have space for 40 of our closest friends! Can’t make it after you RSVP? Please email VP@RPRS.org so that we may cancel your ticket and open up space for another guest to attend.

Rain or Shine

Although we plan to enjoy the luxe patio for this event, we’re are having our unconference rain or shine and will move indoors if inclement weather is in the plans for our evening.

Practice Your Public Speaking

Want to get a little extra face time at this event? We’re looking for five speakers to host “lightning talks” – a three-to-five minute speaking opportunity about your hot take on an industry trend or best practice. Since this is an unconference, there’s no fancy AV equipment so you’ll have to do it unaided by an accompanying PowerPoint presentation.

Sound like a good opportunity you want to jump at? Pitch us! Email VP@RPRS.org with your topic and our board will select five speakers by Friday, July 20, so you’ll have the weekend to practice in front of your mirror, your dog, or your non-judgemental BFFs.

The Logistics

There’s plenty of parking on-site, so come on over to Mulino at 309 N. Dawson Street in Downtown Raleigh when your day wraps up. Plan to Uber instead? We can’t blame you – and encourage you to enjoy a glass of wine, craft beer, or one of the inspired seasonal cocktails since you won’t be driving home!

Come when you can, leave when you must. Our unconference is a casual one happening from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The first lightning talk will begin at 6 p.m. and we’ll have demos of our new online awards platform going all evening, too!

Questions or More Info?

Leave a comment below or email VP@RRPS.org!

October 24, 2017 By Raleigh PR Society

RPRS Honors Communications Professionals in the Triangle, Names Lifetime Achievement and Inaugural PR Pro of the Year Recipients

Congratulations to all of our Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellent in Communications winners!
We had a fantastic time celebrating all of your hard work represented amongst the 68 entries into this year’s award program. The awards banquet was held on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at The Cannon Room, a new Downtown Raleigh event space operated as part of the HQ Raleigh program. What a breathtaking sunset we all were able to experience during the cocktail hour as we were perched high atop town on the 12th floor.

A very special note of congratulations to Susan Friday Lamb who was named our 2017 Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement winner – her gracious and supportive family joined us to accept on her behalf.

Raleigh Public Relations Society Watt Huntley Award 2017

Our official post-event press release follows:

RPRS Honors Communications Professionals in the Triangle, Names Lifetime Achievement and Inaugural PR Pro of the Year Recipients

Annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication awards banquet recognizes PR practitioners for successful campaigns and tactics

Raleigh, N.C. – October 20, 2017 – The Raleigh Public Relations Society recognized local public relations and communications professionals during its 2017 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication ceremony. The awards banquet, held on October 17 at The Cannon Room in downtown Raleigh, was emceed by Seth Crossno, the blogger behind William Needham Finley IV™ of ITB Insider™.

“We received a wide range of categorical Sir Walter Raleigh Award entries from an array of organizations and professionals this year,” said Kelly Propst, president, RPRS. “This is a great testament that Raleigh-Durham is an area acknowledged for high levels of creativity, diversity and strategy-driven public relations agencies and practitioners.”

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards competition is a showcase of exemplary work by PR and communication professionals throughout North Carolina. The competition is held annually and recognizes projects that have achieved excellence in a variety of categories, as judged by an independent panel of judges. This year’s awards were judged by members of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Memphis Chapter.

RPRS also recognized Susan Friday Lamb with the 2017 Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement. This award is given annually to an individual who has made meaningful contributions to the field of public relations over the course of a career.

Lamb served as the public information officer for the North Carolina Museum of History for more than 20 years. In a time with limited state-allocated funds for museums and state historic sites, she found numerous ways to highlight and promote these state treasures. Her dedication, professionalism, and mentorship towards other state agency public information officers and communications individuals are evidence of her service to the state of North Carolina.

“Susan is a veritable treasure!” said Betty McCain, North Carolina Museum of History Foundation Board member, as part of Lamb’s nomination. “Susan has made colleagues of many members of the media and they help tell our story through pages of the free press. She enjoys a real gift of descriptive and tantalizing stories that make North Carolinians proud of and interested in attending lectures, visiting the numerous sites and the wonderful museum of history. She works tirelessly to engage citizens of North Carolina in their own state history and all it has to offer.”

“Susan sparked my passion for public relations,” said Mary Withers, a previous North Carolina Museum of History intern. “…Without Susan’s mentorship, I never would have worked for a PR firm in Raleigh, and I would never be in my current position.”

In addition, Joe Mecca of Coastal Federal Credit Union is the first to receive the 2017 PR Professional of the Year title. In his role as Assistant Vice President Communication, Mecca serves as company spokesman, and is integral to the credit union’s public relations, corporate communication and political affairs functions. When he’s not working to build up Coastal’s public profile, Joe’s focus is on ensuring that employees and members are kept well-informed. He also lends his talent to several key committees at Coastal and is on the board of the credit union’s charitable foundation.

“Over the past year alone, Joe has strategically planned and communicated a number of major milestones for Coastal, all done with excellence and precision,” said Propst. “Coastal is embraced by its membership and well-recognized for its efforts in the community, all stories that Joe has helped to tell. We are thrilled to honor him with the inaugural RPRS PR Professional of the Year Award.”

This year, in an effort led by RPRS Awards Chair David Dean of the Hillsborough Street Community Service Corporation, the RPRS board revised the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication categories and structure to better reflect the current strategies and tactics communications professionals are implementing in the field. For example, this was the first year to have categories for Blog, Live Streaming, and Corporate Social Responsibility. The updated categories led to a 52 percent increase in award submissions over 2016. In addition, category winners are named based on Platinum, Gold and Silver level award recognitions. Platinum winners must have an average score of 95 or above, with the highest average score per category taking the top recognition. Gold winners are any entry with an average score of 90 and above, except for the Platinum winner. Silver winners are any entry with an average score of 80 – 89.

Special thanks to RPRS Banquet Chair Lisa Jeffries of Raleighwood Media Group + Raleighwood Event Group for planning and coordinating this year’s awards banquet. For more information about the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication, visit www.rprs.org/awards.

The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication recognized the following 2017 winners:

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Bang for the Buck

Platinum Winner

FleishmanHillard with St. Baldrick’s Foundation Bang for the Buck

FleishmanHillard has partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to raise awareness for childhood cancer research through a comprehensive media relations program for 10 years. In 2016, FH was tasked with further educating the public about the impact of dollars raised for the Foundation, while also sharing the critical need for more childhood cancer research funding to new audiences. FH successfully secured national media placements of a story that did just that in Inside Edition and Martha Stewart Magazine, strategically building momentum that launched a viral reaction, resulting in more than 350 million media impressions.

Gold Winners

FWV with Rodeo Right at your Fingertips

FWV with Nathan Beats the Heat with Focused Media Relations

FWV with Media Relations Campaign Puts Heads in Beds During the Off-Season in Wilmington, NC’s Island Beach

S&A Communications with Chad Michael McIntyre Louisiana Flood Relief Effort

Silver Winners

FWV with Restoring the Luster of a Legendary Personal Brand

FWV with Introducing CRISPR-Cas3

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Branding (Community or Product)

Platinum Winner

FWV with French/West/Vaughan Drives Visitation to Family-Friendly Dude Ranches Across the Country

Few things evoke feelings of All-American nostalgia like the Wild West. While many people may dream of being a cowboy or cowgirl at some point, more well-known destinations usually win out when it comes time to plan a family vacation. The Dude Ranchers’ Association – a nonprofit organization representing more than 100 dude ranches across North America – needed to increase awareness of its association and member ranches among mainstream consumer audiences through a strategic media relations campaign in 2016/2017. Media features in respected top-tier travel and consumer outlets resulted in a 33:1 ROI on the client’s PR investment, surpassing all campaign goals.

Gold Winners

Clairemont Communications – Il Palio Dishes Up Something New

FleishmanHillard – Rise Against Hunger Rebrand Launch

Tompkins International – Tompkins International Branding

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Community Relations

Platinum Winner

FWV with Fleet Feet Runs Wild with runMoji™

The interest and hobby of running was grossly under-represented in the emoji world, with just one emoji depicting the activity. FWV saw the opportunity for Fleet Feet Sports to create an emoji keyboard showcasing experiences of this broad audience and enabling the brand to be a constant presence in everyday conversations within the running community. This would not only keep the brand top of mind but further strengthen runners’ connection to the community and help solidify Fleet Feet’s status as an ambassador of the sport.

Gold Winner

S&A Communications with SAS Championship Community Relations

Silver Winner

FWV with Wrangler Honors Greensboro’s Textile History

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Organizational Identity/Promotion

Platinum Winner

Clairemont Communications with Wendell Falls Busts Real Estate Myths

Wendell Falls, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, opened in 2015 and faced the ongoing perception that it was remotely located, inaccessible and lacking vital resources. Developer Newland Communities turned to Clairemont Communications to bust the myths shrouding this new community. Clairemont crafted and implemented a strategic campaign leveraging creative tactics from school partnerships and themed open houses to media dance competitions and video challenges; their efforts ultimately increased home sales by 250 percent in one year and earned Wendell Falls the title as Best Master Planned Community in East Wake County by The News & Observer.

Gold Winners

French/West/Vaughan – Fleet Feet Runs Wild with runMoji™

Clairemont Communications – Briar Chapel Back on the Map

Silver Winners

Rountree Communications – 2017 Spring Edition of the Southern Ideal Home Show Promotional Campaign Entry

French/West/Vaughan – IGI Breaks Through to Millennials

French/West/Vaughan – Operation POTUS

FleishmanHillard – Lowe’s Arms Employees with Robotics

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Special Events

Gold Winner

Clairemont Communications with Fire It Up! Briar Chapel’s 9th Annual Pepper Festival

Silver Winners

FleishmanHillard with March of Dimes Marches for Babies One Step at a Time

French/West/Vaughan with Strait to Texas

North Carolina Biotechnology Center with VaccinatioNCelebration

CATEGORY – Campaigns: Word of Mouth/Viral

Platinum Winner

FWV with The Daredevils of Saint-Tite Quebec

Since its inception, the Wrangler Network has grown far beyond its original intended purpose. What began as a digital platform designed to allow rodeo fans access to the live rodeo competition coverage they were denied, has evolved into a comprehensive online environment that serves relevant video content to diverse audiences while benefiting the Wrangler brand as a unique content generator. In 2016, The Wrangler Network received 17M+ total content views, resulting in a 280 percent year-over year increase. The Wrangler Network is averaging 1M+ content views per month, and has an external revenue of up to $600K in advertising sales.

CATEGORY – Digital Communications: Live Streaming

Gold Winner

FWV with Strait to Texas

Silver Winner

Largemouth Communications with Mike Holmes Chats Electrical Safety

CATEGORY – Digital Communications: Social Media Campaign

Platinum

Clairemont Communications with A Taste of Italy at Il Palio

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, launched a $1 million renovation and revamped menu crafted by its new chef. The restaurant turned to Clairemont Communications to promote these improvements and boost acclaim. Clairemont crafted a creative social media strategy targeting food bloggers and culinary influencers through personalized, VIP experiences. This “Taste of Italy” campaign secured vibrant coverage, engaged new guests and ultimately helped to position Il Palio as a desirable, modern dining hotspot for all ages, earning the restaurant a Gold Medal from food critics as a “2016 Best Restaurant in the Triangle.”

Gold Winners

French/West/Vaughan with Fleet Feet Runs Wild with runMoji™

Largemouth Communications with Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America

Silver Winners

French/West/Vaughan with Wrangler (Basket)Ball Talk

Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department with Your Parks. Your Stories.

CATEGORY – Digital Communications: Video/Podcast/Videocast Program

Platinum Winner

FWV with Launching Directors’ Reserve

When the Directors’ Reserve product launched in 2016, there was no better way to tell the story behind its inception than through carefully crafted video. With a small budget and limited opportunities to drive awareness and demand, this video was at the core of the Directors’ Reserve launch strategy, designed to celebrate Pendleton Whisky’s pride in rodeo heritage, but also drive product sell-through among core consumer audiences. It is now the most asked about product on brand owned communication channels.

Gold Winners

Clairemont Communications with Our Coffee Cares Video
mpiTOO with WakeUP Wake County Better Transit PSA

Silver Winner

mpiTOO with Clarksville Players, Support the Dream Video

CATEGORY – General: Event Marketing

Silver Winners

French/West/Vaughan with No Place Like Home, Wrangler Jeansboro Day

FleishmanHillard with Scott Safety Scott Sight FDIC 2016

Clairemont Communications with Vita Vite Creates “Raleigh’s Sunday Spot”

CATEGORY – General: Media Event

Platinum Winner

FWV with Bounce Back Bash

The premier female fashion brand, Riders by Lee, hosted an influencer event in New York City to raise awareness around their newest product launch, Bounce Back Denim. As a way to bring consumers closer to brand representatives, develop relationships and celebrate the new launch, the Riders by Lee team invited fashion, lifestyle, mom and plus-size influencers to sample and interact with the brand for an exclusive, experiential night out. Through onsite activation and proactive follow up, the influencer party garnered more than 2M media impressions and reached close to 850K targeted women on social media.

Silver Winners

Clairemont Communications with Hoedown Showdown at Wendell Falls

French/West/Vaughan with Operation POTUS

CATEGORY – Publication & PR Writing: Opinion/Feature

Silver Winners

S&A Communications with Ethics Article in Public Relations Tactics

Largemouth Communications with Pokémon GO and the Future of Fluid Power

CATEGORY – Publication & PR Writing: Press Release

Silver Winner

Clairemont Communications with DQ’s Miracle Treat Day Benefits Duke Children’s Hospital

About RPRS
For more than 50 years, the Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) has advanced the art and science of public relations and strengthened communication, understanding and cooperation among diverse individuals, organizations and institutions throughout the Triangle. The organization regularly hosts professional development opportunities, including monthly meetings, networking socials and the annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication banquet, which recognizes the best public relations projects and professionals in North Carolina. For more information, visit www.rprs.org.

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October 18, 2016 By Raleigh PR Society

2016 RPRS Awards Banquet in Review

We loved getting to celebrate excellence in communications with so many of our Triangle-area peers in the public relations and corporate communications fields last week at our annual awards banquet. Our thanks to Charlotte Agenda (and Raleigh Agenda) Co-Founder and Creative Director Katie Levans for serving as our keynote speaker and guest emcee for the evening, as well!

Many local organizations took home Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication and one very deserving professional received the Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement.

2016 Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement Winner: Pamela Meek – SAS

Pamela Meek, Senior Director of External Communications at SAS, has come a long way since her first job at Record Bar as a newly minted UNC-Chapel Hill journalism graduate. She began her career in internal communications at Record Bar, a Durham-based music store chain. Except for two years there and a five-month stint at the Duke University News Bureau, she has spent her entire professional life growing and developing the corporate communications program at Cary, N.C.-based SAS, the world’s leading analytics software maker.

In 30 years – 25 of them in leadership roles – she has influenced almost every aspect of SAS’ internal and external communications program. Her fingerprints are on everything from narrative on www.sas.com to the nuances of executive speeches to SAS’ presence on social media. She leads product and workplace culture public relations initiatives that cross company divisions and involve colleagues in other countries. A capable corporate spokesperson herself, she counsels executives to represent SAS in media interviews and speaking engagements at highly visible venues.

She built a world-class team whose accomplishments include producing the entries that won SAS an unbroken streak of 19 appearances on Fortune magazine’s elite list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. At a recent celebration of her three decades at SAS, co-founder and CEO Jim Goodnight lauded her success, describing her and her teams as innovative and crediting them with establishing and expanding SAS’ reputation as analytics leader.

2016 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication Winners

Division 1: Total Campaign
Category 1 – Promotional Campaign
Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler Honors Greensboro’s Textile History
Clairemont Communications – Briar Chapel Adds Heat to the 8th Annual Pepper Festival
Clairemont Communications – Papa Spuds Delivers Farm Fresh Food to Your Doorstep
Fleishman Hillard – Cree + Abby Wambach
Fleishman Hillard – Baby+Co. Grand Opening

Silver Winner
French|West|Vaughan – Showcasing the Best of the West- Dude Ranch-Style

Gold Winners
French/West/Vaughan – Meet me for Midnight
North Carolina Art Museum – Reaching Millennials at M.C. Escher

Category 2 – Organizational Identity/Promotion
Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – PSCU Goes Back to the Future

Silver Winners
Clairemont Communications-Unveiling New Digs: II Palio Revamps and Renews
Fleishman Hillard- Sirtex-SIRFLOX Study

Gold Winner
French|West|Vaughan- NC State ISE Rises to No. 2 National Ranking

Category 6 – Miscellaneous Special Events
Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan- Riders by Lee Shines New Light on Body Positivity with “Mirror, Mirror” NYC Media Event

Silver Winners
French|West|Vaughan – Feed the Force: Moe’s Exclusive Premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
S&A Communications – Second Annual Triangle Oktoberfest

Gold Winners
Clairemont Communications – Raising the Barn- Wendell Falls Grand Opening
Clairemont Communications – The Lincoln Apartments Ribbon Cutting

Best in Division for Total Campaign:
North Carolina Museum of Art- Reaching Millennials at M.C. Escher

Division 2: Publications
Category 8b – Brochure, Handbook or Guidebook with Three or More Colors
Silver Winner
Largemouth Communications-Eaton: There’s More to Our Story

Category 10b – Magazine with Three or More Colors
Gold Winner
S.T. Wooten Corporation- Beyond the Specs

Best in Division for Publications:
S.T. Wooten Corporation- Beyond the Specs

Division 3: Public Relations Writing
Category 13- Opinion/Feature Writing
Gold Winner
S&A Communications- Smith Anderson Article on Entrepreneur.com

Category 14- News Release
Gold Winner
Clairemont Communications- Growers Reinvent Farming Practice with New Technologies
Best in Division for Public Relations Writing
S&A Communications- Smith Anderson Article on Entreprenuer.com

Division 4: Digital Communications
Category 16 – Website
Silver Winner
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangling Multimedia Content for the Western Lifestyle

Category 17 – Social Media
Gold Winner
French|West|Vaughan – Pendleton Midnight Launch

Category 19- Video and Film
Honorable Mention
Fleishman Hillard – Cree Abby Wambach Tribute Video

Silver Winner
French|West|Vaughan – Pendleton Midnight Launch

Gold Winner
Clairemont Communications- Clairemont Communications Celebrates Six Years with Good to Be Alive Video

Best in Division for Digital Communications
Clairemont Communications – Clairemont Communications Celebrates Six Years with Good to Be Alive Video

Division 5: More Bang for the Buck
Category 21- Special Event/Campaign
Honorable Mention
S&A Communications – Cary Family Dental’s Fourth Annual Dentistry From the Heart Event

Silver Winners
French|West|Vaughan – Carolina Beach Kicks Off Beach Season with Boardwalk Grand Opening
Fleishman Hillard – The St. Baldrick’s Foundation- Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Campaign

Gold Winner
French|West|Vaughan – Golf Driving PTSD Road to Recovery

Best in Division for More Bang for the Buck
French|West|Vaughan – Golf Driving PTSD Road to Recovery