The Fresh PR Awards

PRmoment sponsored a couple of categories at the Fresh PR Awards in Manchester last Thursday. Presenting awards is a curious feeling, I seem to juggle the "am I worthy? syndrome" with the recurring thought of "do not fall over!" The quality of the winning entries seemed to be high and the friendliness of the occasion made it a pleasure to attend. I even found time to sip some champagne and swig the odd beer! Like many sectors, PR seems to have an insatiable appetite for awards ceremonies. I had imagined that the recession might see a couple of the programs fade away, but on the basis that the forces of supply and demand settle most imbalances, PR people seem to enjoy rewarding themselves! The winners at The Fresh PR Awards Manchester based SKV Communications scooped the Grand Prix for the best overall entry. Their J’aime la Tour entry for Visit Blackpool also scooped the winning award in the Freshest Digital and Freshest Public Sector campaign categories. Brighton based agency Man Bites Dog, took the title as the Freshest PR Consultancy of the Year. Derbyshire County Council took the In-House Team of the Year Award whilst Jaime Markey from Manchester based JAMpr took the title as the Freshest Young PR Professional, having started the consultancy from scratch in 2006. Other winners on the night included BJL who won two awards, one for their Be Cotsafe campaign for FSID’s in Community Relations and one for their BJL, Strength to Change campaign for Hull PCT in the Freshest Not for Profit Campaign, and Peppermint PR who scooped two awards for their Red Recession Dress work for Big Discount Store, in Consumer Campaign and in Low Budget. The judging was chaired by industry guru Mark Borkowski who commented “The standard this year was better all round and the submissions caused much debate amongst the panel, so deciding upon the ultimate winners was tough. Fresh once again shows that the communications industry is alive and thriving outside of the Capital, and is delivering an innovative approach to the awards genre which focuses on creativity and innovation to maximise impact. "