Flow Communications has won the Environmental category in the prestigious 2022 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards for its work on the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day campaign.
“We are ecstatic! This coveted international award is yet another reminder of how much we love what we do, and the amazing clients who partner with us and trust us to create compelling campaigns. This campaign was born out of the courage of a few dedicated and passionate people, who all worked on it totally pro bono,” says Flow CEO Tara Turkington.
Says Flow managing director Tiffany Turkington-Palmer, “This is wonderful news! It’s heart-warming to see our purpose-driven campaigns doing so well this year, and the MPA Day campaign is a perfect example of this. We are so looking forward to MPA Day this year, coming up again on August 1.”
On 1 August 2021, South Africa observed a day to celebrate marine protected areas, MPA Day, the first event of its kind globally. MPAs are protected areas of coastlines and ocean, or “game reserves of the sea”. Flow Communications and Olivia Jones Communications were instrumental in the several months of planning and build-up for the campaign, primarily using online communication channels such as social media and digital platforms to disseminate information about the event.
The campaign was so successful that MPA Day has now become an annual event, extending to eight countries outside South Africa this year.
Says marine biologist and initiator of MPA Day, Dr Judy Mann-Lang, “Our oceans need people who are passionate and creative, hard-working and brave. And we found all these attributes in our MPA Day communication partners, Flow Communications and Olivia Jones Communications. As conservationists, we knew that we would need communications support from people who shared our love for the ocean to make the world’s first Marine Protected Areas Day a reality. MPA Day 2021 showed what can be achieved when people work together for a goal. And what greater goal than protecting our incredible oceans.”
Every year, the IPRA awards receive entries from agencies and organisations around the world. Competition to win one of these prestigious awards is fierce. Says IPRA on its website, “A jury of experienced communication professionals judges the entries and nominates the best for a shortlist. In a next step, the final winners are selected on the basis of unique merit, relevance, concrete objectives, creative strategies and tactics, and demonstrable results.”
Only two African firms were honoured at this year’s IPRA Awards, Flow Communications and BCW Africa, which won in the Climate Change category. Other winners this year included: PR Consulting Dentsu Inc., BCW Germany, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and more. The full list of IPRA winners can be seen here: www.ipra.org/golden-world-awards/winners/.
Last week, MPA Day won five coveted PRISM Awards, the most prestigious awards for public relations in South Africa:
Gold – Environmental category
Silver – Best use of an event to build/change reputation (event management)
Silver – NGO/NPC campaign
Silver – PR on a shoestring
Bronze – South African campaign of the year