VOICE / PUBLIC RELATIONS : Love that harbour link!

Creating positive perception among Bay of Plenty people over one of New Zealand’s largest roading projects won The New Zealand Transport Agency the Supreme Award at the 36th Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Awards.
Janette Wise and the transport agency team won the award for communications around the three-year Tauranga Harbour Link campaign, which relied on public opinion. The sustained public relations activity helped to deliver one of New Zealand’s largest roading projects while maintaining the strong relationships the transport agency has fostered with Bay of Plenty residents.
Among the awards, PRINZ also introduced new award for 2010, the Workbase Literacy Award for campaign’s recognition of the audience’s literacy, language or numeracy levels. The inaugural award went to Canterbury District Health Board and Convergence Communications for their work in lessening the effects of swine flu on Canterbury.
PRINZ national president Graeme Purches said the awards featured strong entries, particularly from the winning teams from the NZTA and Professional Public Relations, which won or were highly commended for nine awards between them.
The PRINZ Awards are an opportunity for the public relations industry to recognise and reward great communications work among consultants and in-house practitioners.
Purches says he was impressed with the calibre of entrants this year.
He said award-winning entries reflected sound public relations and communication objectives, showed high standards of performance, production and presentation and represented the pinnacle of PR practice in New Zealand.

The winners were
• Supreme Award: Janette Wise of New Zealand Transport Agency for the Tauranga Harbour Link communications.
• Corporate Public Relations: Emily Davies and Frederika Walls of Professional Public Relations for New World’s sponsorship of Netball New Zealand and the Silver Ferns.
• Marketing Public Relations: Jeanette Colman and John MacDonald of the University of Canterbury for the UC Philanthropic Bond.
• Government or Quasi-government Public Relations: Janette Wise of New Zealand Transport Agency for the Tauranga Harbour Link communications.
• Limited Budget Public Relations: Kristie Penwarden and Mary-Louise Dare of Professional Public Relations for the Durex Valentine’s Day survey campaign.
• Not-for-Profit Public Relations: Heather Claycomb of HMC Communications for the ‘A Piece of NZ’ campaign.
• Special Event/Project (joint winners): Suzanne McNamara of Convergence Communications for Splore 2010 and Victoria Murray-Orr of eveNZ, for the 100% Pure New Zealand Winter Games.
• Sustained Public Relations Programme: Tim Marshall and Rob Warner of Communication by Design for Operation Paramount: To Become New Zealand’s Leading Franchisor.
Sally Logan-Milne Young Practitioner of the Year: Leah Evans of Icebreaker NZ.
• Crystal Clear Literacy Award: Michele Hider and Rachel Solotti of Canterbury District Health Board with Erin Jamieson of Convergence Communications for Reducing The Impact of Swine Flu on Canterbury.