Now in its twelfth year, the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA)’s PRISM Awards recognises and rewards achievements in public relations and communication management. If your business or communication department has excelled in developing or implementing a public relations programme or strategy, make sure you use this opportunity to enter your organisation’s achievements and recognise your team’s talents.
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase the energy behind your brands. The deadline for entries is 26 January 2010. More details on the awards are available on the PRISA website http://www.prisa.co.za/
For more information on the awards contact Adele Paulsen at PRISA on tel 011 326 1262 or email adele@prisa.co.za
For sponsorship opportunities please contact Catherine Larkin at CVLC on tel 011 789 7327 or email catherine@cvlc.co.za
“Public Relations: The energy behind the brand” is the official theme for this year’s PRISM Awards which will take place on 31 March 2010 at Gallagher Convention Centre. “Public relations is emerging as the frontrunner in influencing a brand’s success”, says Martin Snoek, a member of the PRISM Awards Committee. “Branding is about forming perceptions and public opinion and to sustain them over time primarily utilising a mix of all public relations tools.”
According to Snoek, company executives do not realise that public relations is much more than creating media releases and facilitating media relations. “They often believe that the more they invest in advertising messages, the more likely they will change perceptions,” he says. “Of course, a balance between public relations and advertising measures in the marketing communications programme should be complementary. However, there are more cost-effective components in the public relations environment than in advertising alone and the collective of all those components create the energy for business or corporate success.”
He adds that a typical corporate communications plan includes more public relations initiatives than classical traditional advertising activities and the range of public relations activities (although at a lower collective budget) - from newsletters and business reviews to events and editorials, including online publishing - creates a greater interest and allows for brand activation.” Because of its cost-effectiveness, a mix of public relations initiatives is considered more favourably than advertising in these tough economic times.
Experts will confirm that it is all in the name. Branding is perhaps the single most important facet to ensuring business success. It transcends a company’s product, price and location, hence the decision to host the awards at Gallagher Convention Centre, a leader on corporate venues. Developing a brand goes beyond just placing advertisements – it is a collection of public relations activities that creates the energy to position a brand over time.
This year’s PRISM Awards theme highlights the part that public relations activities play in forming opinion about the brand and influencing a company’s bottom-line. It celebrates the role public relations plays in brand success. It is about building leading brands.