NZ PR firms punch above their weight in prestigious awards

NZ PR firms punch above their weight in prestigious awards.
Two New Zealand companies have been named as finalists in the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Gold Quill Agency of the Year awards.

Glass Tower, based in Auckland and Christchurch, and Central Otago’s Metzger Communications, are two of just nine global public relations firms named as finalists in the category.

The Gold Quills, which will be awarded in New Orleans early next month, represent business communications excellence globally, and are recognised as one of the most prestigious programmes in the industry.

IABC Chair, Michael Ambjorn says “Gold Quill winners are proud for a reason: it cements their position as proven strategic advisers.”

Asia Pacific Region Chair, Leanne Joyce adds “IABC’s Asia Pacific region has some of the best and brightest communicators who deliver outstanding quality. This is particularly the case with Kiwi firms who offer fresh insights and are absolute stand-outs on the world stage.”

The Glass Tower team will head to New Orleans next month to receive an Excellence award in Internal Communications for its 100 Days of Kidsfirst centenary campaign and will also carry home an Excellence award in Human Resources on behalf of Metzger, recognised for their work on the UniSaver NZ rebrand. Both agencies also receive Merit awards, Glass Tower for social media campaign Remember the Elephant, and Metzger for the New Zealand Post Superannuation Plan 2015 Annual Report.

While it is Glass Tower’s first time entering the Gold Quills, Metzger Communications have scooped an impressive five Gold Quills over 15 years. Metzger was also a finalist in the Boutique Agency of the Year category in 2015

Christchurch will further feature at IABC World Conference (New Orleans 5-8 June) with Glass Tower Managing Director Susi Maclean speaking about the lessons the Canterbury quakes hold for communicators, as the world faces more wide-scale, enduring disasters than ever before. Terrorism and extreme weather events are just two of the threats that communications professionals grapple with more often, and for which the Canterbury experience has relevance.

In total, IABC has in 2016 recognised 223 Gold Quill Award entries as world class with 85 Excellence Awards and 138 Merit Awards announced. Winners come from all parts of the world, with 12 countries represented in the winners' list. They represent a cross-section of public and private sector organisations, both large and small.

More information on the Gold Quill Awards program, including the full list of winners: http://gq.iabc.com/

More information on World Conference (#IABC16): http://wc.iabc.com/

The full list of finalists are:

AGENCIES:

Boutique Agency of the Year (five or fewer employees)
JAW Communications, Victoria, Australia
Metzger Communications, Otago, New Zealand

Small Agency of the Year (six to 20 employees)
Glass Tower Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
SimplyConnect Consulting, Texas, USA

Mid-Size Agency of the Year (21-50 employees)
Gagen MacDonald, Chicago, USA
Strategic Objectives, Inc., Toronto, Canada

Large Agency of the Year (51 or more employees)
Buck Consultants, St Louis, USA
SPN Communications, Moscow, Russia
DDB Canada, Toronto, Ontario

DEPARTMENTS:

Not-for-Profit Communication Department of the Year
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, San Francisco, USA University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada

Corporate Communication Department of the Year
UPS, GA/PA/CA, USA
HSBC, Hong Kong/London, Hong Kong Walmart, Arkansas, USA
Walmart, Arkansas, USA

About the Gold Quill Awards

For more than 40 years, IABC’s Gold Quill Awards have recognized and awarded excellence in strategic communication worldwide. The Gold Quill Awards honor the dedication, innovation and passion of communication practitioners on a global scale with a focus on achieving solid business outcomes.

About IABC
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) enables a global network of communication practitioners working in diverse industries and disciplines to identify, share, and apply the world’s best communication practices. IABC has set the standard for excellence since its founding in 1970. This vibrant association has more than 10,000 members, including senior communications executives from global Fortune 500 companies, multi-national communications agencies, leading non-profit institutions and universities. IABC serves the collective disciplines of business communication professionals through education offerings, certifications, awards and recognition programs, online resources and Communicators World magazine and through the annual World Conference.

For more information, visit www.iabc.com.

ENDS

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