MEPRA Awards 2013 set to be biggest yet

Tonight’s Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards are set to be the biggest yet with a record 150 entries received – a marked increase on previous years. The Awards, which are to be held at The Westin Dubai, recognise and reward excellence in the PR industry.

“We were greatly encouraged to see the increase in the number of companies and individuals submitting entries this year,” says MEPRA’s General Manager, Carine Duvignaud. “More impressive though was the quality of the submissions. As a consequence the judging panel had a hard task to narrow down the finalists.”

Agency Finalists include: DABO &CO; Golin Harris; Leocomm PR; GMASCO: Four Communications; ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller; Ketchum RAAD Middle East: Edelman: Memac Ogilvy PR: Weber Shandwick MENA; Leocomm PR; Limelight PR; Action Global Communications: Capital MS&L: Mojo PR: TishTash PR: Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

The full list of MEPRA Awards Finalists is detailed below:

Best Practice -Sectors & Services

Consumer Goods

DABO &CO: “Kate Spade New York”
Golin Harris: “Kraft Original Treasures of Arabia”
Leocomm PR: “The Launch of HTC One”
GMASCO: “LEXUS Passion Pioneers”
GMASCO: “Your Opinion Counts”

Consumer Services

Troon Golf and Four Communications: “The Dhabi that Roared!”
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller: “McDonald’s Nutrition Labelling Launch”

Healthcare & Services

Ketchum RAAD Middle East: “Safe @ Heart”
Edelman: “Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Employee Engagement”
Memac Ogilvy PR Algeria: “Hidden Faces of Diabetes”

Business to Business

State Government of Victoria and Four Communications: “On a Mission”
NATS and Four Communications: “Going Up a Level”
Weber Shandwick MENA: “Hot Commodity”
Leocomm PR: “du Enterprise PR Strategy -Answers for Tomorrow’s Business”
Limelight PR: “Launching CCS in the Middle East”

Government Communications

Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development and Four Communications: “Bright Sparks”
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and Four Communications: “Unlocking the UAE’s Natural Energy”
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller: “Government Summit 2013”

Corporate Reputation & Image

Weber Shandwick MENA: “Standard and Poor’s -Reclaiming Leadership”
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller: “Arab Aviation and Media Summit 2013”
London Business School and Four Communications: “London Business School”

Internal Communications

TAQA: “One TAQA Day”
Ketchum RAAD Middle East: “Hello Hakawati!”
Action Global Communications: “Above & Beyond”

Corporate Responsibility

Glasspoint and Four Communications / Antenna Group: “Focus!”
Capital MS&L: “Sustainable Bathroom in the UAE Competition”
Weber Shandwick MENA: “Awareness of Fire Safety Risks in the Gulf”
Mojo PR: “Summertown Interiors”

Best Practice -Techniques

Best Use of Sponsorship

Weber Shandwick MENA: “Jaguar Style Stakes at Dubai World Cup 2013”
Ketchum RAAD Middle East: “Unlock the Race with Infiniti”
Mojo PR: “Hong Kong Tourism Board”

Best Product/Service Launch

DABO & CO: “The Launch of Nokia Lumia”
JW Marriott Marquis: “Vault”
Mojo PR: “Eureeca”

Best Use of Media Relations – Consumer or Trade

Weber Shandwick MENA: “Gulf Business Machines – 2013 IT Security”
Weber Shandwick MENA: “Stars of Science Season 4”
DABO & CO: “Canon at Gulf Print 2013”
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and Four Communications: “Selling Ras
Al Khaimah”
British Council and Four Communications: “Going Global”
Victoria International School of Sharjah and Four Communications: “Leading the Way”
Mojo PR: “Tiffany & Co”
TishTash PR: “Summer Celebrity GlamBox”

Best Use of Social Media/ Digital PR

Memac Ogilvy PR Dubai: “Sprite Min Al Akhir”
JW Marriott Marquis: “Izakaya at JW Marriott Marquis”
Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and Four Communications: “Unlocking the UAE’s Natural Energy”

Best Live Event/Stunt

Etisalat: “mHealth Grand Tour”
Edelman: “Building the Next Generation of Emirati Leaders”
Edelman: “Blackberry 10 Global Launch”
Hill+Knowlton Strategies: “Hammam Shami”
Ketchum RAAD Middle East: “Launch and Sustain Campaign of the 2013 Infiniti JX in the Middle East”
Tourism Ireland and Four Communications: “The Gathering Greening”

Best Integrated Campaign