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DABO & CO continues winning streak at MEPRAs

Integrated communications agency DABO & CO added three further MEPRA awards to its already impressive tally at last night’s fifth Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards. The latest awards sweep takes the company’s total MEPRA awards tally to 15 since the annual event was launched in 2009. Past awards include ‘Agency of the Year’ in 2010 and ‘Mid-Sized Agency of the Year’ in 2012.

DABO & CO triumphed with three awards out of the four categories entered picking up Best Integrated Campaign – DABO & CO & Marriott International: ‘The Launch of the JW Marriott Marquis’, Best Use of Media Relations Consumer or Trade: ‘Canon at Gulf Print 2013’ and Best Practice Consumer Goods: ‘kate spade new york’.

“The annual MEPRA Awards is a major highlight for us as an agency and we are thrilled to have walked away with three awards in recognition of our integrated and results-driven approach to communications,” says Managing Partner, Camilla d’Abo. “Yesterday’s MEPRA awards were the perfect celebration of an industry that has come of age. In light of yesterday’s Dubai Expo 2020 win, the Middle East’s PR industry is on the threshold of an amazing period in its evolution and I am confident that this will bring further opportunities to showcase world-class campaigns emerging from the region.”

Jason Leavy, Managing Director, added: “The 2013 MEPRA wins are the perfect way to round off another exceptional year for the agency. Not only have we recently moved to new state-of-the-art offices to accommodate our continued growth, but we have a stronger than ever talent pool combining exceptional local talent alongside international industry heavy weights, and we are looking forward to an even better 2014.”

Ketchum dominates Healthcare at MEPRA Awards

For the second consecutive year, Ketchum Raad dominated the healthcare sector at the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards held last night. The event recognised the Ketchum Raad ME team as Best Practice in Healthcare & Services for their partnership with AstraZeneca Gulf on the Safe@Heart campaign.

The campaign, targeted at Gulf Nationals who are at risk of heart disease, those who have been diagnosed with a heart condition or those who have had a heart attack, has resulted in over 5400 people taking part in heart health screenings and hundreds signing up for a 12 week programme that encourages them to make easy yet impactful changes in their daily habits to benefit their health.

“Healthcare is a packed space with a lot of important messages vying for an opportunity to be heard,” says Nicola Gregson, Managing Director Ketchum Raad Middle East. “Campaigns need to be intelligent, strategic and extremely well executed to capture the media’s attention and reach their target audience. I couldn’t be more proud of my team for their success with Safe@Heart. We are expanding our healthcare offering in 2014 and look forward to partnering with our existing and future clients to deliver even more impactful and effective communications across the sector.”

Abigail Dawson, Account Director and Regional Healthcare Lead at Ketchum Raad Middle East added, “This is the second year in a row we have received the Best Practice Healthcare and Services award and we are truly proud to be taking it home again. Projects like Safe@Heart are the reason we are in communications. As a healthcare team, we are genuinely passionate about working with our clients to help them achieve their business goals as well as communicate with patients and customers and empower them to change their lives positively.”

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

  • Tourism Ireland and Four Communications: “St Patrick’s Week”
  • Edelman: “Qasr Al Hosn Festival”
  • DABO & CO & Marriott International: “The Launch of the JW Marriott Marquis”
  • Mojo PR: ” A Taste of Singapore”

Overall Best Campaign of the Year

  • Category NOT opened for entries. Winner will be announced at the Gala Event

Agency of the year

  • Seven Media
  • Four Communications
  • Edelman
  • Weber Shandwick MENA
  • Ketchum RAAD Middle East
  • Mojo PR

In-house Team of the Year (Sponsored by Edelman)

  • Mubadala
  • Etihad Airways