Agency recognized for outstanding PR and writing achievements

TORONTO, June 12, 2012―The national chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) presented Broad Reach Communications with two prestigious Awards of Excellence today, recognizing Broad Reach’s outstanding achievement in public relations and writing.

Established in 1962, the annual CPRS National Awards of Excellence recognize and reward outstanding public relations programs and projects from across the country. This year, 129 submissions were received in 13 categories. An expert panel of 41 jury co-ordinators and judges from the 14 CPRS member societies evaluated the submissions and selected one gold, silver and bronze winner per category. As a result, only 34 winners (10 gold, 15 silver and 10 bronze) were presented last night at the CPRS Awards gala dinner at the CPRS National Conference in Victoria, British Columbia.

“Public relations practitioners from across Canada do tremendous work for their organizations each and every day,” said Richard Truscott, APR, newly elected National President of CPRS. “Presenting the Awards of Excellence to deserving professionals is the Society’s way of acknowledging the communications work they’ve done for a particular campaign or cause. It’s great to see our members receive recognition for their contributions to the profession.”

“We take great pride in creating business value for many of the world’s most respected brands,” said Andrea Lekushoff, President, Broad Reach Communications. “And outstanding work can only be accomplished in partnership with clients like Deloitte who are committed to being the standard of excellence in professional services.”

Broad Reach took home one of 10 Gold Awards of Excellence in the writing category for a thought leadership report for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Deloitte) entitled Unplugged: Electric Vehicle Realities Versus Consumer Expectations.

In 2011, Deloitte asked Broad Reach to write Unplugged: Electric Vehicle Realities Versus Consumer Expectations, a 30-page thought leadership report that outlines the findings of a survey of 13,000 consumers in 17 countries. The report looks closely at the results of the survey, paying special attention to geographical differences and similarities in consumer responses. Deloitte’s Global Manufacturing Industry Group used the report to educate policymakers, automotive executives, and electric utility industry executives on current and future consumer expectations for the electric vehicle.

Unplugged quickly became one of the most successful Global Manufacturing Industry Group reports of the last decade and helped Deloitte achieve thought leadership eminence on a global scale. As a result, the report was published in eight languages, dozens of executives around the world contacted Deloitte to learn about the global trends showcased in the report and Deloitte was invited to present the report to senior executives at five international auto shows.

Awareness for this report was further demonstrated by 4,800 webpages views, 2,500 report downloads, and 450 high-quality media stories generated around the world. As a result of the widespread prominence created by the report, executives and government leaders around the world now see Deloitte as a pre-eminent thought leader in the global electric vehicle car market, but more importantly, as a leading professional services firm they can call upon as a trusted advisor in this area.

Broad Reach was honoured with one of 10 Bronze Awards of Excellence in the media relations category for its “Creating Eminence for Deloitte Canada by Leveraging its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions” media relations campaign.

In late 2010, Broad Reach was tasked with developing and executing a national Canadian media relations program on behalf of Deloitte Canada for its 2011 Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report ─ an annual series of insights showcasing the emerging global TMT trends expected to significantly affect businesses and consumers in the coming year. To achieve program objectives, Broad Reach conducted extensive media outreach on the program’s global launch date across print, radio, TV and online media in key markets across the country. Broad Reach was also tasked with generating a second round of coverage while co-ordinating a cross-Canada regional media tour over two weeks following the launch. Tailored media materials and strategic outreach helped ignite a national discussion around emerging TMT trends, featuring Deloitte’s Predictions and showcasing its spokespeople prominently and positively in stories.

Media coverage exceeded all campaign goals and expectations, creating an unprecedented volume and quality of media coverage for the program and for Deloitte Canada: more than 128.5 million audience impressions were generated by 210 on-message stories, of which 95 per cent were featured in top-tier media across print, radio, TV and online outlets. High-profile media stories appeared nationally and regionally, with all coverage highlighting Deloitte’s eminence in this area and building its profile among key stakeholder groups across the country.

About CPRS

Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit organization whose members are engaged in the practice, management or teaching of public relations. Members work to maintain the highest standards and to share a uniquely Canadian experience in public relations. CPRS is a federation of more than 1,800 members across 14 Member Societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. For more information, visit www.cprs.ca.