STAFF with an Edinburgh public relations agency are celebrating after collecting a clutch of honours at Scotland’s biggest and most prestigious PR awards.
Holyrood Partnership scooped two Golds, a Silver and three Finalists Awards in the 2013 Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards, at a black-tie ceremony in Glasgow.
A first Gold was awarded as in the Corporate and Business Communications Campaign for the agency’s work  helping Banks Renewables communicate to people in the Borders over plans for a wind farm in the area.
The agency also collected a second Gold –a special judges’ award – for Best Use of Planning, Research, Measurement and Evaluation on the wind farm campaign.
The team at the Leith-based agency also collected a Silver award in Best Sporting Campaign, for work promoting the  U.S. Kids Golf European Championship which comes to East Lothian annually.
Established in 2002 by former Daily Record journalists Scott Douglas and Raymond Notarangelo, Holyrood Partnership was also commended in the prestigious Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy category.
Other commendations were awarded to the agency for Consumer Relations, for a campaign which helped raise awareness of Bathgate-based Direct Savings and its innovative Infranomic heating system; and in the Low Budget Campaign, for promoting the first ever Scottish Schools Pipe Band Championships held in Edinburgh earlier this year.
Raymond Notarangelo said: “We know we are delivering superb results week in-week out for our clients through our creativity, top quality story-spotting and measurable results, so it’s very pleasing to have these campaigns acclaimed by our industry as the best in Scotland.
“We’re especially thrilled to be recognised for our leading-edge work in planning and evaluation as clients want to be assured their PR campaigns bring tangible benefits to their business.
“The fact that we were also shortlisted in every category we entered demonstrates the consistent and diverse skills of Holyrood Partnership and our talented young team.”
Permission
In their citation for our work in helping Banks Renewables to secure planning permission for their Quixwood Moor wind farm, the judges said: “The campaign used sensible tactics, which helped combat the strong ‘anti’ feeling which existed at the time.”
In awarding the special award for Best Use of Planning, Research, Measurement and Evaluation the judges added: “This was a campaign about reputation. It was not just about saturating the audience with a message, it was about creating a strategy that would change perceptions. “
The CIPR PRide Awards is the only UK wide awards scheme that recognises excellence in public relations and communications work across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions.
Now in its 10th year the CIPR PRide Awards grow year-on-year as consultancies and organisations increasingly recognise the benefits of industry awards, and past winners continue to reap the benefits of receiving one.
Laura Sutherland MCIPR, Chair of the CIPR Scotland, said: “The PRide awards are the highlight of our national public relations calendar.
“I would like to congratulate all of those who were shortlisted. They represent the best, most creative and most effective public relations performances from across the UK and to win an award is not only a great triumph, but is a real showcase of the talent that we have here in Scotland.”
