Porter Novelli Melbourne won three gongs at the 2014 Public Relations Institute of Australia Victorian Golden Target Awards, making it the most awarded agency at the state’s industry awards.
The team won best Government Sponsored Campaign for Every Greyhound Has a Story, was Highly Commended in the PR Consultancy of the Year category and saw account manager Katie Sheppet Highly Commended as Emerging PR Practitioner of the Year.
Every Greyhound Has a Story took a Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) brief to help dispel myths around greyhounds as pets, and drive increased adoptions from GRV’s Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP). The centrepiece was a photographic essay and exhibition that showcased the unique bond shared by adopted greyhounds and their new families. The campaign saw a record 536 adoptions in 2013-14, with 200 greyhounds adopted in the three months following the ‘story’.
Porter Novelli’s PR Consultancy of the Year plaudit supported its breadth and depth of original, intelligent client work, which combines social change, corporate affairs and consumer marketing. With clients as diverse as Bupa, Novion Property Group, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, St Vincent De Paul Society Victoria, the Victorian Department of State Development, Business and Innovation (DSDBI) and Warner Brothers Consumer Products, the agency was recognised for combining exemplary client work with a collaborative and intelligent working culture, already recognised by its Employer of Choice status with the Australian Business Awards.
As well as celebrating the agency’s collective success, PRIA Victoria recognised Katie Sheppet with an Emerging PR Practitioner of the Year award. Katie joined Porter Novelli in early 2014 and has played a significant part in Porter Novelli Melbourne’s pop-up PR agency, jack+bill, which provided pro-bono PR support to three crowd-funding campaigns with partner Pozible.
“PRIA awards are a great acknowledgement from our peers for the thoughtfulness and creativity we bring to our work, the passion we have for our clients, and the unique culture we have in the business,” said Peter Kent, Porter Novelli Melbourne managing director
“Full credit to the entire Melbourne team, who have continued to deliver ambitious and innovative work throughout 2014.”
