US: YOUNG PR PHENOMS SHOW THEY ‘CANNES’ COMPETE!

The Competition… Given two weeks to research, conceptualize, and draft a comprehensive PR plan around a global nonprofit, the first ever US Young Lions PR Competition tested the boundaries of creativity, strategy, and determination.

imgresDesigned for teams of two PR professionals 28-years-old or younger, the competition brief examined ‘Every Mother Counts,’ an organization aiming to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. This year’s assignment forced teams to dig deep into their communications repertoire – it required the right mix of innovative tactics and traditional PR methods. (As if this were not enough, these tireless young professionals did not get any reprieve from their regular account work).

As the sole sponsor of the PR competition, the PR Council worked closely with USA Today, the official US representative to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. As Betsy Alekman, Director, Trade Marketing USA TODAY describes, “launching the first-ever PR Young Lions competition in the US has been an incredible experience on many levels… PR had a huge year in Cannes last summer and this sector of the industry is involved with the Festival more than ever.”

cannes-lions-2The incentive…Besides the obvious prestige of being recognized as the ‘cream of the crop’ of up-and-coming talent in the communications industry, we threw in an all-expense-paid trip to Cannes to represent the United States in the global competition and battle against other young PR prodigies.

The result… After reviewing dozens of entries from savvy PR duos across the US, our esteemed judging panel selected six finalists to present their submissions live in New York City. With about ten days to prepare, and in some cases traveling coast to coast, the caliber of talent on display that day is best characterized as “Exceptional.” As Paul Newman, President of MSLGroup North America, describes “they represented the brightest talent of the younger generation with skill and verve. Based on their strong strategic insights, multi-channel understanding, and truly creative tactics, we can safely expect PR to enjoy a very healthy future, for our clients, partners, and agencies. It was exciting and humbling to see the overall quality of the entries.”

However, for one hungry young lion team, this only served as the appetizer to the main course. Overcoming five of the most talented PR pairs in the country, Angela Mears and Margaux Pepper of Weber Shandwick held the perfect combination of planning and poise to be crowned the first ever US Young Lion PR Champion. Here’s what they had to say about the experience…

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Can you briefly tell a little about your career path so far, how you got involved in PR?
M: I’ve always been pulled in a few different creative directions – I pursued acting, filmmaking, graphic design, and marketing before entering the world of Public Relations. The environment at Weber Shandwick and changes in the industry have stretched the limits of what a “career in PR” can look like, so I’ve been able to weave a lot of my creative interests into my work.

A: I think my calling has always been storytelling. I started my career in entertainment, working as a production assistant on The Simpsons and writing script coverage for New Line Cinema. Then I made a shift into freelance writing before joining Weber Shandwick’s creative team. I honestly didn’t know much about PR before joining the agency, but its holistic and audience-centric approach to campaigns and storytelling is what drew me in, and what keeps me engaged even after four years in the industry.

How did you hear about the competition and what made you decide to participate?
M: Weber Shandwick nominated us!

A: That’s right – I first heard about the PR competition when I received the note that I’d be competing. I was aware of the Young Lions competition, but the introduction of the PR category was news to me.

How were you paired up as teammates?
M: Angela transferred from our Chicago office to San Francisco right before I joined the team, so we’d never met before this competition. We got introduced over email (and stalked each other on LinkedIn), then got started working cross-country. By the time we met up in Chicago to put everything together, we were fast friends!

A: Even though we’d never met or collaborated before the competition, looking back I can’t imagine a better teammate. We have perfectly complementary, synergistic skills and points of view.

What was your first reaction after meeting one another for the first time?
A: We clicked perfectly, like two puzzle pieces coming together. Between the two of us, we have copy and design skills, PR and digital expertise, storytelling and distribution strategy.

Once you received the brief, what was your strategy?
M: Research, research, research. We spent the overwhelming majority of our time getting to know the challenge and developing the right strategy, then brought the idea to life from that point.

A: Yes, we knew that developing an unassailable creative strategy, deeply rooted in audience truths, would be the key to a winning idea. Once we nailed that piece, we only had a few days to develop the creative executions and media pieces.

After the finalists were announced, how did you prepare for the live presentation?
M: Five minutes to present is no time at all, so we spent a lot of time cutting things from our presentation. We wanted to distill the campaign down to one simple idea and let the visuals we created speak for themselves.

A: We probably rehearsed a dozen times before we got the story down to its most essential pieces. Any bit of a stutter or tangent would keep us from hitting the five minute mark. By the time we presented, we had it down to a science.

What was your reaction when hearing you won the competition and will represent the US in the PR competition at Cannes?
M: We went into the presentation feeling confident, but the prospect of going to France for the global competition is so huge that winning still felt like a shock. We just couldn’t be more proud.

A: I’m still pinching myself. The odds seemed astronomical. Walking out of our presentation we felt like we nailed it, and that was really what we hoped to accomplish — to do the idea justice. Hearing we’d won was (really really awesome) icing on the cake.

Any special preparations for Cannes? Will you see each other prior to the global competition? What are you looking forward to most?
M: It’s truly an honor and a privilege to represent the agency and the country. I can’t wait to be inspired by all the other great work being showcased at Cannes and soak up the adventure of exploring a new place.

A: All I hear from folks who’ve been to Cannes is that it’s a massive dose of inspiration — and I’m most looking forward to that. Food comes in as a close second. We’re just now reviewing the rules for the global competition, but hopefully we can find time to regroup before we take the plunge!

2015 US Young Lions PR Competition Winning Team
Angela Mears & Margaux Pepper, Weber Shandwick
Winnner

PR Council Sponsor Spotlight Recipients
#PRThinking | Entries that best embody what PR is today: an integrated approach that utilizes traditional and new media to create content that compels, stories that resonate, and conversations that engage.

Nicholas Nelson & Matthew Molino, Cohn & Wolfe.

Courtney Rule & Rachel Silverman, Hill + Knowlton Strategies

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PR Council @prcouncil

amizerek@prcouncil.net

Hill + Knowlton Strategies wins Young PR Lions UK 2015 competition!

The Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) has announced that Helen Wood and Rachel Matovu from Hill+Knowlton Strategies are the winning team in the Young PR Lions UK 2015 competition to find the best young PR consultants in the country.

They will now go forward to compete internationally at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Helen and Rachel won the judges over after presenting to a UK jury made up of senior members from the PRCA, Ogilvy PR, H+K Strategies, MSL Group and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) charity, on Friday 24th April. The team presented a campaign plan responding to a brief set by the NICHS.

From the left: Gold winners Helen Wood and Rachel Matovu from H+K Strategies. Silver winners Amy O’Connor and Kirstyn Wood from Ketchum

The winners of the Silver award goes to Ketchum’s Amy O’Connor and Kirstyn Wood and the Bronze winners are APCO Worldwide’s Daniella Lebor and Jenny Runnacles.

Helen and Rachel have won complimentary flights, passes to the Cannes Lions festival, and accommodation. They will compete against representatives from over 30 countries on 22nd June, delivering a presentation for a non-profit organisation in 12 hours that will be judged by a selected jury.

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham MPRCA said: “Huge congratulations to Helen and Rachel, whose entry and the campaign pitch that they gave really impressed the judges and captured their attention. It is extremely rewarding to see such exceptional talent going forward to represent the UK on the international stage.”

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the sponsor of the Young PR Lions competition to find the most talented young PR team in the world; and the PRCA is responsible for running the UK element of that competition to find the country’s brightest and best young PR talent.

The House of PR will have its own cabana on the Palais in Cannes where individuals can meet prominent representatives from the PR industry. The ICCO guide to Cannes is now up and running and will be updated regularly before and throughout the festival. If you would like to contribute to the ICCO guide to Cannes Lions website or are interested in sponsoring the program, please contact ICCO General Manager Binta Kristin Hammerich.

#PRCAYoungLions

#WELOVEPR

Young Lions PR competition springboards fresh talent for a 2nd year; ICCO continues partnership

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The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced, that after a successful launch year, the Young Lions PR Competition is set to return at the 2015 Festival.Offering its support and commitment, the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), will continue its partnership with the 2015 competition.

Steve Latham, director of talent & training, Cannes Lions said: “The competition provides a real opportunity for young PR professionals to showcase their talent on a global stage. With a carefully chosen charity providing the brief, it’s also humbling to know that the work they produce can make a real difference – with the charity being given the option to adopt and use the winning campaign. I’m delighted that the ICCO are on-board for a second year, helping us to once again springboard both talent and awareness.”Competitors, who are first decided at regional competitions, are given 24 hours in Cannes to pit their skills against each other and show how PR can be effectively used to engage audiences with an organisation or a specific topic that the ‘client’ is dealing with. They are then asked to present to a dedicated jury who will decide which team is worthy of taking Gold.

David Gallagher, president of ICCO said: “ICCO is committed to promoting the value of PR consultancy worldwide and we see the Young Lions PR competition as an opportunity to show a little swagger under a global spotlight.  Last year’s debut was a smash hit and we’re eager to give our gifted young professionals an opportunity to shine again in 2015.”

ICCO, the representative body of forward thinking PR agencies, will be present at Cannes Lions with its “House of PR” cabana situated at the beachfront alongside the pavilion. This will be the place to meet prominent representatives of the PR industry and learn more about ICCO international activities. PR delegates attending the Festival are welcome to visit and attend networking events from 22 -24 June. More information is available at the ICCO Guide to Cannes website.

Cannes Lions will take place from 21-27 June in Cannes, France. A comprehensive learning programme designed to accelerate essential training across all career levels and disciplines is available during the event, as well as Young Lions Competitions for Print, Media, Cyber, Film, Design and Marketers. Further information on how to be part of it can be found at www.canneslions.com

Five Reasons For Young PR Lions To Roar At Cannes

David Gallagher

“Every agency I know claim its talent is what best differentiates it from the others.  Can they all be right?”
David Gallagher, ICCO President; CEO, Ketchum Europe, Middle East and Africa
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After a smash debut of the Young PR Lions competition at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last year, ICCO is proud to again serve as the global sponsor as part of our mission to showcase the creative power and competitive advantage of PR consultancy to marketers worldwide.

Not for the faint of heart, the contests pits 30 or so teams of two PR young (under age 28) professionals to devise and present a PR strategy – in 24 hours – against a specific communications challenge. Their solutions are judged by a panel of global agency experts on creativity, strategy and general smartness, and the winners take home a coveted gold, silver or bronze Cannes Lion.

Getting to the Cannes competition itself is a major feat. Competing teams must first beat out the best of their national markets in competitions organised by Cannes Lions festival representatives and the national PR associations that are members of ICCO.

As a judge in the 2014 UK competition and as jury president for the wider PR competition at Cannes in 2013, I can assure you: this ain’t easy.

But it’s well worth the effort. Here’s why:

  1. Do it for your country. The inaugural competition in 2014 saw teams from Japan, the UK and Austria (yay, they were from the agency I work for, Ketchum) take home Lions, proving that wining ideas don’t have to come from giant countries, and that creativity knows no bounds.
  2. Do it for your agency. Every agency I know claim its talent is what best differentiates it from the others. Can they all be right? Those who compete in Cannes certainly stand out, and those that win, shine very brightly.
  3. Do it for PR. Let’s be honest – we are in a fight to attract the best and brightest to the wonderful field of PR. What better way to show off than to showcase our unique and strategic approach to communications problem-solving?
  4. Do it for a good cause. Most of the national competitions and the global finale in Cannes are organised around a client, usually from the non-profit community, looking for creative help to solve a specific challenge. Many activate the winning idea – and what a great feeling to see your brainchild serve a worthy organisation.
  5. Do it for your career. I can’t guarantee a promotion or job offers, but I can say with confidence that few things pop on a CV like a Cannes Lions. And the fact that this competition, unlike the wider PR campaign contest, is about you and your wits, rather than a project, is unlike any other in calling out your rock-star qualities.

Interested? Enter the UK National competition here http://www.prca.org.uk/YoungLionsPRCompetition

Follow @ICCOpr on Twitter #WeLovePR or this blog fo more updates.

Hope to see you in Cannes!

David Gallagher

President, ICCO

CEO, Ketchum Europe, Middle East and Africa

Cannes Festival: The Pulse on Global Societal Trends

Guest blog post by Renee Wilson, Chief Client Officer, MSLGROUP & President of the PR Lions Jury 2014

As most PR professionals, I like to connect the dots between things, and understand why developments emerge as they do. Trends are fascinating — global ones in particular. Through the Internet and social media, they engage communities far and wide and help make our great big world feel smaller.

As the past PR jury president, I had a ringside seat to see the emergence of some powerful global trends from among the approximately 1,900 entries submitted to the PR category this year. If I saw at least four or five entries around a similar topic from different parts of the world, I made note of it as a global area of interest, dependent, of course, on the number of entries in a particular area. If you go onto the Cannes Lions website, you can look up the entries that I reference below.

One could argue that these trends are all causes/societal issues and that may be true in some cases.   What is a beautiful demonstration of PR, was when products and companies authentically gave the cause/societal issue a voice and became part of the solution.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the trend areas that I observed percolating to the top.
Gender equality  There were a good number of entries representing the need for greater equality around the world between men and women. The entries ranged from salary/workplace inequality to societal inequality.   Program examples to look for that hit on this trend included: “Be A Man” by Voluntaire for Kommunal/Sweden; “#Unapologetic” by Mattel with Weber Shandwick & Ketchum/US; and “Abortion Travel” by the European Women’s Lobby/Spain. 

The “AutoComplete Truth” by the UN Foundation in UAE was very powerful. Using the power of Google to make the point that when you Google “women should….” from many different spots around the world, various insulting responses – some quite shocking for this day and age — bubble to the top.  There were many other campaign examples, but I think these exemplify how the issue is still being debated in many parts of the world.

 

The strength and importance of family – Families come in all shapes and sizes these days. It was heartwarming to see how various markets captured the importance of family no matter what its structure and situation  Some brands got behind this theme and made themselves an integral part of the story just as HoneyMaid did with the “Love” campaign. In this entry, this very wholesome brand was able to respond to a very hateful backlash with a wholesome response, all played out in real-time.  Beautiful.  Another campaign to look at that showcased the power of family is “Why Bring a Child Into this World” by Unilever in Argentina/UK.

 

Importance of stepping up child welfare – I found this to be a powerful area of program focus. Some of the entries are so fantastic they will make you cry. No one will ever deny that protecting our children has always been a key part of society, however what’s different now are the extremely creative ways that communicators used to gain awareness. I don’t think there’s a Cannes festival-goer that didn’t see the very powerful “Sweetie” entry by Lemez for Terre de Honner in the Netherlands. It’s an incredibly surprising program that is doing a lot of good around the world. Other strong campaigns in this area include:  “Movies That Change Lives” by Change One Life in Russia (that shined an amazingly creative light on such an important area); “No Child Brides” by Child Survival India/India (another very creative awareness solution to a series issue); and taking a page from the 2013 “Dumb Ways to Die” approach, “Bald Cartoons” by GRACC/Brazil that wonderfully underscored this issue.

 

Continued concern over climate change – Several countries put forth entries that highlighted the continued concern over this environmental issue.  One campaign that was particularly creative, and consistently received a chuckle each time it was viewed is“Climate Name Change” by 350 Action. With the creative idea to rename tropical storms and hurricanes after politicians that did not support climate change, the organization got their point across.

 

Digital innovations to create awareness and attention – There wasn’t a campaign entered in the Cannes festival that didn’t use digital or social media in some way. However, what was new and noticeable was the innovative use of new platforms and apps to give programs fresh excitement and help them breakthrough. If you haven’t had a chance to view “RiceCode” by Hakuhado for Inakadate Village, you must. It showcases how a small town in Japan drove rice purchase by creating huge art pictures in a rice field through the planting of different colors of rice that let visitors scan the rice art with their phones like a QR code. Another fabulous entry was by Loducca, Big Hassle Media for Record Collection for the release of John Frusciante’s CD release that was literally ‘beamed to a satellite space.’ Anyone using a mobile app was able to track the satellite; once it hovered over your part of the country, you could download the music. The “Chipotle Scarecrow” campaign that won the Grand Prix, also used a digital gamification strategy as part of their winning program. And finally, check out “A Trip Out to Sea” by Guy Cotton for Marine Security Gear Lifejackets. I promise it will not disappoint.

 

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Renee Wilson is the Chief Client Officer of MSLGROUP.  She is responsible for the agency’s client service model, global client account planning, migration, quality assurance, tool and process development and relationship management.  She is a member of the global management board of MSLGROUP. 

Renee is the executive sponsor for P&G, responsible for the firm’s work across P&G’s diverse portfolio.  

She most recently was President, North America and oversaw its 14 operations throughout the continent.  Renee also previously served as the Managing Director of MSL New York where she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the firm’s flagship office.

Renee is also 2014 PR jury president for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.  A proponent of giving back to the community, Renee sits on the Advisory Board for the Young Women’s Leadership Schools of NYC.

H+K Strategies Interview with Decoded Founder Kathryn Parsons

The H+K Strategies content team is busy in Cannes, doing interviews with various creative industry leaders and opinion-makers, and we will be sharing their content daily!

Watch them in conversation with Kathryn Parsons, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Decoded. They discuss the Cannes Oracle, a special programme created by Decoded to predict Cannes Lions winners, and empowerment through digital education.

 

H+K Strategies Interview with Buzzfeed's Jonathan Perelman

H+K Strategies content team is busy in Cannes, doing interviews with various creative industry leaders and opinion-makers, and we will be sharing their content daily! They chatted with Jonathan Perelman, GM Video & VP of BuzzFeed. From cat-food to Tony Blair and the New York subway, they covered a lot of ground…   кредитная карта приватбанка универсальная условия проценты

H+K Strategies Interview with Buzzfeed’s Jonathan Perelman

The H+K Strategies content team is busy in Cannes, doing interviews with various creative industry leaders and opinion-makers, and we will be sharing their content daily!

They chatted with Jonathan Perelman, GM Video & VP of BuzzFeed. From cat-food to Tony Blair and the New York subway, they covered a lot of ground…

 

H+K Strategies Interview with AKQA Chairman Tom Bedecarré

On the final afternoon at Cannes Lions, H+K spoke with AKQA Chairman and President of the Innovation Lions jury Tom Bedecarré, shortly before the awards ceremony took place.

He talks about the dominance of the BRICs, Russia’s first Grand Prix and who he admires most creatively.

 

H+K Strategies Interview with WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell

The H+K Strategies content team is busy in Cannes, doing interviews with various creative industry leaders and opinion-makers, and we will be sharing their content daily!

On their final morning at Cannes Lions our reporters sat down to interview Sir Martin Sorrell. They covered off topics including the future of the industry, where he is at his most creative and his advice for young people entering the industry.