For Immediate Release
May 31, 2012
Strategic Objectives Named
IABC/Toronto PR Agency of the Year for Second Consecutive Year
Toronto PR Agency recognized with nine IABC/Toronto Ovation Awards; 10 CPRS ACE Awards; named to PR News Top Ten CSR Agency A-list; and co-founders receive Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012 for their contribution to Canada
Strategic Objectives, Canada’s leading independent PR firm, was named Agency of the Year 2012 at the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) OVATION Awards Gala in Toronto on Wednesday, May 30 2012. The social PR powerhouse also picked up nine OVATIONS in the categories of Community Relations Corporate Social Responsibility and Media Relations, including four Awards of Excellence for breakthrough campaigns including: the creation of Koodonation – Canada’s first-ever online microvolunteering community; the eighth annual White Cashmere Collection 2011, Fashion with Compassion – a fund- and awareness-raiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation; and the Canadian launch of Magnum ice cream bars, starring Ivanka Trump.
Team @SO_pr celebrates a record-setting, award-winning year.
“Our Strategic Objectives team is committed to insight-driven social and public relations programs that change minds and deliver bottom-line results,” says Deborah Weinstein, president, Strategic Objectives. “We collaborate closely with our clients to create on-target strategies that effectively utilize traditional and social PR to build brand momentum and sales. 2012 is a huge year for Strategic Objectives and we’re absolutely honoured to be named IABC Toronto Agency of the Year for the second year in row. We are so grateful to our clients and our awesome team for making it possible!”
The Launch of Koodonation
Award of Excellence, Community Relations
Award of Excellence, Corporate Social Responsibility
Strategic Objectives picked up two Awards of Excellence, in Community Relations and Corporate Responsibility, for its innovative, one-of-a-kind launch of Koodonation for the agency’s long-standing client, Koodo Mobile. From it’s “What If?” concept, and a launch event featuring a mega-battle between colleges and universities, to a story that captivated media across Canada, Strategic Objectives and Koodonation made history in Canadian social responsibility and community relations by creating the country’s first-ever online microvolunteering community.
Koodonation connected more than 2,000 volunteers with more than 100 charities in just two months, allowing Canadians to create social good in communities across Canada, on their own time, online and right from their computer or mobile device. Canada’s traditional and social media enthusiastically supported this forward-thinking approach to volunteerism: the program generated 27 million audience impressions through more than 100 print, online, and broadcast feature stories.
The 2011 White Cashmere Collection
Award of Excellence, Media Relations
This uniquely Canadian, national, bilingual media relations program supported the Eighth Annual White Cashmere Collection 2011: Fashion with Compassion – a fund- and awareness-raiser for Breast Cancer. Conceived by Strategic Objectives in 2004 to generate positive news and premium positioning for Cashmere, Canada’s best-selling bathroom tissue, the collection stars 15 Canadian designers and their Cashmere BT Couture crafted in 100 per cent pure soft and luxurious Cashmere Bathroom Tissue. The multi-faceted program, now in its ninth successful year, earned +125 million positive audience impressions in 2011-12 and delivered strong consumer awareness for the brand and its vision of a future without breast cancer.
Magnum Ice Cream Bars Canadian Launch
Award of Excellence, Media Relations
This national media relations campaign to support the Canadian launch of Unilever’s Magnum ice cream bars, featured Ivanka Trump. The campaign included a multi-phased media relations program, a Launch Party and Media Tour with Ivanka Trump and Media Partnerships. The program achieved outstanding awareness and contributed to well above sales expectations and market share.
Strategic Objectives also earned five OVATION Awards of Merit for: The Body Shop Stop S*X Trafficking of Children and Young People (corporate social responsibility); the launch of Grimbergen beer (media relations); the launch of Koodonation (social media); the launch of Topshop and Topman (media relations); and Transat Holidays (media relations).
Record-breaking, Award-winning Year
2012 is the most award-winning year in Strategic Objectives’ history. In May, the firm was named to the PR News Top Ten CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Agency A-List 2012 – the only all-Canadian company to make the esteemed list.
The firm also scored 10 CPRS ACE Awards at the Canadian Public Relations Society awards gala on Thursday, April 26, 2012 in Toronto.
Last week, Strategic Objectives co-founders and partners Judy Lewis and Deborah Weinstein were presented with Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medals recognizing their achievements and contributions to Canada.
“Every day our Strategic Objectives team strives for excellence and it is an incredible honour to partner with our clients to help build brand success, awareness, reputation and sales,” says Judy Lewis, executive vice president, Strategic Objectives.
About Strategic Objectives
Headquartered in Toronto with associates across Canada, Strategic Objectives brings Smart Ideas and Better Solutions to many of Canada and the world’s leading brands including: The Body Shop; The Hudson’s Bay Company; Carlsberg Canada; Pfizer; Dyson; M&M Meat Shops; Transat Holidays; Koodo Mobile; Kruger Products; Build-A-Bear Workshop; YUM! Brands; Green & Black’s Organic; WagJag; Tetley Tea; and TOMS, to name but a few.
Named IABC/Toronto PR Agency of the Year in 2012, 2011 and 2009 and winner of the CPRS Toronto PR Campaign of the Year Ace Award in 2011, 2007, 2006 and 2003, Strategic Objectives has won numerous top international awards for creating world-leading, brand-building integrated programs that deliver measurable results. It is the only Canadian firm to receive the exclusive United Nations Grand Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations and to be named to the PR News Top Ten CSR A-List 2012.
Additional honours include: 12 IPRA Golden World Awards of Excellence, including Most Creative; 25 IABC Gold Quills; three consecutive CMA (Canadian Marketing Association) Awards for Best PR Program in Canada; and many more. A member of Pinnacle Worldwide, the Strategic Objectives team includes more than 40 PR professionals in its Toronto offices, including a fully-bilingual équipe.
Visit www.strategicobjectives.com and follow us on Twitter @SO_pr.
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Judy Lewis and Deborah Weinstein are available for interviews.
For more information, please contact:
Strategic Objectives
Tel: (416) 366-7735, ext. 231. Fax: (416) 366-2295.
E-mail: so@strategicobjectives.com