Banner Year of Accolades for Environics Communications

Firm takes highest honours in 2010 for client service and workplace excellence

TORONTO, June 17 /CNW/ - Named the number one agency by peers within the public relations industry and designated the best place to work in Canada by employees, Environics Communications marks 2010 as a winning year for creativity, client service, and workplace excellence with 26 awards. Environics has been recognized with two national workplace designations, and has also taken home 24 separate prizes for client work at this year's International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), Quebec PR Society and Kidney Foundation of Canada award ceremonies.

This year's industry awards roster includes a total of three gold, seven silver, two bronze, two Awards of Distinction, four Awards of Excellence and five Awards of Merit for client work - including two IABC Gold Quill (international) awards, the IABC Toronto Large Agency of the Year award, and the IABC Bobbie Resnick Philanthropy Award for pro-bono client The White Ribbon Campaign. Environics showed strong results in social marketing and advocacy, community and media relations, and special events management categories. Award-winning clients represented at this year's industry ceremonies included The White Ribbon Campaign, Panasonic Canada, eBay Canada, Safe Kids Canada, Nature-Action Québec, LoyaltyOne/AIR MILES and Ontario Tire Stewardship.

Environics Communications' workplace awards for 2010 include a number one ranking on the Great Place to Work(R) Institute Canada's list of 75 Best Workplaces in Canada; and a number two designation on the Institute's list of Canada's Best Workplaces for Women.

The agency was also presented with the Kidney Foundation of Canada's 2010 Award for Public Awareness along with client Amgen Canada for "The Great Canadian Kidney Quiz" - a campaign to support education and awareness of kidneys and kidney disease.

"This astounding award-winning year for Environics is a result of our unrelenting mix of creative thinking, experienced counsel, careful execution, integrity and plain old hard work," said Environics president, Bruce MacLellan. "It is particularly gratifying to win the award for philanthropic work at the same time as Large Agency of the Year and Best Workplace in Canada. It reflects our commitment to the triple bottom-line of profit for the company, the community and our people."

In addition to the The Bobbie Resnick Philanthropy Award, the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes program for The White Ribbon Campaign earned gold for advocacy and social marketing at the CPRS National Awards of Excellence, an award of merit for social responsibility at the IABC Toronto Ovation Awards, and an Award of Excellence for Social Responsibility at the IABC International Gold Quill Awards.

The following is a complete list of awards won by Environics in 2010:

    
    CPRS Toronto Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards

    -   Gold: Best use of Media Relations, budget less than $50k
    -   Silver: Community Relations
    -   Silver: Best Use of Media Relations, budget less than $50k
    -   Silver: Best Use of Media Relations, budget over $50,000
    -   Silver: Community Relations
    -   Bronze: Brand Development of the Year
    -   Bronze: Best Use of Media Relations

    CPRS National Awards of Excellence

    -   Gold: Advocacy and Social Marketing
    -   Silver: Community Relations
    -   Silver: Advocacy and Social Marketing

    IABC Toronto Ovation Awards

    -   Award of Distinction: Large Agency of the Year (21 or more employees)
    -   Award of Distinction: The Bobbie Resnick Philanthropy Award
    -   Award of Excellence: Photography
    -   Award of Excellence: Media Relations, up to $50k
    -   Award of Excellence: Special Events, $51k to $100k
    -   Award of Merit: Media Relations, $51k to $100k
    -   Award of Merit (2): Social Responsibility including Economic,
        Societal and Environmental Development
    -   Award of Merit: Community Relations

    IABC International Gold Quill Awards

    -   Award of Excellence: Social Responsibility
    -   Award of Merit: Special Events Internal or External

    Société québécoise des professionnelles en relations publiques Awards Of
    Excellence (won by Capital-Image, the Environics office in Québec)

    -   Gold: External PR
    -   Silver: Societal Campaign

    Kidney Foundation of Canada

    -   Kidney Foundation of Canada's 2010 Award for Public Awareness (along
        with client Amgen Canada)

    Environics Workplace Designations

    -   No. 1 Ranking, Canada's 75 Best Workplaces, The Great Place to Work
        Institute
    -   No. 2 Ranking, Canada's Best Workplaces for Women, The Great Place to
        Work Institute
    

About Environics Communications

Environics Communications Inc. is a full-service, management-owned public relations agency focusing primarily on the advanced technology, financial services, health sciences, association/non-profit, consumer, and sustainability and clean energy sectors. The firm has won more than 170 awards for client service and workplace excellence, including No. 1 on the list of the 75 Best Workplaces in Canada for 2010, No. 2 for 2008 and 2009, and No. 1 Workplace for Women in 2009. Environics Communications has a strong commitment to reducing environmental impact and in June 2008 became the first North American PR agency to be carbon neutral.

For further information: on the above award-winning programs please contact: Stacey Flowers, Environics Communications, 416-969-2752, [email protected]