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The curious case of the CIPR Yorkshire award that went to a 'Manchester' agency

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By Cameron Clarke, Editor

November 23, 2011 | 2 min read

How did an agency that sells itself as being from Manchester come to be crowned the second best PR consultancy in Yorkshire at the CIPR awards?

Google Pelican PR and you will find a company that advertises itself as being a "Manchester PR Agency".

But that did not stop it being named runner up in the Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy category at last week's CIPR Pride Awards for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Curiously, in 2010, Pelican was nominated in a clutch of categories at the CIPR's North West awards, winning a silver for Best Use of Photography or Design.

A spokesperson for the CIPR told The Drum this was an "anomaly" brought about because Pelican is actually based in Saddleworth, some 11 miles from Manchester and smack bang on the border between Greater Manchester and Yorkshire. It has long been a source of local debate as to which county Saddleworth really belongs in.

Perhaps aiming to solve this hot geographical debate once and for all, the CIPR has told The Drum that it classes Saddleworth as Yorkshire and the agency is not at risk of losing its award.

It blamed itself for encouraging the company to enter the North West awards last year.

A spokesperson said: "Pelican PR entered the Pride awards in Yorks and Lincs for four years until 2010, when they entered the North West awards at our request. We acknowledge that request was a mistake and we accepted their entry in Yorks and Lincs in 2011.

"Although their website describes them as a Manchester PR agency, Pelican PR are based in Saddleworth, which in terms of CIPR Regions, places them in Yorks and Lincs. Our policy with the PRide is for entrants to be entered into the awards for the region in which they are physically situated."

The CIPR's North West awards take place tonight, with not a Pelican in sight.

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