Diageo global head of brand communications to chair The Drum PR Awards 2019
Diageo’s global head of brand communication, Michelle Lavipour is to chair The Drum PR Awards 2019.
Diageo global head of brand communications to chair The Drum PR Awards 2019
Long gone are the days of spin doctors and press releases; PR has matured and is constantly progressing quicker than we can keep up. In its first year, these awards will reveal to the world, the people and businesses who are the best of the best in PR.
Lavipour will lead a panel of judges featuring experts from Unilever, GSK, Loreal, Dentsu Aegis Network, Microsoft, Sony, Google and Verizon. On a day to day basis, she leads global corporate communications across Diageo’s brands, marketing, innovation and diversity and inclusion strategy.
Lavipour previously worked in Diageo’s UK Corporate Relations team and was corporate communications manager UK and Ireland at PepsiCo. Prior to going in house, she worked at agencies Edelman and Pagefield on a broad range of clients across FMCG, media, pharmaceuticals and the third sector.
There are some big trends impacting PR – and some big challenges and opportunities, says Lavipour. Trust in advertising, business and institutions remain fairly low and journalists are increasingly stretched and required to play multiple roles and produce content across a range of channels. “However, at the same time, in 2019, for the first time ever, half of the global population will be online.
“And the proliferation of the media creates more opportunities and ways to tell stories than ever before. In this context, PR is being fuelled by authentic and optimistic stories that connect with people and can be told powerfully across an owned, earned and paid channel mix.”
As chairperson of the awards, Lavipour will lead the jury in the search of the industry’s best campaigns. She said: “I’m looking forward to uncovering brilliant work from across all sectors and celebrating the campaigns, in-house teams and agencies that are making an impact. I’ll be looking for work which firmly meets the objectives of the brand, business or organisation behind it, demonstrating strategic thinking and flawless execution.
“As an industry, we are great at PR-ing our businesses and brands – but not our own work. The Drum is one of the leading voices in the advertising, marketing and communications industry, so this is a great opportunity to turn the spotlight onto stand-out PR campaigns and learn from examples of great work.”
The deadline for The Drum PR Awards has now passed, but you can still enter by applying for an extension. Please contact Laura Gregson for more details.