Inside the Jury Room at The Drum Awards for PR
Judges share what went on behind the scenes as they deliberated entries to this year’s awards.
The Romans and Dove were nominated in the Consumer Goods category
The Drum Awards for PR celebrate the very best public relations, rewarding the professionals that guide the communications of companies, governments and organizations.
This year’s Awards were chaired by Elaine Wong, VP of external communications at Comcast Advertising and John Mayne, global head of external communications at Dentsu. They led a jury that included representatives from the likes of United Airlines, CNBC, FedEx, Lego, and AB InBev.
The Drum’s senior reporter Hannah Bowler caught up with Wong and Mayne to talk about what went on inside the jury room as they deliberated the entries.
“There was a theme I saw among all the entries was a return to back-to-basics. What’s the simplest, most authentic way to communicate this, that takes something happening in the cultural zeitgeist and ties it back to a universal truth,” reveals Wong.
Having looked over hundreds of entries, Mayne offered his advice for any brands or agencies submitting work in the future.
“Persevere. We know that PR is often the bastard child of marketing, begging for adoration from clients or leadership, and when it comes to money, we’re often last in line and begging for the scraps of a marketing budget," he says. "We’re a jack of all trades and master of most. We have the ability as PR pros to add the magic of our multifaceted craft to any project, and that should be seen in every submission. It doesn’t matter how much money you had to bring it to life, show how you pushed yourself and your PR skills within it.”
Check out the nominations for The Drum Awards for PR here.
Winners will be announced during The Drum Awards Festival, taking place from November 27 to December 8. For more information on the Festival and how to attend, visit the website.