Veteran public relations woman B.J. Whitman, principal of BJW Public Relations, was presented with the President’s Leadership Award on Thursday night at the 29th Annual Koa Anvil Awards hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Hawaii Chapter.
The awards recognize an individual or organization for significant contributions to the success of the chapter and the profession.
Also receiving individual awards were:
Amy Hennessey, director of communications for the nonprofit Ulupono Initiative, who won the Gregg W. Perry Public Relations Professional of the Year award, which honors an exemplary practitioner for making a major contribution to the profession; and Lisette Gonzales, an account executive at Becker Communications, who was presented with the Hokupaa Award. It recognizes a relatively new professional for demonstrating exceptional leadership potential and achievement in their first years in the profession.
The $1,000 PRSA Hawaii/Roy Leffingwell Scholarship was awarded to Chelsea Tsuchida, a student from Hawaii who is a senior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.
The annual Koa Anvil and Koa Hammer competition honors excellence in public relations programs and use of tactics to achieve goals.
Koa Anvil Awards are presented for complete public relations programs that incorporate research, planning, execution and evaluation. Koa Hammer Awards honor outstanding tactics that are part of an overall communications campaign.
The Bennet Group’s work led by Monica Salter on behalf of Hale Ka Lae, a luxury condominium development, won Best of Show by scoring the highest points of the competition.
About 75 entries were received for this year’s competition. There are 13 Anvil winners and 14 Hammer winners, while 23 received Anvil awards of excellence and 24 won Hammer awards of excellence.
KOA ANVIL WINNERS
Best of Show
Entry: Hale Ka Lae Delivers Aloha. Company/Client: Bennet Group/Hale Ka Lae. Category: Reputation/Brand Management. Subcategory: Business — Companies with sales more than $10 million.
Entry: American Girl Kauai Media Program 2011. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Kauai Visitors Bureau. Category: Reputation/Brand Management. Subcategory: Travel & Tourism/Hospitality.
Entry: Ala Moana Center’s Fall Fashion Event. Company/Client: Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc./Ala Moana Center. Category: Events & Observances — Seven days or fewer. Subcategory: Business — Products.
Entry: Waikiki Aquarium Introduces Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Exhibit. Company/Client: Becker Communications Inc./Waikiki Aquarium. Category: Events & Observances — Seven days or fewer. Subcategory: Business — Services.
Entry: Subaru Hawaii’s "Share the Love" Campaign. Company/Client: Pang Communications/Subaru Hawaii-Servco Automotive. Category: Events & Observances — More than seven days. Subcategory: Business — Products.
Entry: Hawaii: As Seen on TV. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Category: Marketing Consumer Services. Subcategory: Travel & Tourism/Hospitality.
Entry: Shop & Score 2011. Company/Client: Becker Communications Inc./Kraft Foods in Hawaii. Category: Marketing Consumer Products. Subcategory: Packaged Goods.
Entry: Bite Me Sportfishing Adds Social Media to Marketing Mix. Company/Client: Kinoshita Communications LLC/Bite Me Sportfishing. Category: Internal Communications. Subcategory: Consumer Services.
Entry: NaHHA. Company/Client: Loomis-ISC Inc./Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association. Category: Internal Communications. Subcategory: Associations/Government/Nonprofit Organizations.
Entry: HVCB’s "Perfect Moments Market Saturation Campaign." Company/Client: Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Category: Integrated Communications
Subcategory: Associations/Government/Nonprofit Organizations.
Entry: Hawaii Tourism Authority Visitor Statistics Statement. Company/Client: Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc./Hawaii Tourism Authority. Category: Issues Management. Subcategory: Government.
Entry: City and County of Honolulu Curbside Recycling Public Education Campaign. Company/Client: City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services. Category: Community Relations. Subcategory: Government.
Entry: Ike Ku’oko’a — Liberating Knowledge. Company/Client: Bright Light Marketing/The Pu’a Foundation for Awaiaulu Inc. Category: Community Relations. Subcategory: Associations/Nonprofit Organizations.
KOA HAMMER WINNERS
Entry: Burger King’s Snow Spooktacular. Company/Client: Harris Agency/Burger King. Category: Media Relations — Consumer Products. Subcategory: Food & Beverage/Restaurants.
Entry: Introducing Travaasa Hana. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Travaasa Hana. Category: Media Relations — Consumer Services. Subcategory: Travel & Tourism/Hospitality.
Entry: Aloha Friday for Japan. Company/Client: Bright Light Marketing/Aloha for Japan Committee. Category: Media Relations — Associations/Non-Profit Organizations.
Entry: HVCB’s "Culinary Evolution" Dinners. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Category: Media Relations — Associations/Nonprofit Organizations. Subcategory: Travel & Tourism/Hospitality
Entry: HVCB Hawaii Food & Wine Festival Blogger Campaign. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Category: Blogger Campaign.
Entry: "Why Give" Video. Company/Client: Olomana Marketing/Maryknoll School. Category: Internal Video Program.
Entry: RevoluSun Advertorial Campaign. Company/Client: Pang Communications/RevoluSun. Category: Advertorials.
Entry: Hoku Solar "Flips the Switch" at UH. Company/Client: Bennet Group/Hoku Solar. Category: Press Conferences.
Entry: Senior Medicare Patrol — Hawaii State Department of Health. Company/Client: Olomana Marketing/Senior Medicare Patrol, Executive Office on Aging. Category: Television PSAs.
Entry: Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Community Transit Newsletter. Company/Client: Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc./Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Category: Newsletters. Subcategory: External Audiences Primarily.
Entry: Hawaii Tourism Authority Annual Report. Company/Client: Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc./Hawaii Tourism Authority. Category: Annual Reports
Subcategory: Books.
Entry: Showing Aloha to Our Troops. Company/Client: Communications Pacific Inc./USO Hawaii. Category: Editorials/Op-Ed Columns.
Entry: Marriott’s 2011 Spirit of Aloha Tour Blog. Company/Client: McNeil Wilson Communications-Anthology Marketing Group/Marriott Resorts Hawaii. Category: Blogs.
Entry: Hildgund Jewelers: Jewelry Scavenger Hunt. Company/Client: Becker Communications Inc./Hildgund Jewelers. Category: Social Media. Subcategory: Social Media Photo-based Marketing Program.
Source: PRSA Hawaii
