What’s Happening at PRSA

Michelin North America Receives Best of Silver Anvil Award

Michelin North America took top honors during the 2019 Silver Anvil Awards Ceremonyon June 6 at New York’s Edison Ballroom.

The Greenville, S.C.-based company, working with Ketchum, created the “Beyond The Driving Test: Teens Prove Their #StreetTread” initiative to raise awareness about how improperly maintained tires contribute to car accidents, the No. 1 cause of teen deaths in the United States.

Look for more on this campaign and other highlights from the evening in the August issue of Strategies & Tactics.

In total, PRSA handed out 50 Silver Anvil Awards and 62 Awards of Excellence, which recognize the best PR campaigns of the year and the highest standards of performance for the profession.

Top Agency Leaders Will Convene at ICON

The PRSA 2019 International Conference continues to add more thought leaders to its speaker lineup. On Oct. 21, a panel of executives from top global communications and marketing agencies will share their insights, experiences and predictions. The group includes:

• Jennifer Gottlieb, president, W2O Group
• Jim Joseph, global president, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe)
• Heather Kernahan, president, North America & Australia, Hotwire
• Barby Siegel, CEO, Zeno Group

ICON will take place on Oct. 20-22 in San Diego. Bob Woodward, Frank X. Shaw and Laura Ling are among the General Session speakers who have been announced so far. See the insert in this issue for more details.

Cal State Long Beach Takes Top Prize in Bateman Competition

PRSSA announced that California State University, Long Beach (LBSU), was the winner of the 2019 Bateman Case Study Competition.

This year’s competition challenged students to develop a strategic campaign that focused on diversity in public relations and promoted the book “Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership,” which the PRSA Foundation developed with the Museum of Public Relations.

LBSU’s winning campaign, “Diversity LB,” raised campus and community awareness about the diversity and inclusion deficit and challenge in the communications profession.

The three finalists presented their campaigns to a panel of judges at PRSA’s headquarters in April. The University of South Carolina won second place and Brigham Young University (Team Blue) finished in third.

Philadelphia Chapter Partners on Diversity Commitment

PRSA’s Philadelphia Chapter and The Philadelphia Public Relations Association have joined forces to pledge their commitment to diversity and inclusion in their city and surrounding communities.

Moving forward, both groups are adhering to newly established guidelines when planning programs and special events, including securing space that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and assembling a diverse array of speakers for programs or special events.

PRSSA Welcomes Texas Tech

PRSSA granted a new charter to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. With this addition, the number of PRSSA Chapters moves to 368.