Clearly completes hat-trick by winning Best Agency award for third time
Clearly, the public relations, social and digital media agency based in Bath, has been awarded the prestigious PRCA DARE Award for the Best Medium Sized PR Consultancy in the South West for the third consecutive year.
Organised by the PRCA, the world’s largest professional body for the public relations industry, the awards recognise and celebrate the best campaigns and consultancies in the South West over the last 12 months. Winners were announced at a special ceremony that took place at the exquisite Avon Gorge Hotel in Bristol on Wednesday 21st June.
Clearly will now compete with fellow regional winners from across the country for the same category at the PRCA’s national Grand Prix awards in London later in the year.
Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, Founder and Managing Director at Clearly said:
“The PR industry has encountered its fair share of challenges over the last three years, and Clearly has been no exception to that.
“Seeing off those challenges and enabling the business to continue moving forward has been down to one thing: an unswerving commitment among the team to the vision of making a difference to the clients we work with, the people we employ, and the community and environment within which we all live.
“To be recognised as the best PR consultancy of our size for the third time in as many years is a fantastic achievement for every one of the team. Theirs is a role that has become increasingly integrated over the last year, which in turn has meant having to quickly adapt to the constantly changing media landscape and rapidly shifting client expectations.”
In 2021, Clearly became only the second PR agency in the South West – and seventh nationally – to gain B Corp certification. This elevated its already existing ESG communications service to B2B organisations and gave Clearly an edge over many of its competitors in this space.
“The pandemic changed the world of PR forever,” said Paul. “Research that we conducted as early as the summer of 2020 showed how clients were increasingly making purchasing decisions based on how a business performs on an environmental and societal basis and the values it holds.
“Follow up surveys undertaken by Clearly have since shown that this is not a moment, it is a movement that is showing no sign of slowing down. This, in turn, has stimulated a sharp rise in greenwashing, with a growing number of businesses exaggerating their ethical credentials in a bid to appeal to today’s conscious consumers. It’s a risky strategy that risks reputational consequences.
“Our role has evolved over the last 12 months to focus on developing communications strategies that enable businesses to shout about the great things they do by demonstrating the impact of these initiatives. In doing so, clients can confidently communicate their ESG credentials without fear of recrimination.”
In 2022, Clearly reported record billings and predictions are that the agency will reach the £1 million mark in 2024 – its 10th anniversary year.
