A public relations campaign around Stockton’s public artwork Turn Back Tide has been short-listed as a finalist in the prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations North East Pride awards (CIPR), with finals taking place early December 2018.
Communications specialist Creative Business Collaboration undertook communications work around the launch of the artwork which is in a prominent location on the rear of the shopping centre and the southern gateway to the town.
Creative Business Collaboration was briefed by Castlegate Shopping Centre to undertake a public relations campaign including stakeholder liaison, consumer relations and regional media relations, with the objective of delivering strong media exposure and relationship building in time for the artwork launch, and enhancing consumer engagement. Work included a multi-layered tactical public relations campaign which generated strong media coverage securing TV, radio, newspaper and magazines.
The artwork was co-commissioned by Castlegate Shopping Centre, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. The 38m long artwork Turn Back Tide, by artist Aikaterini Gregisian, is a collage of images, which explores the rich local heritage of Stockton-on-Tees from its industrial past through to its current status as a hub of trade and service provision.
Karen Eve, Centre Manager at Castlegate Shopping Centre, one of the commissioners of the artwork, said: “Creative Business Collaboration demonstrated professionalism and a strong understanding of how art is consumed locally. The results of the media exposure and relationship building was extremely strong and awareness amongst people high.”
Commenting on the short list announcement, Founder Maxine Freer of Creative Business Collaboration said: “We are really pleased that the communications work undertaken has been recognised at this stage of the awards and we look forward to the finals later in the year.
“We have gone from strength to strength as a business, working with a national and local client base and work strategically with clients to deliver meaningful results.”
Creative Business Communications, founded in 2015 has moved away from an archetypal agency business model, working collaboratively with a range of specialist partners for a national and local client portfolio and offering a range of marketing, mentoring and strategic business services. Freer set up the business following a decade running award-winning creative agency WeDo, in order to create another way of working which integrates work and family life.
Anne-Marie Lacey, Chair of CIPR North East, said: “The PRide Awards is always a highlight in the communications calendar, and once again, we’ve been impressed not just by the number of entries, but by the quality of work that is being delivered by teams across our region.
“For any entry to have made it this far in the competition is an achievement in itself, and is testament to the fantastic professionals in the North East who work hard to support their clients’ strategic business objectives, while being committed to the highest level of professionalism, through creative communication campaigns which deliver a real and tangible result.”
The campaign has been shortlisted in the Low Budget category of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations North East and finals take place on 7 December 2018.
Castlegate Shopping Centre is located in Stockton-on-Tees on the widest high street in the UK. The centre is 347,000 sq. ft. and home to 68 tenants.
