Team VIVA! wins PR campaign of the year at 2012 PRIME Awards

VIVA! Communications, together with client, CSL Biotherapies, clinched PR Campaign of the Year at the highly prestigious 2012 PRIME Awards held at The Westin Hotel, Sydney on  Thursday, September 20.

Left to right: Mahsa Lotfizadeh (VIVA), Leonie Loyer (CSL), Kirsten Bruce & Abbey Flanagan (VIVA!)

The PRIME judging panel rated our campaign, ‘Protecting Against Pneumococcal Pneumonia,’ the “stand-out” entry for the night.

The PRIME Awards recognise and reward true excellence within the Australian Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Industry.

Four VIVA! consultants’ joined members of CSL Biotherapies’ vaccines team, for the fantastic evening filled with smiles, laughter and celebration.

“We’re delighted with the result and are indebted to CSL Biotherapies, which gave us the opportunity to develop such a highly strategic and creative integrated communications campaign.

Gina Kladis (CSL) with VIVA! Principal, Kirsten Bruce

“The award reflects the hard-work, passion and commitment invested by my team, who worked tirelessly to deliver a fantastic campaign to tight deadlines,” said VIVA! Principal, Kirsten Bruce.

We were challenged with heightening healthcare professional and consumer awareness and understanding of pneumococcal pneumonia; addressing the importance of protecting against the often fatal lung infection; generating uptake of the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine; and further reinforcing CSL’s role as a leader in the vaccines market,” Ms Bruce said.

VIVA! girls with keynote speaker, Ita Buttrose

“We conducted a comprehensive health professional and consumer communications strategy based on extensive research, stakeholder collaboration and engagement, patient advocacy and extensive media relations to achieve the ambitious goals and objectives set,” said Ms Bruce.

“The delivery of tailored, accurate and consistent key messages to target audiences encouraging people at-risk of pneumococcal pneumonia to see their doctor to discuss ways to protect against infection, including vaccination, proved critical.”

We teamed with Bert Newton’s wife of 38 years, Patti, to reflect on her husband’s frightening ordeal with pneumonia, and to join doctors and “everyday Australians” for The Australian Lung Foundation’s inaugural Pneumonia Awareness Week, which we created to strategically leverage our campaign.

Kirsten Bruce and Paul Jans (VIVA!)

Our integrated communications campaign successfully penetrated health professional and consumer audiences, generating more than 25 million potential combined Australian and international audience impressions in medical (print and online) and consumer media (TV, radio, print, digital and social).

A huge thank you to all involved for allowing Team VIVA! to clinch this outstanding award.