Indigo is shortlisted for the Excellence Awards, the industry's "Oscars", for its public affairs work in 2008

Indigo is delighted to announce that we have been short listed for the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Excellence Awards for Public Affairs. Recognised as the 'Oscars' of the PR industry, these awards attracted over 900 entries spread across 27 categories.

The company has been shortlisted for its campaign 'Making Waves Over Water Charges', which has already won the Public Affairs category of the CIPR Scotland Pride Award and the CIPR President's Grand Prix Gold Award for Public Affairs.

This successful campaign, led by Public Affairs Director, Alex Orr, ensured the extension of water charge exemptions for churches and charities beyond 2010. With the Scottish Government proposing to remove the exemption beyond this date, there were fears that potentially higher charges would have a damaging impact on charities and voluntary organisations across Scotland. However, a high profile public affairs strategy - which resulted in one of the largest petitions ever to be lodged with the Scottish Parliament - saw Ministers bow to public pressure and extend the exemption.

MD Jacqui Low, commenting on the short listing, said:

"Coming only three months after winning the CIPR President's Gold Award for this campaign, it is a great honour to be recognised at UK level for these acclaimed awards.

"Alex ran a highly effective campaign that pulled together diverse organisations, from the Scottish Episcopal and Scottish Catholic Churches to the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, behind one central message in an incredibly short space of time."

Alex added:

"The Excellence Awards recognise and reward best practice in public relations throughout the UK, and acknowledges personal and team achievement at the highest professional level. To be short listed is a remarkable achievement.

CIPR Director General Colin Farrington said:

"It gives me even greater pleasure than usual to be able to announce we received a record number of Excellence Awards entries this year. Over 900 submissions across the 27 award categories entered to win one of these highly esteemed awards.

"We all know that awards are profile raising gold for the finalists and winners, but they have significance for the industry as a whole too. By demonstrating the value public relations can add to business and society they make it that bit easier for us to prove our worth and justify our budgets, which is of even greater import at this time."
 
Winners will be announced at the Excellence Awards Summer Ball at the Honourable Artillery Company Gardens in London on Tuesday 7 July 2009.