Credible awards are always extended to individuals and companies in recognition of effort, success and excellence in a particular endeavour — to credit the good work that has been done and to motivate others to do more. The PRWeek Global Awards is one of those respected awards for the top agencies and companies in the PR and communications industry, and Djembe Communications has been able to carve for itself a place with the other finalists in this year’s edition.
With two nominations in different categories, Djembe Communications, the pioneering pan-African consultancy is on the illustrious shortlist of the PRWeek Global Awards 2018. Djembe, named after a West African drum, beat other contenders to emerge as a finalist in the Best Campaign in Middle East/Africa and Global Event Activation categories. The latter was for Djembe’s implementation of the annual Innovation Prize for Africa 2017 (IPA) event held in Ghana last year.
The Managing Director of Djembe Communications, Nicole Suter, spoke excitedly about the recognition and the kind of ambience it would bring. She said that such awards were proof that their efforts as a company are paying off and their approach to business is working. “We are thrilled to be nominated amongst other industry leaders. Such achievements are a testament to our work and success, demonstrating that our unique business model approach works.”
Nicole Suter also went on to shed more light on their business model and how they hope to use their vast experience on the continent to help foreign companies looking to move into Africa. “Operating with a single P & L across our global network is a tremendous asset for clients wherein they receive the best, fully dedicated team of communications specialists to help realize their organizational objectives. With a strong footprint in Africa now, the consultancy is also focused on serving as a hub for international companies entering the continent.”
In trying to create a memorable event for IPA 2017, Djembe’s teams across the network worked effectively to develop the various components of the IPA Prize and ensured the event was interactive, valuable and informative for the attendees. With effective cross-border management, the teams from Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and the UAE were able to deliver a multifaceted event and ensure that all media and social media content, as well as the roadshows and high-level roundtables, focused on the need to invest in homegrown innovation. This helped to elevate the stature of the campaign and generate stronger awareness, support and participation from the onset. Most importantly, the overall strategy raised awareness of the potential power of harnessing African innovation to address the challenges faced by the region.
Djembe strategic approach towards IPA 2017 led to a number of impressive successes. Most notably the approach led to the highest number of applications (more than 2,500) of all previous editions. It also saw the highest entries by African women innovators (482 representing around 19%) of overall applications and four of the final 10 nominees were women. Additionally, the consultancy successfully secured 11 tier 1 media partnerships and generating over 1,600 media hits.
The PRWeek Global Award judges noted that this year was keenly contested with a record number of entries being submitted. These awards highlight the industry leaders across the world, setting the standard for best-in-class PR and communications work. The award ceremony will be held in London on May 15, 2018, where industry peers will gather, network, and celebrate the winners.
