SPRG, Edelman shine at Asia-Pacific PR Awards

The agency was recognised for its successful international expansion, impressive growth during the economic downtown, and high level of staff and client retention. SPRG’s success in recent years has been spurred by its diversification from an investor relations specialist to a full service PR firm.

“2010 has proven to be a highly fruitful year for SPRG. Not only does it mark our 15th anniversary, but the year has also been laden with industry awards by the Campaign Asia-Pacific PR Awards and many others," said SPRG chairman and managing director Richard Tsang.

"In coming years, we will seek to build on our achievements and become the most preferred PR partner of our clients,” he added.

Separately, Waggener Edstrom Asia-Pacific was named Mid-sized Network of the Year, while the award for PR Consultancy of the Year went to Edelman Singapore. Both firms also recorded strong growth over the past two years.

Campaign of the Year was awarded to the Yonsei Business School Alumni Association and Korean agency Prain for ‘Blue Butterfly’, which sought to raise funding for university scholarships for disadvantaged students in Korea.

In terms of personal awards, Kumi Sato, president and chief executive of independent Tokyo-based agency Cosmo, was chosen as PR Agency Head of the Year. Sato, who has led Cosmo since 1987, is credited with having transformed the agency into a multicultural consultancy that enjoys long-standing relationships with both domestic and international clients and is emerging as a leader in the field of healthcare communications.

Submissions to the awards were assessed by a total of 20 judges from around the region on both the agency and client side.