Category: Uncategorized

Last night, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto chapter celebrated Toronto’s most talented and innovative public relations and communications practitioners at the annual Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards Ceremony. Taking place virtually this year, the awards showcased outstanding work in the practice of public relations, receiving 147 high-caliber submissions from a variety of agencies, corporations, individuals and not-for-profits in the Greater Toronto Area.

NATIONAL Public Relations won a Silver award in the Media Relations, Best Use of (Over $50,000) category for the Unither – A Breath in the Sky campaign.

NATIONAL was brought into the project to develop and execute a strategic approach around the announcement of this world-first, including a thoughtful risk management communications plan, a narrative and media relations program, social media and creative asset development, and executive counsel. This was a complex communications program, but it was aided by having an engaging and truly innovative client who wanted to turn “moonshots into earthshots,” pushing the bounds of medicine and drone aviation technology to do something the world had never seen, and to benefit a real person waiting for an organ transplant.

To learn more, read the Unither case study in the Portfolio section.

“I would like to give a big congratulations to the many winners and finalists at this year’s ACE Awards,” said Nancy MacMillan, President, CPRS Toronto Chapter. “The ACE Awards is one of CPRS Toronto’s most exciting nights of the year, and it was a great honour to be surrounded by an incredible group of inspiring practitioners.”

About CPRS
Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto Local Society is a not-for-profit association of professionals dedicated to the practice, management and teaching of public relations and communications. Comprising 13 local societies, CPRS’ mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, a commitment to ethics and a code of professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support to members at every stage of their careers.

About NATIONAL
NATIONAL Public Relations provides creative communications solutions that move people in thought and actions. We bring together a team of 300 seasoned professionals, who are committed to helping organizations of all sizes and in all sectors understand their challenges and opportunities and solve the issues they are facing. For 45 years, NATIONAL has been at the centre of issues and industries that matter, leading change for today and tomorrow.

Consolidation creates a $55 million agency and strengthens operations in core sectors and capabilities 

Padilla and SHIFT Communications announced today that SHIFT will become a Padilla operating brand effective January 1, 2022. Along with Padilla, SHIFT joins FoodMinds, Joe Smith and SMS Research Advisors in the Padilla portfolio of brands.

The combined agency will have approximately 240 employees across seven U.S. offices – Minneapolis, New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia – and approximately $55 million in revenue. Padilla and SHIFT are owned by AVENIR GLOBAL, a Montreal-based holding and management company of public relations and communication firms.

“Padilla and SHIFT are both extremely well-respected brands in the industry, and as part of AVENIR GLOBAL we’ve had great success sharing both operational and client-facing resources like creative, digital and channel strategy,” said Matt Kucharski, Padilla president. “We’ve also collaborated on client assignments, particularly in technology and health care, and during that time, our teams have come to know and respect each other. This natural progression brings exciting new opportunities to our clients and our people.”

Rick Murray will remain managing partner for SHIFT and will become an executive vice president at Padilla, assuming oversight of Padilla’s channels and digital strategy teams. Additionally, SHIFT’s two managing directors – Annie Perkins and Alan Dunton – will join Padilla’s sector leadership team and continue to lead their respective sectors within SHIFT.

“We’re everything SHIFT has been historically, now with way more muscle behind us in areas like creative, paid, digital, analytics and branding. When we look at where both Padilla and SHIFT are headed, we see so much opportunity. By consolidating our operations, we’ll strengthen our leadership and bench strength in core sectors, foster greater collaboration and ultimately deliver the kind of growth we all know is possible,” Murray said.

About SHIFT

SHIFT is an integrated communications firm that operates at the nexus of art and science to help brands break through and thrive. We leverage data and analytics to engineer the who, what, when, where and how behind programs. We harness deep human insights, empathy, and expertise to craft compelling narratives and campaigns that connect on a personal level, and then use advanced targeting to get them in front of the people who matter most. Established in 2003, SHIFT is an AVENIR GLOBAL company representing global brands and emerging category disruptors in the technology, b2b, health care and consumer sectors. Clients include Cengage, Citrix, Foxwoods Resort Casino, RSA and TELUS International. Learn more at shiftcomm.com.

About Padilla

Padilla is an independently operated, globally resourced public relations and communication company with offices across the United States. The agency helps clients transform by building, growing and protecting their brands and reputations worldwide through public relations, advertising, digital and social marketing, investor relations and brand strategy. Padilla includes the integrated communications experts at SHIFT, the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds, the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, and the research authorities at SMS Research Advisors. Clients include 3M, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cargill, CommonSpirit Health, Dole Food Company, Edward Jones, Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and Winnebago Industries. Padilla is an AVENIR GLOBAL company and is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 132 independently owned partner offices in 115 cities on six continents. Transform with purpose at PadillaCo.com.

Padilla has been recognized by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts with two 2021 Gold w3 Awards. Receiving over 3,000 entries from across the globe, the w3 Awards honors outstanding Websites, Marketing, Video, Mobile, Social, and Podcasts created by some of the best digital content creators across the industry.  

The agency was recognized for the following client work:   

First Cut Corn  

Website Features – Best User Experience 

Website Features –– Best Visual Appeal – Experience   

About W³ Awards  

The w3 Awards illuminates creative excellence on the Web and recognizes the creative and marketing professionals behind award-winning Websites, Video, Podcasts, Marketing, Mobile, and Social. Simply put, the w3 is the leading digital competition that recognizes the biggest agencies, the smallest firms, and everyone in between. Small firms are as likely to win as Fortune 500 companies and international agencies. The w3 Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, an invitation-only body consisting of top-tier professionals from a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms. Please visit www.aiva.org for a full member list and additional information. 

About Padilla
Padilla is an independently operated, globally resourced public relations and communication company with offices across the United States. The agency builds, grows and protects brands and reputations worldwide by creating purposeful connections with the people who matter most through public relations, advertising, digital and social marketing, investor relations and brand strategy. Padilla includes the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds, and the research authorities at SMS Research Advisors. Clients include 3M, Avocados From Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Dole Food Company, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Padilla is an AVENIR GLOBAL company and is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 132 independently owned partner offices in 115 cities on six continents. Connect with purpose at PadillaCo.com.

Natalie Smith, APR, senior vice president, has been honored with the 2021 Thomas Jefferson Award of Excellence in Public Relations from the Richmond chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Richmond). The lifetime achievement award recognizes a seasoned public relations practitioner in Central Virginia who has made an ongoing commitment to advancing the profession.  

Natalie has been an active PRSA member since 1993 – achieving her APR credentials in 1998. She currently oversees Padilla’s Employee Engagement Team, within the agency’s Corporate Advisory Group, which is focused on change communications, employee engagement, corporate culture, internal brand activation and corporate responsibility. As a well-respected business leader, she has mentored numerous up-and-coming professionals within our industry, especially young women.  

Along with professional achievements, the Thomas Jefferson Award also recognizes senior public relations professionals for their community involvement. Natalie served as an executive board member with VIRGINIAforever, a diverse coalition dedicated to protecting the Commonwealth’s natural resources. Her public service also included board involvement with Family Lifeline, a nonprofit organization that provides home- and community-based services to families in need.  

Natalie earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications arts from James Madison University, and a master’s degree in mass communications and media management from Virginia Commonwealth University.  

On Wednesday, October 6th, PRSA Richmond will host the Virginia PR Awards Celebration at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to celebrate the chapter, sponsors and all the winners – and include remarks from Natalie as this year’s Thomas Jefferson Award honoree.  

Previous Padilla honorees of the Thomas Jefferson Award include Mark Raper (2007) and Mike Mulvihill (2016). 

About Padilla
Padilla is an independently operated, globally resourced public relations and communication company with offices across the United States. The agency builds, grows and protects brands and reputations worldwide by creating purposeful connections with the people who matter most through public relations, advertising, digital and social marketing, investor relations and brand strategy. Padilla includes the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds, and the research authorities at SMS Research Advisors. Clients include 3M, Avocados From Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Dole Food Company, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Padilla is an AVENIR GLOBAL company and is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 132 independently owned partner offices in 115 cities on six continents. Connect with purpose at PadillaCo.com.

Padilla has been recognized with four awards at The Show, sponsored by The Advertising Federation of Minnesota (AdFed). Padilla was recognized for the following client work:

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (The Blueberry Method)

• Internet Commercial – Single Spot, Any Length (Gold Pin)
• Online/Interactive Campaign (Silver Pin)

Fresh Florida Sweet Corn (First Cut Corn)

• Microsite (Silver Pin)

Can Manufacturers Institute (Cans Get You Cooking)

• Social Media Campaign (Bronze Pin)

About AdFed Minnesota
The Advertising Federation of Minnesota (AdFed) is a non-profit, professional trade association that has served the Minnesota advertising community including agencies, advertisers, suppliers, and students for 115 years. AdFed is a part of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the nation’s oldest national advertising trade association. Ad 2 reflects the programs and initiatives for the community of students and professionals that are under 32 years of age. For more information about AdFed and Ad 2 visit AdFed.org.

About Padilla
Padilla is an independently operated, globally resourced public relations and communication company with offices across the United States. The agency builds, grows and protects brands and reputations worldwide by creating purposeful connections with the people who matter most through public relations, advertising, digital and social marketing, investor relations and brand strategy. Padilla includes the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds, and the research authorities at SMS Research Advisors. Clients include 3M, Avocados From Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Dole Food Company, Mayo Clinic, Prosciutto di Parma, Rockwell Automation, Sanofi Pasteur and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. Padilla is an AVENIR GLOBAL company and is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of 132 independently owned partner offices in 115 cities on six continents. Connect with purpose at PadillaCo.com.