Padilla was recognized with eight awards, including Best in Show (Campaigns), during the 2021 Virginia Public Relations Awards ceremony, sponsored by the Richmond Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA Richmond). This marks the fifth consecutive year the Best in Show honor has been awarded to Padilla.
Natalie Smith, APR, was the recipient of the 2021 Thomas Jefferson Award of Excellence in Public Relations.
Padilla, and its FoodMinds division, earned Best in Show (Campaigns) with Produce for Better Health (PBH). The agency was engaged to create a new campaign to help reverse Americans’ declining fruit and vegetable consumption by maximizing consumer-behavior insights and creating innovative engagement opportunities. The Have A Plant™ consumer movement featured a refreshed PBH brand, new digital ecosystem and upgraded influencer network. Within six months of launch, the movement connected with 165 million people through social media, webpage views and media coverage alone. Reach continued to grow in the past year, to more than 300 million. In addition, the movement has helped drive produce sales and helped increase PBH membership.
In addition, Padilla was recognized with six awards for the following client work:
COMMONWEALTH AWARDS
Marketing Consumer Products/Services (Excellence)
Dole Food Company
A Sweeter Social Platform Makes the Dole Brand Stick
Integrated Communications (Excellence)
Reputation/Brand Management (Excellence)
Produce for Better Health
A Recipe for Success: Fruits and Veggies are Key Ingredients for Healthier, Happier Lives
CAPITAL AWARDS
Social Media: Paid (Excellence)
Influencer Marketing (Excellence)
Dole Food Company
Bringing Fun Back Into the Kitchen with #DIYDoleWhip
Websites (Merit)
Produce for Better Health
A Recipe for Success: The Produce for Better Health Foundation Digital Ecosystem
In a virtual ceremony, PRSA Richmond honored statewide organizations and companies for excellence in public relations. Over its 74-year history, the chapter’s awards program has recognized the most creative and effective communication strategies and tactics happening across Virginia.
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.
