Catapult PR scoops six CIPR NW PRide Award shortlistings

Lancashire PR firm Catapult PR has achieved a remarkable six shortlistings in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide Awards, for three different campaigns and in recognition of other work carried out by managing director, Jane Hunt, as an Outstanding Practitioner.

Catapult PR has been shortlisted for the practitioner accolade, as well as in five campaign categories.  In the Travel, Leisure, Tourism and Entertainment category and the Arts and Culture PR Campaign category, it is the only shortlisted agency.  

It is also shortlisted in the Not-for-Profit PR Campaign, Best Corporate or Business Campaign and Best Use of Media Relations campaign categories.

The success for the Lancashire-based agency, with offices in Blackpool and Poulton-le-Fylde, comes hot on the heels of it winning two national CIPR Excellence Awards, plus a PR Moment Award North, in June 2021.  Those wins took its total awards tally to 44 and that could increase, if the new shortlistings become wins.

The new shortlistings cover campaigns in retail, UK travel PR, promoting a castle hotel, and community relations PR, in terms of the work conducted for Northumberland Day 2021, the county day of Northumberland.  Having launched this county day from scratch, Catapult has become an expert in county day promotions over the past 6 years. 

The geographical area covered by these clients ranges from London to Langley-on-Tyne and Lynemouth.  Catapult PR’s other work, judged in the Outstanding Practitioner category, has been for clients based in locations such as Leeds, Cumbria and South Wales, not forgetting Catapult PR’s Lancashire clients.

The shortlisted work also includes content and copywriting, with the creation of everything from an escape game and children’s writing competition, to an edgy kids’ history download and a  cleverly worded postcard that helped generate discussion about the future of the UK coach tourism sector in Parliament, at the height of the pandemic. 

Catapult PR will find out whether it has been successful on October 5, but has other plans afoot before then.  A new-look website will be launched in the coming weeks, to help support other initiatives that Catapult has created for its own and its clients’ promotion.  

“We’re not looking back at 2020 or 2021’s work and resting on our laurels, but rolling out campaigns and coming up with ideas which could be the next award-winning campaign in the making,” says Jane Hunt.  “We are delighted with the six shortlistings, however, and would love to edge nearer to the 50 awards total by the end of 2021.  That would be some achievement in 23 years, particularly as we have over 70 finalists’ accolades too.” 

The consultancy has already caught the eye of Private Eye cartoonist, Neil Kerber, this year, who created a cartoon after Catapult PR’s June 2021 success and sent it to Jane Hunt, to help celebrate the national achievement.  Who know what Boris and Rishi may say, if the firm adds to its awards this autumn!