Viva honoured for its ethics

Rossendale-based PR agency Viva has won the Ethical Champions award for very small agencies.

The honour was bestowed by the PRCA, Europe’s largest and most influential body in the PR and communications sector.

Judges looked at staff welfare, ethical account management, recruitment and retention, and ethical business practices.

Tony Garner, managing director of Viva, said: “I’m so proud of this win because having structures in place to ensure the way we do business is ethical is important to me.

“For me it’s all about our ethos. Treat people — that’s employees, clients, suppliers, media and so on — with honesty and respect. Graft, in the sense of work hard to deliver results and to earn trust. And train people so that they’ve got the tools to do their job.

“We don’t think we do anything special – thankfully the judges at the PRCA do.”

Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA, said that the Ethical Champions awards represent the latest step in the organisation’s work to raise standards and celebrate those who uphold the highest standards and provide a guiding light for the PR and communications industry. Based in Rawtenstall, Viva works in the charity, education, sport, corporate and IT sectors. The agency was the 2016 CIPR Outstanding Small Public Relations Agency for the North West. It was established in 2002.