The Phoenix Partnership (TPP) and its longstanding client, the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust (CTCTT), were awarded the prestigious 2016 Gold PRISM Award in the Crisis Management category on Sunday, 17 April.
The well-deserved recognition by the PR industry follows the fast development and joint execution of a unique communications campaign in support of the 2015 Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT).
Wendy Masters, owner of TPP, says: “Last year, a series of fierce mountain fires closed large sections of the traditional 109km CTCT route just days before this iconic Cape Town event. Four days before Race Day 2015, organisers were forced to announce a 47km circular route, resulting in exceptional circumstances and requiring a large-scale, crisis communications campaign to inform all participants and other stakeholders of the new, shortened, circular route.”
The result was the #showyoucaresolidarityride, which achieved overwhelmingly positive results. It united the participants, as well as the entire city, in honour of the fire fighters who had worked tirelessly to protect the affected areas, and it ensured that the Cape Town Cycle Tour maintained its position as the largest cycling event in the world.
Adri Bootsma, Marketing, Media and Sponsorship Manager at the CTCT says: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this prestigious prize. The #showyoucaresolidarityride was a real group effort and with the teams combined expertise in media relations and crisis communications we pulled off something quite remarkable. It is in times of crisis that the trusted relationships we enjoy with the media and our sponsors proves that together, anything is possible. We would like to thank the Cape Argus, Pick n Pay and Momentum for their unwavering support and total commitment as the crisis unfolded.”
Says David Bellairs, a director of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust: “It really was a series of unique circumstances that required quick, strategic thinking from our combined marketing team, of which TPP as our media office plays an integral part. We needed to uphold the expectations of the 35 000 Cape Town Cycle Tour riders, the spectators, as well as our stakeholders – while being mindful of the mood of the city at the time of the fires. The #showyoucaresolidarityride was an excellent solution. It was executed with excellence in traditional media and across each of our social media platforms, ensuring that the public was constantly kept up-to-date. This award is well deserved.”
The PRISM Awards are Africa’s most sought after awards in the public relations industry. Now in their 19th year, PRISM celebrates PR and communication professionals who have successfully incorporated strategy, creativity and professionalism into public relations and communication programmes and strategies. The Phoenix Partnership and the CTCTT are thrilled to be awarded the Gold Award in this category.
