The FM AdFocus Awards has announced Razor PR as South Africa’s Public Relations Agency Of The Year, shortly after being named best new agency globally by PRrovoke.
The AdFocus Awards are an annual celebration of the best in South Africa’s marketing and communications industry. Razor was shortlisted for the award in 2020 (nine months after launching) and has now been named the winner in the PR category for 2021.
‘Public Relations as a discipline continues to demonstrate significant strategic value to clients, often as a result of the authenticity it brings to the conversations that brands, companies and their leaders need to show up in,’ said Partner and Managing Director Dustin Chick.
‘A crisis the magnitude of the global pandemic is an inflection point in this. We all know a crisis can catalyse any industry in the long-term, but for PR it has absolutely demonstrated the value of communications that directly connects to people and that does this creatively and with heart,’ he said.
This approach has seen Razor PR continue to grow year-on-year, while representing some of the country’s and continent’s largest names, including Audi, Anglo American, BevCo, Takealot and Virgin Active.
‘We measure our success as an agency not simply through industry awards, but our clients’ business effectiveness – this defines the kind of work we do,’ said Partner and Executive Creative Director Chris Lazley. ‘We help to shape their public conversations, assist them in publishing independently-conducted research reports to position them as industry thought leaders, and provide in-depth media industry training so that they always feel empowered to effectively manage their reputations, with us by their side.’
One of Razor PR’s greatest accomplishments this year was successfully managing KOO’s voluntary recall of canned products of which a small percentage had defective seams. The recall disappeared from the news cycle by day three, seeing it being lauded as one of the country’s most successful recalls.
‘Our senior strategic teams utilise predictive media intelligence tools such as NewsWhip to ensure our clients are always ahead of the news cycle and in full control of their public reputation,’ said Partner and Client Services Director Kalay Maistry, who drove the recall. ‘We managed to turn around Tiger Brands’ public reputation to the point that the recall resulted in an increased perception of quality, which also elevated consumer trust.’
Said M&C Saatchi Group SA Chief Executive Partner Mike Abel, ‘We are thrilled to be represented at the top of the game in PR and strategic communications. The last 20 months have been brutal for many businesses in adapting to change, but Razor PR has shown up remarkably in delivering work that works.’
The award is one of many that line the agency’s boardroom in central Houghton. Razor PR was named the World’s Best New Agency at the 2021 Global Sabre Awards by PRovoke Media in October, while Partner & Managing Director Dustin Chick was named PR Professional of the Year 2021 by the Public Relations Institute of South Africa at the 2021 PRISM Awards.
RAZOR PR
www.razorpr.co.za
