New co-chairs Annabelle Sandeman and Louise Dunn opened the awards night
Agencies of all shapes and sizes are celebrating following their success at the Communiqué awards, held on Thursday last week.
The annual awards (run by PMLive’s parent company Datateam) recognise the very best work in healthcare communications, and this year the honours were shared out among 15 different agencies – some of them familiar faces, some winning for the first time.
Read here for an overview of all the winners – below are just some of the highlights of the night from the agency side.
M&F Health led the field, winning no fewer than four award categories for its campaign for UK Malnutrition Awareness Week, on behalf of BAPEN and The Malnutrition Task Force.
It racked up category wins for Communication of Survey or Market Research Data, Integrated Non-Promotional Communications, Healthcare Collaborations and Partnerships and in Media Relations.
The Communiqué judges’ commented: “The team delivered truly incredible work for both a tight budget and limited time frame. It stood out for its well targeted approach and its clear storytelling, which mapped out all of the campaign’s achievements.”
Public Affairs and Policy Consultancy of the Year
Another big winner on the night was Engine MHP, which won in the Excellence in Communications – Payers/Policymakers category for its Gender Neutral Vaccination campaign for MSD.
The agency’s Chris McPherson also won the Young Achiever in Healthcare Communications award, with the group rounding off the night by winning Public Affairs and Policy Consultancy of the Year.
Small Consultancy of the Year
Barely one year old, the new kids on the block this year were akt healthcare communications, who claimed the Small Consultancy of the Year award.
Katy Foy, one of the agency’s three founding directors, said the team were honoured to win the award.
“Since launching in May 2018, we have worked hard to deliver on our vision of changing the way people perceive and access ground-breaking improvements in healthcare.
“This award is testament to both the strength of our team and the trust and support we have been shown by our clients, who we are proud to be partnering with. 2020 is set to be be a big year for akt health, and we absolutely cannot wait.”
Medical Consultancy of the Year
Also winning big was Lucid, which took home the Medical Consultancy of the Year award, the judges praising the agency’s continuing leadership in behaviour change and its efforts to put the patient at the heart of all of its work.
Vivid, a Lucid Group company, also won the Excellence in Professional Education Programmes award for its OptiMiSe campaign for MS nurses.
Jan Steele, Lucid COO and co-founder commented: “We’re thrilled to receive these awards and we’re passionate about what the Communiqué awards as a whole stand for − championing the highest possible standards and helping to shape future thinking in MedComms.
“It’s clear to see that everyone at the awards shared the same dedication, drive and ambition to transform patients’ lives. It’s a great industry to be part of − one which makes me very proud.”
Communications Consultancy of the Year
Meanwhile 90TEN was the winner of another much coveted prize, the Communications Consultancy of the Year.
The consultancy also scooped the award for ‘Excellence in Corporate Communications – External Stakeholders’ for its Project Family campaign for Ferring.
The consultancy of the year awards involve face-to-face presentations with the Communiqué judges, who felt that the 90TEN team had made a compelling case.
Naming it a clear winner in the Communications Consultancy category, the judges commented: “After several years of sustained market-leading growth, 90TEN decided to evolve its offer and proposition in order to stay one step ahead of its competition, whilst keeping the cultural heart of the business unchanged.
“That’s quite a tall order, but the judges felt the results spoke for themselves. On the day, an enthusiastic, energetic team were showcased the results, demonstrating fantastic client relationships as well as a focus on people which is delivering great retention and engagement.”
Carole North, 90TEN’s CEO, said: “2018 was the year we revitalised our reason for being. Always wanting to improve, we created a new suite of behavioural science products and services and invested heavily in developing our people.
“The changes have left the team inspired, clients happy and the company fit for the future. We’ve never felt more energised!”
Look out for more coverage of this year’s awards, coming soon. Read more about the winning entries on the Communiqué Awards website.