KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Public Relations Awards (MPRA) makes a return to normalcy this year with the awards ceremony resuming its usual grand scale following a two-year scaled-down affair due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Awards for the 14th MPRA will be handed out on December 9 at what is expected to be a glitzy affair.
With this anticipation, the MPRA has received 50 entries, where 28 awards are up for grabs for PR practitioners and advocates with the most creative and relatable campaigns as well as for their understanding and implementation of trends in 2022.
Organised by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the MPRA not only honours outstanding work in public relations among PR consultants and in-house practitioners in both the public and private sectors, but it also recognises leadership in communications and public relations.
Last year’s semi-virtual event at a hotel in Petaling Jaya, which only had 10 tables honoured Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah with the PRCA Leadership Award for his role in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2021 awards also included entries from 2020 as due to the height of the pandemic then, it was not possible to organise the 2020 awards.
The 2021 edition also saw for the first time awards for “pandemic pivot” to recognise campaigns and companies that adapted to the unprecedented global crisis.
PRCA Malaysia president Prof Mohd Said Bani C.M. Din said this year’s MPRA awards ceremony is set to be grander as businesses and communities return to normality since the pandemic, with this year’s awards receiving a record-breaking number of entries and participation from in-house practitioners.
“MPRA 2022 is one of the highlights of the industry and part of the association’s efforts to promote industry excellence and better recognition,” Said Bani said.
He added that the association will continue to elevate the standards of professionalism within the industry via collaborations with relevant government agencies, the private sector, and academia.
According to him, audiences have shifted from traditional media outlets to digital platforms, with relation to Malaysia entering an endemic stage.
“Technology has now become the most fundamental communication tool for organisations.
“The widespread adoption of new technology has transformed how businesses can approach public relations and marketing, including how they interact with the media and stakeholders.”
Meanwhile, PRCA Malaysia honorary secretary Stefanie Braukmann stated that the association consistently updates its awards categories in accordance with current industry trends.
“MPRA 2022 sees a few categories being introduced to reflect the growing power and influence of digital and social media in public relations,” she said.
She conveyed that digital and social media have created public awareness of sustainability-related issues, prompting the PR industry to promote sustainability in their practices.
“Today’s consumers are more environmentally conscious and socially aware, and they are exercising their power by choosing the business they support based on their ESG-related conduct and performance.
“In this era, being a sustainable company – including establishing a green image – is no longer an advantage, but a necessity to compete in this new market.
“PR is there to help businesses establish themselves in the ever-expanding sustainable market, by effectively illustrating their commitment to creating positive change through their operations,” she added. – The Vibes, November 1, 2022
