THE Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) Malaysia recently announced this year’s grand comeback of the nation’s most anticipated public relations (PR) awards, the Malaysia Public Relations Awards (MPRA) 2022.
With a total of 28 awards up for grabs, including the most coveted campaign of the year award, MPRA 2022 will culminate in a gala dinner on Dec 9, 2022, to announce this year’s winners.
In its 14th edition this year, MPRA 2022 recognises the most outstanding and inspiring work in public relations among PR consultants and in-house practitioners from both the private and public sectors as well as institutions of higher learning.
Last year’s awards night was organised as a unique hybrid dinner event that saw 26 winners under various categories receiving their awards after its brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health director-general Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was also in attendance to receive the honorary PRCA Malaysia Leadership Award 2021.
In a statement, PRCA Malaysia president Prof Mohd Said Bani C.M. Din said this year’s edition of MPRA will be a grander affair as normality resumes for businesses and communities alike.
“MPRA 2022 is one of the highlights of the industry and part of the association’s efforts to promote industry excellence and better recognition,” he explained.
“Moving forward, we will continually strive towards elevating the standard of professionalism among industry practitioners through collaborative efforts with relevant Government agencies, the private sector and academia.”
Moving toward digital platforms
Mohd Said noted as the COVID-19 endemic stage spells the start of economic recovery, audiences continue to move away from traditional media outlets towards social media and digital platforms, illustrating how technology has now become the most fundamental communication tool for organisations.
“The widespread adoption of new technology has transformed how businesses can approach PR and marketing – including how they interact with the media and stakeholders,” he noted.
Similarly, PRCA continually updates the MPRA award categories in line with current industry trends and to keep MPRA relevant, said PRCA Malaysia honorary secretary and chief judge of MPRA 2022 Stefanie Braukmann.
For instance, there is a strong imperative for PR practitioners to emphasise sustainability as technology and social media have led to increased public awareness of sustainability-related issues.
“Today’s consumers are more environmentally conscious and socially aware and they are exercising their power by choosing the businesses they support based on their ESG-related conduct and performance,” said Stefanie.
She added: “In this current era, being a sustainable company, including establishing a green image, is no longer just an advantage – it is a necessity to compete in this new market.”
As such, MPRA 2022 will see a few categories being introduced to reflect the growing power and influence of digital and social media in PR.
This year’s edition of MPRA received an overwhelming response with a record number of entries submitted by the Oct 15 closing date and the strongest-ever participation from in-house practitioners throughout its history. – Oct 23, 2022
