The only problem with reaching the top in your profession is staying there, there is always someone smarter and brighter around the corner waiting to push you off your pedestal
This is what a leading Cambridge PR firm has discovered, trading under the rather unpleasant name of WAR. Much to their shock, they were not shortlisted in some categories for the latest highly coveted CIPRE Pride awards, and, in protest, rather ungraciously pulled out their remaining entries.
WAR had been on the crest of a wave, having scooped 10 awards last year, and it’s nose was plainly put out of joint by this latest unexpected 
rejection which it could not cope with.
So they blamed the judging process and said their company was too big and, reading between the lines, a cut above the smaller, more lowly businesses it was competing against. It was certainly not good PR on their part, along with this rather patronising and unwise statement from their PR supremeo Kerris Macauley (see pic):
“These regional awards celebrate all PR teams in the region, but, unfortunately, they mostly seem to attract smaller concerns and in-house teams – and, in that event, it seems entirely inappropriate that we enter. It’s of no interest to us to win against agencies which are just starting out and finding their feet, and it would reflect no great achievement on our part to do so. “
However, that did not seem to concern them last year when they put themselves up for these awards, and used their success to generate extra business.
I totally endorse the criticism leveled against them by fellow PR practitioner Amanda Politzer who says that WAR couldn’t face the risk of losing against smaller agencies and freelancers who are leaner, keener, smarter and offer better value for money, as well as a passion and enthusiasm that some large agencies can only muster up for fees exceeding £100,000. Just like Amanda and myself, in fact.
And all this comes on top of WAR having to correct recent claims it made about being the New Media Age leading PR agency in the area. They seem to be in a right pickle and will have to work hard at re-establishing their reputation as fair minded and professional PR practitioners.
Just as I tell my sons not to be too upset when their lose at football – after all, not even David Beckham scores every time – the same applies to WAR, they need to learn that you win some, you lose some, and how to take defeat graciously.
This is hilarious!
That statement from WAR had me in stitches.
How they managed to write that with a straight face, I have no idea, especially bearing in mind that they had previously seen no problem in entering the awards in the first place.
There’s nothing worse than a sore loser.
The words “grow” and “up” spring to mind
I don’t mean to be unkind but Ms Macauley’s features reminds me a little of the characters in this this post.
[...] Reputation is what others say about you when you’re not around – so it is vitally important in public relations to manage your own reputation ahead of any client. Something not all PR practitioners understand. Ellee Seymour links to a local spat in the CIPR East Anglia region where one consultancy, War, (which seems actually to be an advertising agency) has apparently spat out its dummy over not being shortlisted in every category of the PRIDE Awards that it had entered. [...]
I, too, am still laughing at the WAR statement. Talk about having no sense of self-irony! Hate a sore loser, too.
Not such good news from their biggest client:-
Multiyork, the quality furniture manufacturer and retailer, is understood to be reviewing its £2.5m creative business.
The account is currently handled by Ware Anthony Rust (WAR). The Cambridge-based agency is understood to have been invited to repitch for the work. Multiyork marketing director Sarah Herbert is overseeing the process.
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=53006
Heather, Thanks for the link.
Geoff, Fascinating info here, many thanks.
Ellee,
Thanks for the heads-up. Will definitely have to follow the links and read more. But, one question remains: Will WAR submit and compete in next year’s competition? If so, it’ll have some explaning to do.
It seems like you are dead-on when it has its nose bent out of joint.
However, while awards are nice, it’s what we do for our clients that really matters. It seems the award-winning stuff (more creative, I believe) is not necessarily results-getting work for clients.
Mike
Giving London a run for its money…
I’ve had a few weeks without any foreign trips and have spent a bit of time visiting some regional practitioners – as well as doing a bit of a one-man membership drive and talking to a couple of groups of…
PR Voice, Thanks for the plug on your site written by Tony Bradley, President of the CIPR, which can be found here:
http://prvoice.typepad.com/pr_voice/2006/10/giving_london_a.html
One wonders how big WAR’s PR department actually is….there ARE some sizeable and well-established dedicated PR agencies in the east of England
How incredibly arrogant, and stupid. Did they really think that taking this approach would endear them to potential clients, or prove their superior PR skills? Idiots.
Diss Winters, It doesn’t seem as if they thought that far ahead, does it?
Seems amazing given that this is the second time in a month that WAR have found themselves in hot water. Methinks the lady doth protest too much!
http://www.war.uk.com/html/news_warpr3.asp?nav=b2c