Last week, I joined my InkHouse colleagues at the 50th Annual Bell Ringers — the PR Club’s (formerly the Publicity Club of New England) gala honoring the work of communications professionals from dozens of agencies, companies and organizations across the region.
With a changing media landscape struggling to serve distrustful consumers who preemptively brace themselves for the next volley of bad-news alerts, PR has to evolve. As the old playbook no longer works, we’re reinventing our approach by breaking down the silos between PR and digital media, extending the value of every mention and impression.
Last week, from the State Room 33 floors above the Hub, stunning views of Boston Harbor served as the backdrop as we feted our evolving industry. In its half century, the Bell Ringers have expanded to 45 categories, moving beyond singular media clips to honor excellence in integrated campaigns, content creation and design.
From hundreds of entries, InkHouse’s integrated services were showcased across its four awards — recognizing campaigns built on earned media, design, influencer programs, data storytelling and design. I’m very proud to share a bit about each of our winners:
Gold: Healthcare Product/Service Publicity Campaign for NeuroMetrix — “How Technological Influences Can Impact Chronic Pain.” America is facing a deadly drug epidemic, but missing from this story is how the opioid crisis impacts those living with chronic pain. InkHouse’s integrated campaign (earned media, thought leadership, influencer programs and owned media) helped elevate the voice of the chronic pain community and highlight technology as a solution.
Silver: Owned Media for NeuroMetrix — “LivingQuell” blog. Facing a shifting business model, NeuroMetrix needed to find new ways to engage with its core audience: those living with chronic pain. To inform and engage this target, InkHouse created a consumer-facing blog to share industry perspectives, educational content and product information.
Bronze: Digital or Printed Collateral for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) — The “Creative Economy Report.” InkHouse conducted a data storytelling campaign for NEFA, creating a report and other assets to underscore the importance of the creative economy to New England.
Merit: High Tech Publicity Campaign for ServiceChannel — “$20 Billion Can’t Be Wrong — CEO’s Back-of-the-Envelope Math Powers Industry Thought Leadership for ServiceChannel.” InkHouse transformed some rough math from a CEO’s passing comment into the foundation of a market-defining thought-leadership campaign, reaching decision-makers with compelling arguments to invest in facilities management