Are you award worthy?

Know a business that is award worthy? Maybe it's your own business? Maybe it's one of your clients? Well entries for My Business magazine awards are now open.

The closing time and date for award entry submissions is Friday 29th August 2008 at 5.00pm. Categories are:

1. The GIO Award for Best Small Business (1-20 employees)
2. Provident Cashflow Award for Best Medium Business (21- 200 employees)
3. The 3 Mobile Award for Fastest Growing Small Business
4. The St George Award for Best Start Up Business (not older than 3 years)
5. Award for Best Regional Business
6. The QuickBooks Award for Best Retailer
7. Award for Best Green Business
8. The Cisco Award for Best Technology in an SME
9. Award for Best E-Business
10. Award for Best Young Gun in Small Business (30years or younger)

For more details about award categories and to apply online, click here.

Tracking the media, monitoring the message

Australia's Top Magazines of 2008

OK! magazine, published by Northern & Shell Pacific, has been named Magazine of the Year at the recent 11th annual Magazine of the Year Awards presented by the Magazine Publishers of Australia. The awards recognise excellence and achievement in consumer magazine publishing and editorial.

OK! magazine, also winner of the General Excellence (General Interest / News) category, was selected as Magazine of the Year from the winners of the four major general excellence award categories.

For the second year Australasian Dirt Bike took home the General Excellence (Special Interest) category while the other General Excellence winners were Shop Til you Drop (Lifestyle) and real living (Home & Food). Editor of the Year was awarded to OK! magazine’s Kim Wilson.

Other winners included:

Ad Trade Marketing Campaign:
‘The Test of TIME’, TIME Magazine, TIME South Pacific

Consumer Marketing Campaign of the Year:
‘It’s Good To Be You’, Women’s Health, Pacific Magazines

Australia Post Magazine Subscription Award:
Mother’s Day Campaign (Magshop), ACP Magazines

Best Use of the Magazine Environment for Advertising: ‘My Australia Campaign’,TIME Magazine, TIME South Pacific

Best Use of Special Execution:
Australian Home Beautiful, Pacific Magazines

Best Use of Photography/Photographic Feature:
Modern Masterpieces Food Feature, Vogue Entertaining + Travel, News Magazines

Cover of the Year:
Street Machine, ACP Magazines

Best Use of Digital Media:
Zoo Weekly, ACP Magazines

Feature Writer of the Year:
Michael Sheather, The Australian Women’s Weekly, ACP Magazines

Columnist of the Year:
John Carey, Wheels, ACP Magazines

Editorial Initiative of the Year:
‘Push It’, marie claire, Pacific Magazines

Story of the Year:
‘Culture of Violence’, TIME Magazine, TIME South Pacific

Designer of the Year:
Huw Reynolds, belle, ACP Magazines

Lunch/Relaunch of the Year:
Women’s Health, Pacific Magazines

The voting for this year’s awards involved 33 judges across seven judging panels. Winners were selected from 72 finalists from a total of 291 entries.

Tracking the media, monitoring the message

Slice of Life: Gabriel McDowell, Res Publica

In November 2007, Res Publica won PRIA's top national award for a public affairs campaign, and then in February 2008, Res Publica was named AdNews PR Agency of the Year for 2007 after an exceptional year of growth and success. They were acclaimed for delivering big, original ideas that cut through the clutter and delivered positive brand awareness for their clients. Slice caught up with managing director Gabriel McDowell to uncover some of the secrets to Res Publica's success.

Tell us about a campaign you're most proud of?
The campaign to legalise Therapeutic cloning. We ran the campaign on behalf of a range of patient advocacy groups representing sufferers of diseases and conditions like spinal injuries, juvenile Diabetes, motor neurone disease, Alzheimer's. It was a complex campaign over an extended period of time, incorporating the mobilization of grassroots constituencies, media relations, and lobbying. We won in the end and because it gave real hope and joy to a lot of people, it is the stand out campaign.

How do you measure campaign success?
How happy is the client?

What makes your agency different from others?
I like to think we combine professional excellence with a down to earth attitude. Also, we've got a real results orientated approach and I think it is this combination that helps us attract and retain clients.

What are the biggest challenges facing PR agencies right now?
Getting good people. We elicit a lot a high quantity of applications to our searches but the quality responses are few and far between and the problem's worst at the account director level. So if there's anyone really good out there...

Rolling Stones or The Beatles?
Tough one musically, but for sheer front and because they're the epitome of rock and roll bad boys you can't go past the Stones.

New York or New Delhi?
New York and London are my two favourite cities. I'd happily spend a year to two in either.

Earl Grey or English Breakfast?
I'm Irish so Irish Breakfast.

Loafers or blunnies?
I grew up with Doc Martins, they're probably closer to blunnies.

Tracking the media, monitoring the message