‘A.W.Olsen & Partners’ awarded the annual public relations award at `Baltic PR Awards` for a lobbying campaign

On 19 May this year the winners of the `Baltic PR Awards` were announced. The annual public relations award in the category ‘Public Affairs’ was awarded to the public relations agency ‘A.W.Olsen & Partners/Scholz & Friends Riga’ for the lobbying campaign ‘Pharmacy Ownership’ implemented in 2010. Contrary to the previous years, when three awards were presented in each category, this year the competition organisers changed the rules presenting the highest award in each nomination only to one campaign.

This year ‘Baltic PR Awards’ consisted of 48 entries, which were evaluated according to several criteria, in particular, how justified the communication goals are, how they comply with the company’s overall goals and if the results contribute to the development of the company or organisation involved. However, one the most important criteria was the contribution of the campaign to sustainability: if the campaign has created some permanent, significant values or a positive effect in society, economy and environment.

The jury, which consisted of a record number of overseas experts this year, evaluated all entries and singled out three nominees in each category.

On May 19, the finalists presented to the jury their entries in the category ‘Public Affairs’, and the lobbying campaign ‘Pharmacy Ownership’ by ‘A.W.Olsen & Partners/Scholz & Friends Riga’ was declared the winner.

‘This was the first time we had taken part in ‘Baltic PR Awards’ competition, and it took a long time to decide which of the implemented campaigns to nominate. The decision was hard as the criteria were very high. Besides, it is always important to make an impartial evaluation of what the social value of the campaign and its contribution are and how it has helped to solve a major social problem. It may prove to be a difficult task as each accomplished campaign is like your own child therefore it is not easy to give an impartial opinion. However, this award is not only a pleasant acknowledgement of our work, but also a big step towards facilitating public awareness. It shows that lobbying is a very important PR instrument, which has nothing to do with trading in influence. The ability to influence the decisions taken by the government is an expression of democracy and a way to ensure the connection between the public authority and society and interest groups. This award is an acknowledgement of such an expression of democracy,’ explains Olga Kazaka, Partner at ‘A.W.Olsen & Partners/ Scholz & Friends Riga’.

In 2001 the Pharmacy Law was adopted in Latvia. Article 36(1) stated that starting from 2011 pharmacies of a general type could be owned only by a pharmacist or – with a permission– a municipality in its administrative territory. Thus, those entrepreneurs, who didn’t have a pharmacist’s diploma, were deprived of their ownership rights. Through media relations, public and individual discussions with decision-makers, public events and other activities, the agency managed to persuade the decision-maker to adopt a decision that was favourable to the customer. More than 400 pharmacies and 2000 jobs, as well as tens of millions of Lats in investments were preserved.