Polaris PR wins gold at regional LG forum

The Dubai-based agency, part of The Holding Group of marketing communications companies, earned the Gold Award from LG Electronics' Middle East and Africa operations after generating a consistently high share of voice for the LG brand in the GCC media.

Polaris PR's Client Services Director, Stephen Worsley, received the award at the LG Regional PR Forum held recently in Seoul, attended by the 11 agencies representing LG Electronics in the Gulf, Jordan, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Pakistan. DDB Casers of Nigeria and Asiatic PR of Pakistan were also recognised for impressive brand-building campaigns.

Hamad Malik, Senior Regional Marketing Manager, LG Middle East and Africa, said: "Rewarding our agency partners is an important way to motivate the whole team and encourage higher performance standards across the board. Polaris has already exceeded its targets for the year in terms of presence for LG in the target regional media, and it has also worked impressively in coordinating with the other agency consultants across the entire Middle East and Africa network."

Polaris, which only began working for the South Korean multinational in March this year, picked up the Silver Award at the first LG Regional PR Forum in May 2004 in Dubai.

Polaris PR's Stephen Worsley said: "Winning gold to go with the silver trophy earned earlier this year is the best endorsement of Polaris' work and its reputation in the market. Polaris is a young brand with bags of ambition and to have one of the world's largest brands as an ambassador is a tremendous asset."

With a 10-strong team in Dubai and network offices in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco, Polaris has successfully focused its efforts for LG on media relations and tactical support for major product launches, such as the launch of LG's new-generation Qiblah F7100 mobile phone and Primian dates fridge; as well as high-profile consumer events like the LG Digital Music Festival; and ongoing corporate social responsibility work epitomised by the touring LG Cup soccer tournament.

LG's sponsorship of the Iraq national and Olympic football teams in March was recognised as the international PR highlight of 2004 for the brand, generating considerable debate in local, regional and global media outlets. The project earned LG Middle East and Africa the company's Global PR Gold Award, beating competition from the USA and Indonesia.
The LG Regional PR Forum in Seoul kicked off LG's first ever Brand Communications Awards programme attended by nearly 200 PR, advertising and direct marketing consultants representing LG's global marketing network in 39 countries. The two-day event outlined future LG marketing strategy, and officially positioned public relations as LG Electronics' most important brand building tool.

Speaking at the awards, Kim Young-soo, Executive Vice President for LG Electronics' Corporate Communications Team, said: "The company's global public relation's mission is to empower the LG brand to take the spot of 'global top 3' player. The strategies aim to enhance the recognition of and preference for LG Electronics as a 'digital convergence' leader, project a strong premium image for the LG brand, and boost the image of LG Electronics as a socially responsible 'corporate citizen' through sustained exchanges with regional communities."