Warsaw/Amsterdam, 11 December 2018
Multi Poland, property manager and developer, won the prestigious ‘Golden Clip’ awards for the best public relations and best crisis communications campaign in Poland for its multi-functional project Forum Gdańsk. The award ceremony took place on 7 December 2018 in Warsaw. Both campaigns were created in cooperation with the Inn|tu PR agency and the Eskadra creative agency.
The Zlote Spinacze (Golden Paperclip) award is the most prestigious public relations award in Poland and is organised by the Polish Association of Public Relations Companies. Jury members are experienced PR specialists and the competition has been running for more than 16 years. This year’s edition of the competition had 292 entries.
Two awards in two categories
Multi Poland, in cooperation with the agencies responsible for the preparation and implementation of the campaign, received awards in two categories:
- Public relations – for the campaign ‘From brownfield to a new city centre’.
- Crisis communication – for the campaign ‘Opening after postponed opening’.
‘From brownfield to a new city centre’- public relations
Forum Gdańsk, which opened in May 2018, is a modern urban shopping destination, situated in the inner city of Gdańsk. In early 2017, Gdansk residents saw Forum Gdansk as ‘a concrete block with buildings, destroying the landscape of the historical city’. The challenge was to radically transform this perception into awareness among the residents of the positive sides of the Forum Gdansk project. Multi Poland, along with the City of Gdańsk, decided to go for open communication with opinion leaders, stakeholders and observers. An important part of the communications was the transmission of authentic stories, showing the new functions of the project and highlighting its attractiveness for residents and tourists. As a result, Forum Gdańsk was remarkably well received by the inhabitants of Gdansk and its surrounding region.
‘Opening after postponed opening’ – crisis communication
The opening of Forum Gdańsk was scheduled for 16 May 2018, which was officially announced in all the campaigns and via various communication channels. However, on the day before the set date, it was decided to postpone the opening, because the project was not sufficiently complete to ensure the comfort of guests, tenants and employees.
The media published stories about a ‘false start’ and did not hide their displeasure with the situation. Multi Poland’s new campaign put the emphasis on bold communications full of humour, which convinced (potential) customers to once again put their trust in the ‘brand’. The ‘postponed opening campaign’ for the new opening date on 26 May was a great success and Forum Gdańsk was embraced by the public. This was borne out by the fact that in less of three weeks after the public opening the shopping centre had welcomed more than a million visitors. ‘
Golden Clip Awards
The ‘Golden Clip’ awards are the most recognisable distinctions for public relations campaigns and projects in Poland, organised by the Association of Public Relations Companies for the 16th time in 2018. The jury is made up of industry professionals and assesses PR campaigns in 34 categories and in five areas: challenge, diagnosis, strategy, implementation and results.
Forum Gdansk
Forum Gdańsk is a located in the inner city of Gdańsk and offers 62,000 sqm GLA of retail, a multi-screen cinema, leisure facilities, restaurants and 1,100 parking spaces. It also includes a boutique hotel and the multi-functional Gdańsk Heritage Centre. The centre is also a transport hub for buses, trams, trains and cars and has bike and pedestrian paths. The centre boasts a public square designed as an attractive space to meet and relax. Visitors can enjoy comfortable seating surrounded by greenery or choose one of many cafés and restaurants with gardens. An important part of the project is the revitalisation of the banks of the Radunia Canal, through the addition of a glass roof for all-weather enjoyment. Forum Gdańsk offers over two hectares of green areas, which have been planted with over 33 thousand plants from 80 species, creating a unique ecosystem in the city centre that attracts butterflies and songbirds. Multi Poland, part of Multi Corporation, the Gdańsk municipal authority and PKP Polish Railways cooperated on this major project.
