The shortlisted entries for the inaugural Public Affairs Awards 2014 have been announced, and PLMR and The Bingo Association’s Boost Bingo Campaign has been nominated for “Consultancy Campaign of the Year”.
PLMR ran an intense six month integrated public affairs and PR campaign lobbying for a reduction on the duty on bingo from 20% to 15%.
PLMR arranged for MPs to meet representatives from the association and visit bingo clubs in their constituencies. The issue was raised in Parliament 524 times, with MPs explaining how bingo clubs were an important community resource. 340,000 people signed a petition calling for a tax cut, which was delivered to the Chancellor, ahead of the Budget.
The Treasury listened and the Chancellor announced a tax cut of 10% on bingo duty, exceeding the original campaign goal. The tax reduction was front page of the UK’s most-read newspaper, The Sun, and unlocked investment of at least £30 million a year for the industry. The 2014 Budget became known as ‘The Bingo Budget’.
The Public Affairs Awards are a joint initiative of Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA), Government Knowledge (GovKnow) and Zetter’s Political Services (ZPS) and strive to reward excellence in the UK public affairs industry.
The awards ceremony will take place at Thames Room, Park Plaza, Riverbank on 9th December 2014.
The full shortlist is available on the Public Affairs Awards website.
Read the full Boost Bingo integrated lobbying and PR campaign case study.
Related links
BLOG: How did Bingo make it into the budget?
