COVID-19 Myth-Busting Program Named Canadian Healthcare Campaign of the Year
CORE & McDougall Communications Collaboration Honored by Canadian Public Relations Society; Overcame Disinformation Surrounding Contact Lens Wear
CORE & McDougall Communications Collaboration Honored by Canadian Public Relations Society; Overcame Disinformation Surrounding Contact Lens Wear
WATERLOO, Ontario, September 24, 2021—One of the world’s first crisis communications programs to challenge COVID-19 misinformation has been honored by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) as the Canadian Healthcare Campaign of the Year. A rapid-response campaign from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) and McDougall Communications set the record straight about contact lens wear during the pandemic with healthcare professionals and consumers, generating more than 5,000 news stories and reaching 55 countries in only 30 days.
Last evening, the initiative was given five CPRS National Awards of Excellence at the Society’s annual gala, placing it among the top communications efforts of the past year. In addition to its gold recognition as the Canadian Healthcare Campaign of the Year, the work also earned silver honors in the external communications category, and a bronze designation for best media relations (large budget). It also received gold and silver COVID-specific awards designated to spotlight exceptional coronavirus responses.
Established in 1962, the National Awards of Excellence salute outstanding public relations campaigns, internal and external programs, and tactics across more than 20 categories, as well as the dedication and contribution of public relations professionals.
“The implications for not countering rampant misinformation about contact lens wear were significant—for public health, for manufacturers, and especially for the hundreds of millions of people who use them every day,” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, the firm’s founder and president. “It’s a privilege to work with everyone at CORE. Their ability to quickly and earnestly communicate with journalists on six continents, working almost around the clock for a month, only deepened our admiration of this incredible team.”
In June, the same program was named the world’s top COVID-19 crisis communications program of the year for the healthcare category as well as for non-profit organizations by the Public Relations Society of America, with an additional award for its global reach.
McDougall Communications (mcdougallpr.com), founded in 2011, is focused on helping clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. It is regularly looked to as an influencer shaping global communications advancements, and it works with a range of ophthalmic clients such as CORE, CooperVision, the World Council of Optometry, the Contact Lens Institute, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, the Vision Health Alliance, LumenPro, and others.
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.
Last evening, the initiative was given five CPRS National Awards of Excellence at the Society’s annual gala, placing it among the top communications efforts of the past year. In addition to its gold recognition as the Canadian Healthcare Campaign of the Year, the work also earned silver honors in the external communications category, and a bronze designation for best media relations (large budget). It also received gold and silver COVID-specific awards designated to spotlight exceptional coronavirus responses.
Established in 1962, the National Awards of Excellence salute outstanding public relations campaigns, internal and external programs, and tactics across more than 20 categories, as well as the dedication and contribution of public relations professionals.
“The implications for not countering rampant misinformation about contact lens wear were significant—for public health, for manufacturers, and especially for the hundreds of millions of people who use them every day,” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, the firm’s founder and president. “It’s a privilege to work with everyone at CORE. Their ability to quickly and earnestly communicate with journalists on six continents, working almost around the clock for a month, only deepened our admiration of this incredible team.”
In June, the same program was named the world’s top COVID-19 crisis communications program of the year for the healthcare category as well as for non-profit organizations by the Public Relations Society of America, with an additional award for its global reach.
McDougall Communications (mcdougallpr.com), founded in 2011, is focused on helping clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. It is regularly looked to as an influencer shaping global communications advancements, and it works with a range of ophthalmic clients such as CORE, CooperVision, the World Council of Optometry, the Contact Lens Institute, the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, the Vision Health Alliance, LumenPro, and others.
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.