APO Group and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) win prestigious public relations award for coordinating African journalism competition

APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is delighted to announce it has won a prestigious PRovoke Africa SABRE Award for its campaign with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (www.IOM.int) to reward ethical, responsible reporting of migration in Africa.

The SABRE award recognizes APO Group and IOM’s commitment to improving global perceptions of migration issues in Africa. In tandem, the two organizations coordinated a journalism competition that attracted submissions from all over the continent, with eight winning journalists receiving their awards at a virtual press event that also included a discussion about the challenges of reporting on migration.

The PRovoke Africa SABRE Awards are Africa’s leading Public Relations Awards. Held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the 2022 SABRE Awards attracted more than 2000 entries from Public Relations agencies all over the continent. A jury of industry leaders chaired by PRovoke Media founder Paul Holmes, was looking for campaigns that were brave, authentic, shareable, and caught the public imagination – and the Migration project landed APO Group and IOM the SABRE Award in the ‘Associations’ category.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of the United Nations System, and is the leading inter-governmental organization promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. The IOM was established in 1951 and has a global presence in over 100 countries.

IOM’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa commissioned APO Group to launch a competition for African journalists reporting on migration.

The competition (https://bit.ly/3NiMzra) was designed to recognise outstanding stories from the region that shed light on migration from various perspectives, including safe migration, climate change, and returning migrant reintegration.

Of particular importance to both APO Group and IOM was the debunking of false and discriminatory narratives about migration in Africa. The competition called for submissions from journalists with stories that demonstrated balanced, evidence-based reporting, and gave the public a clearer picture of the real issues.

With a peerless reputation for media relations in Africa, and extensive reach into all 54 African countries, APO Group’s project team was able to promote the competition to journalists all over the continent. But with logistical challenges caused by the pandemic, they had to adopt a purely virtual campaign, with the submissions process, press events, and the assembly of four thematic jury panels all coordinated online. 

Despite this, the results of the campaign were exceptional, with 230 quality submissions received in English and French, a total PR value generated of more than USD19 million, and the virtual Awards ceremony streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.  

“When we started this campaign, it was essential we had a partner who understands African media, and has the depth of contacts to attract submissions across West and Central Africa,” said Mia Barrett, Head of Awareness Raising at IOM’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa. “We are thrilled with this SABRE award as it demonstrates the importance of our mission to change the narrative about migration in Africa.” 

“APO Group has always championed fair and balanced reporting, so it is fantastic that we are able to give greater prominence to compelling African stories that provide true insight on migration. We are extremely grateful to the IOM for the opportunity to take part in this campaign, and share in their determination to reward ethical journalism and shine a light on what is an important issue,” said APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard. 

This is a Joint Press Release by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and APO Group.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of APO Group.

Media contact:
marie@apo-opa.com  

About the International Organisation for Migration:
Established in 1951, IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. With 173 member states, a further 8 states holding observer status and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants. IOM works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people. The IOM Constitution recognizes the link between migration and economic, social and cultural development, as well as to the right of freedom of movement. IOM activities that cut across these areas include the promotion of international migration law, policy debate and guidance, protection of migrants' rights, migration health and the gender dimension of migration.  Learn more at https://rodakar.iom.int/

About APO Group:
Founded in 2007, APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) is the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service. We assist private and public organisations in sharpening their reputation and increasing their brand equity in target countries across Africa. Our role as a trusted partner is to leverage the power of media and build bespoke strategies that enable organisations to produce a real, measurable impact in Africa and beyond. The trust and recognition granted to APO Group by global and multinational companies, governments, and NGOs inspires us to continuously enhance our value proposition within Africa to better cater to our clients’ needs. Among our prestigious clients: Facebook, Dangote Group, Nestle, GE, NBA, Canon, Coca-Cola, DHL, Marriott Group, Ecobank, Siemens, Standard Chartered, Orange, Jack Ma Foundation, African Development Bank, World Health Organization, Islamic Development Bank, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Rotary International, Kaspersky, Greenpeace…

Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland | Offices in Senegal, Dubai and Hong Kong  

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