PLM team wins top award at 2013 PR grand prix

MANILA, Philippines - Seven mass communication students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) bagged the coveted grand champion award at the recently concluded 2013 Students Grand Prix Competition organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).

PLM’s Team Inovace devised a public relations strategy dubbed “Project Unlike,” aimed at raising awareness among the young online population on the need to pass a law against cyber bullying. The team used the popular cyber term ‘unlike’ as an action word to reiterate to netizens that online content does not always need to be ‘liked’ and that they have an option to ‘unlike’ the inappropriate ones.

The winning proposal also highlighted the importance of public education and information on the prevalence and ill effects of cyber bullying in the country, as a tool to build a strong foundation of support from the youth, which would eventually snowball to a public clamor for a clear and explicit law against online bullying.

A panel of public relations experts and media practitioners lauded the team’s well-researched plan, innovative online and offline media strategies and creative PR tools and tactics to achieve the campaign’s goals.

Other finalists from this year’s competition were De La Salle University Manila, De La Salle University Dasmarinas, Ateneo de Manila University, Assumption College, University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University. DLSU Manila won second place and Assumption College ranked third.

The PRSP Students Grand Prix Competition is an annual gathering of communication students to showcase their abilities in developing comprehensive public relations campaign plans based on a given study. Topic this year is “Cyberbullying Bill: Anyare?!?”