Carmel PR Agency Wins National Award from Public Relations Society of America

From Winuk Communications, Inc.:

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the industry’s leading professional organization, awarded Winuk Communications, Inc. with its coveted 2016 Bronze Anvil Award, recognizing the PR agency’s work last year on behalf of its client, law firm Kreindler & Kreindler LLP. The award for “excellence in media relations” results from the agency’s public relations program executed in the immediate aftermath of the deliberate, fatal crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, one of the biggest global news stories of 2015.

On March 24, 2015, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 locked the pilot out of the cockpit and deliberately crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing himself and all 149 other crew members and passengers on board. The incident immediately became the biggest news story in the world, and continued to garner global attention for weeks as the investigation unfolded and the facts of the tragedy became clear.

As it has after numerous other major transportation-related incidents over the last 13 years, Winuk was tasked with promoting Kreindler’s legal expertise, securing interviews for the firm’s law partners with leading media outlets throughout the United States and around the world. In doing so, these aviation experts, several of whom are military-trained pilots, were afforded dozens of high-impact opportunities to help lead the ongoing worldwide discussion about the crash and keep the affected families and others informed about all matters of investigation, changes needed in aviation safety and security procedures, similar crashes throughout aviation history, the rights of victims’ families and more.

The Kreindler firm, headquartered in New York City but with a nationwide practice, now represents more than half of all families directly affected by the Germanwings tragedy. "Attorneys are understandably prohibited from directly contacting victims' families to provide counsel in the immediate aftermath of crashes," said Brian Alexander, partner, Kreindler & Kreindler LLP. "But these families, immediately desperate for credible, objective information, regularly turn to major media to find it, including for reliable answers about victims’ rights and the conduct and status of investigations. The depth and quantity of global media exposure Winuk generated was impressive. Winuk's PR program fostered an ongoing platform for us to share our knowledge, experience and care, three key considerations for families thrust into such tragic circumstances."

“We’ve been fortunate to win numerous PR industry awards over the years, but this one is particularly meaningful to us,” said Jay S. Winuk, president of the agency. “Kreindler has been a loyal and compelling client for more than a decade. The nature of the work the law firm does regarding transportation safety and security and victims’ rights carries great importance. It’s an honor to support Kreindler’s worldwide leadership in these matters.”

Additional PR Industry Recognition

For its work supporting Kreindler related to the Germanwings crash, Winuk Communications is also currently a finalist for PR Daily’s 2016 Media Relations Awards in the “Response to Breaking News” category (winners to be announced in July).

About the Bronze Anvil Awards

For more than 45 years, PRSA’s Bronze Anvil Awards have celebrated the “best of the best” in public relations tactics — the individual items or components that contribute to the success of an overall program or campaign. Entry submissions require documentation of results generated (e.g., broadcast, print, online media); examples of documents developed, such as press materials; and a written analysis which summarizes communications objectives, strategy, tactical approach, results and more.

About Winuk Communications, Inc.

Founded in 1994 and based in Carmel, NY, Winuk Communications, Inc., is a full-service, national award-winning public relations firm serving clients of every size, from entrepreneurial start-ups to large corporations, throughout the United States. The agency’s client roster includes companies and organizations in consumer products, law, sports, healthcare, advertising, real estate, nonprofit, finance, the arts and entertainment, technology, travel and other industries. Winuk specializes in a wide array of communications services, including media relations; crisis communications and issues management; brand marketing; special event planning and execution; media training; and comprehensive editorial and writing services.