Grayling Russia was awarded best agency in Russia and CIS at the virtual EMEA SABRE Awards event 2021. Grayling’s team in Russia has been recognised for doubling business growth and its commitment to customer and employee well-being, despite the challenges of 2020.

Over the past ten years, Grayling Russia has doubled its business volume and become an integrated full-service agency in strategic and corporate communications, public relations for consumer and lifestyle brands, government relations, digital promotion and event organisation.

The jury highlighted the agency’s expertise in healthcare, and its work with Roche and AstraZeneca, as well as in lifestyle, where clients include Mars and Pernod Ricard. Judges praised Grayling’s efforts to promote women’s leadership: Grayling Russia co-founded the Russian office of Global Women in PR (GWPR), as well as implementing GWPRHelp in Russia, a support programme for women in communications who struggled with personal challenges during the pandemic.  Another factor was measures taken by the agency for the professional and moral support of its own employees stuck in isolation.

In 2020, despite all the difficulties, Grayling’s portfolio in Russia was boosted by the introduction of new clients: Pernod Ricard, Roche, DiDi, S7, Dematic, Rubbles, Straumann, Air Products, ABB. Restrictions turned out to be a source of creativity which lead to the implementation of projects; public talks for pet owners from Royal Canin, Crocs’ new showroom, a self-development campaign from Under Armor and many other initiatives took place in an alternative format.

In addition to being nominated for the agency of the year, Grayling Russia was shortlisted for three client projects: the launch of KFC’s Restaurant of the Future and an anti-COVID hashtag campaign from Likee (both nominees for Best in Russia and CIS), as well as the Run for Two charity event for client Roche, named in the Public Education category. Likee’s Youth vs. COVID project previously received an IN2SABRE Certificate of Excellence for Best Use of Artificial Intelligence.

Eugenia Skobeleva, Country Manager at Grayling in Russia: “The past year has shown that we are not just a successful business and talented professionals and specialists. Grayling is a close-knit community of people, each of whom contributed to the strengthening the team spirit, improving collective mood and productivity. Within the team, we already consider ourselves agency of the year, but it feels great that today we have also been recognised with a prestigious international award.”