Hong Kong, China. 2009.11.11 - Sefiani Communications Group has been recognised with prestigious Asia Pacific PR, PRIA, and Stevie^® awards for a major PR campaign.



Sefiani Communications Group's stakeholder communications for last December's merger of two of Australia's health insurance icons, HCF and Manchester Unity, has been recognised in the region's most prestigious PR industry awards, and a string of local and international accolades for the project.

Sefiani's work on the merger was awarded the best financial communications/investor relations campaign in the Asia-Pacific PR Awards 2009, presented at a gala event in Hong Kong.

Stakeholder communications for the HCF/Manchester merger culminated in an overwhelming vote in favour of the merger by 99.1% of voting Manchester Unity members at an EGM held in December last year. This was the highest percentage in favour of any recent comparable deal in the Australian health insurance sector. Sefiani, which was engaged by Manchester Unity for the 12-month merger project and is now retained by HCF, won the prestigious Asia-Pacific PR Award ahead of several other high-profile financial communications campaigns in the region.

Sefiani Communications Group Managing Director, Robyn Sefiani, said the Award was welcome recognition for the firm's work on a project that has now garnered awards at the state, national, Asia-Pacific, and international levels. "Satisfied clients and successful outcomes are what we strive for above all, but it's always good to be recognised by industry peers for outstanding work," Ms Sefiani said. "This Award demonstrates the strength of capability Sefiani now brings to communications around financial transactions."

"The communications strategy we crafted had to take into account that Manchester Unity had a 150 year heritage with many loyal members who were being asked to vote in favour of a demutalisation and merger. Added to that, we were dealing with two of the most established names in Australia's health insurance sector," Ms Sefiani said.

Sefiani Director, Nicholas Owens, who attended the award ceremony in Hong Kong, said: "This was a complex communications brief, requiring carefully calibrated messaging to multiple stakeholder audiences. An important factor in bringing about such a strong vote in favour of the merger was our ability to work seamlessly with Manchester Unity's in-house team and other external advisers, which is a credit to all concerned."

Sefiani's work on the merger also won the NSW PRIA's State Award for Excellence in September, was commended in the PRIA Golden Target Awards announced in October, and was a finalist in the 2009 International Business Awards for excellence in business communications, announced in New York in September.

About Sefiani Communications Group
Sefiani Communications Group is comprised of Corporate and Consumer divisions which combines the professionalism and strategic approach of a corporate and issues management firm, with the passionate creative thinking of consumer specialists. The company offerings include: Product Launches, Event Management, Media Relations, Brand Positioning, Celebrity and Ambassador Programs, Social Media and Online PR, Sponsorship Management, Communications Strategy, Issues and Crisis Management, Health Education and Communication.

About Digital Tsunami
Digital Tsunami delivers innovative, customised, highly effective solutions for MNCs and global brands including Agility Logistics, Citizen, Daimler Benz, Heineken, Leighton International and Merck Sharp Dohme through its offices in Australia and Hong Kong, where it was founded in 1996.