Balsera Communications has been named a finalist for the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) ¡Bravo! Awards for Public Affairs Campaign of the Year. The nomination recognizes Balsera for its work with Progressive Waste Solutions in the City of Hialeah. The winners will be announced October 12, 2016, during the ninth annual HPRA National ¡BRAVO! Awards gala at The Palace Hotel in New York City.
“We are honored to have our work once again recognized by the HPRA ¡Bravo! Awards. This nomination is a testament to our dedication to delivering innovative, strategic and creative ideas that help our clients succeed,” said Balsera Communications President David Duckenfield. “Our ability to engage communities and policy leaders simultaneously allows us to successfully execute comprehensive campaigns, giving us the competitive edge clients seek when engaging Latino audiences.”
Balsera’s nine-month campaign for Progressive Waste began when the City of Hialeah issued an RFP in 2014 for a private-public partnership when faced with having to increase rates to upgrade its waste collection. As one of the top waste services companies in the world, Progressive was qualified, but navigating the unique nature of Hialeah’s government and population proved to be challenging. The agency took the lead in successfully engaging decision makers while generating positive local and national media coverage, resulting in Hialeah’s City Council voting unanimously to award Progressive Waste Solutions with the contract.
This recognition marks the fourth HPRA ¡Bravo! Awards nomination for Balsera Communications. In 2015, the agency won for Healthcare & Nutrition Campaign of the Year for its UnitedHealthcare campaign to promote health literacy and provide educational resources among Spanish-language audiences. In the same year, Balsera also won Public Affairs Campaign of the Year for the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance, an ongoing effort to advocate for and mobilize the industry’s Latino workforce at both the grassroots and policy levels.
Balsera has led Hispanic messaging and communication efforts for Fortune 500 companies and non-profits including UnitedHealthcare, United Health Foundation, Hispanicize Media Group, Catholic Relief Services, National Hispanic Landscape Alliance, National Museum of the American Latino Commission, Obama 2008, and Our Kids of Miami-Dade and Monroe, among many others.