Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa Wins African Network of the Year

Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), a top-three, full-service, global communications agency, won the Gold Award for African Network of the Year, for the third consecutive year, at the annual PRISM Awards. Burson Cohn & Wolfe was formed in 2018 with the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe.

‘We are thrilled to have received the PRISM Award for African Network of the Year for the third year in a row,’ said Robyn de Villiers, Chairman and CEO of Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa. ‘Our commitment to growing partnerships has underpinned the firm’s activities across Africa and this award is a tribute to our partners and to every member of our African team, in all 53 countries we cover on the continent. Each one of our partners is individually respected in its own country, and collectively we are recognised as the pre-eminent African communications network.’

To add to the list of wins, Bridget von Holdt, Business Director at Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa, received the Lifetime Achiever award for her contribution to the communication industry. Von Holdt, a seasoned public relations practitioner and successful entrepreneur with a career that spans over 30 years, is focused on professionalising the PR profession and continues to advocate for PR to be positioned at board room level. She has played a defining role in determining the constitution of The Marketing, Advertising and Communication (MAC) Charter, a legal blueprint for transformation of the Communication industry including Advertising, Public Relations, Broadcasting and Print. ‘Being honoured by my peers is very humbling. I continue to believe that it is not only what I can take out, but it is what you can give back,’ said Von Holdt.

Sanele Mashinini, an intern at Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa, participated as one of the 11 young judges at the 2018 PRISM awards. ‘This was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the PR industry and to get knowledge and tips from professionals who have been doing this for many years. I really enjoyed the whole experience and encourage other young communication professionals to get involved next year,’ he said.

Ruth Kolevsohn, Chief Operating Officer at Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa, has been invited to adjudicate the awards for the past last three years, participating as a category judge for the Campaign of the Year, Environmental, Healthcare and Launch of a new Product/Service/Category.

Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa also received the highest number of accolades (14) of any agency network at the second annual African SABRE Awards, presented by The Holmes Report. It is also a finalist in The Holmes Report’s EMEA SABRE Awards category for African Agency of the Year which will be announced in May. Burson Cohn & Wolfe Africa is the only network to have been a finalist in all 10 years since the launch of the award in 2009.