SPRING PR-company has been announced among the winners of IPRA Golden World Awards - 2021 - a major award in the field of communication. SPRING PR is the first company from Armenia to win the prize.

We present an interview with Nvard Melkonyan, Tatevik Simonyan, and Marianna Musoyan, the founders of SPRING PR-company, and Mariam Safaryan, PR director, about the winner campaign, its most interesting episodes and the importance to promote Armenia in the international platforms.

SPRING PR is well known for its various campaigns and daring ideas. One of your projects has received high recognition among the field’s professionals. What makes “The Road of Flavors” campaign special?

Tatevik Simonyan: It’s not the first time that we nominate SPRING PR campaigns for international awards. We had other victories as well, and it is of great importance for us that many of our projects have become finalists and winners of various competitions alongside with many reputable organizations.

For instance, “ProfEye Challenge”, preserving historical Yerevan campaign by PROFAL was a finalist in two major international PR awards - WCFA Davos Communications Awards, 2021 and the IPRA Golden World Awards, 2020.

In 2018, “The world’s largest Gata; Guinness World Record” event implemented with “Yeremyan Projects” was awarded a special jury prize at the Eventiada IPRA Golden World Awards.

SPRING PR has won Communication 4 Future Davos Awards, 2017 in Corporate Social Responsibility: Pro Bono of the Future category for its “Lets Care, Armenia - World Water Day, campaign” for showcasing outstanding results.

“The Road of Flavors” campaign is very unique and symbolic for us. First and foremost, the campaign has won the most important, influential and prestigious award in the PR world as Golden World Awards of the International PR Association, considered the Oscar of the field. And last but not least - “The Road of Flavors” is entirely about Armenia, Armenian culture, cuisine and hospitality traditions.

We feel extremely responsible as we present Armenia to the world. Within the scope of this campaign, we have thought for a long time on how lead targeted communications on those values, which are often left behind, but are vital part of our country.

It has always been of primary importance for us to present Armenia to the international community especially through this campaign, to show our great culinary traditions and huge experience, to position our country as a desirable and demanded destination.

In the framework of your cooperation with “Yeremyan Projects” we have witnessed many successful and unique events and projects, which are mostly aimed to promote Armenia, Armenian cuisine and culture. What is the attractiveness of “The Road of Flavors” communication campaign for the international community?

Marianna Musoyan: To achieve success it’s important to have a like-minded partner who trusts you and your professionalism. “Yeremyan Projects” company has always paid due attention to strategic communications and supported us in fulfilling all daring ideas during our years-long collaboration. This inspires, motivates, and obliges us to go ahead. Our projects were productive, successful and appreciated by the public thanks to dedicated teamwork. We have succeeded due to the solidarity around the same goals, believing in them and pursuing the desirable results.

Nvard Melkonyan: It is essential for each specialist that high-ranking world professionals of the field appreciate their work as a conceptual, properly implemented and competitive project that meets international standards. This is really a great accomplishment for our whole team and, I think, for the PR field of our country as well.

Professionals all over the world involved in the IPRA GWA jury discussed and praised our campaign for having a clearly defined concept and meeting all the criteria of a strategic PR campaign. It had a precise goal, objectives, messages, target audiences and innovative solutions.

“The Road of Flavors” was a multi-stage communication campaign; we have used both classic and modern PR tools involving all the platforms - digital, print, and online media, TV, coverage in local and international top media.

I would like to mention that the part of our victory belongs to the local and international media which have always taken part in our campaigns, shared the same emotions, went on “the road of flavors” with us and covered each project aimed to raise the awareness of Armenia.

“The Road of Flavors” campaign has been completely covered by the number of international media such as National Geographic, Business Traveler, Elle, Esquire, L'Օfficiel, Café Babel Brussels, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Izvestia, Arguments and Facts, Restorator, Rosiyskaya gazeta, theVillage.ru, Buro, SRSLY by Gasprom media, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Afisha Daily, Gastronom, Utair, Aeroflot, S7, Sapsan, Solt, Timeout, B.FM Radio, OTV Lebanon, etc.

Mariam Safaryan: We have defined several important PR objectives through “The Road of Flavors” campaign: to popularize Armenian cuisine and the principles of Armenian culinary traditions and hospitality worldwide, to foster the development potential of Armenian gastro-tourism, to improve the recognition of national cuisine among tourists and residents of Armenia, and to position Armenia as an undiscovered gastro-hub.

The campaign started with “The Road of Flavors” documentary based on the trip of David Yeremyan, the General Director of “Yeremyan Projects”, and Zorik Ispiryan, Brand Chef, in the villages and cities of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh.

The IPRA GWA Jury pays great attention to the uniqueness of the campaigns, how interesting and special they are, because the creative component is very important.

In this respect, “The Road of Flavors” was unique; in addition to “The Road of Flavors” film and the press tour of international media, it involved an extraordinary and exceptional project – “GASTRO COUTURE” based on the concept of Armenian ancient royal feast and creating a unique fashion show inspired by the traditions of Armenian cuisine.

The International PR Association is the owner of professional knowledge and experience in the field, whose defined criteria are cornerstones for every PR company around the world. As a communication field agency, SPRING PR-company has always shared those values and been guided by competent and ethical communications.