“Repute” recognized as the best agency in the Baltics in crisis management
The public relations agency “Repute” has been recognized as the best in crisis management in 2025 at the international communication professionals’ competition “Mi:t&Links. Communication Awards”, winning I place for crisis communication management for the company “Straupe”. Meanwhile, the initiative implemented together with the mobile communications operator “Bite Latvija”, which prompted systemic changes in public procurements of mobile communications, received II place in the advocacy category.
The crisis communication project “Five days on the edge of survival: the rescue story of Straupe” was implemented during the E. coli outbreak, when the company faced significant reputational and operational risks. The aim of the project was not only to protect the company’s reputation and preserve customer trust, but also to ensure the continuity of “Straupe’s” operations.
Upon taking over crisis management, “Repute” implemented transparent, fact-based communication, placing public health at the center. Active work with the media, social media and internal communication, as well as cooperation with stakeholder groups, was ensured. Thanks to the customer loyalty movement sparked on social media, buyers soon returned to “Straupe” stores, while the crisis was contained within five days.
The advocacy initiative that was implemented together with “Bite Latvija” was aimed at achieving systemic changes in the field of public procurement of mobile communications. The long-standing practices of limited competition in the sector were challenged through purposeful action, encouraging a review of the previous approach and achieving more transparent and fairer conditions. As a result, an e-catalogue has been introduced in mobile communications procurements in Latvia, which reduces bureaucracy, promotes fair competition, and helps ensure more efficient use of public funds.
“In the case of Straupe, it was a story not only about preserving reputation, but about the company’s survival, therefore the speed of action was decisive. By purposefully coordinating communication, we succeeded within a few days in stabilizing the situation and restoring customer trust, proving that precisely managed communication at a moment of crisis can be decisive for a company’s future. Meanwhile, in cooperation with ‘Bite Latvija’, this was a story about the courage to change the established order, argumentatively standing up for necessary changes in the sector. These projects prove the power of communication both in crisis situations and in achieving systemic changes,” emphasizes Iveta Dzērve, founder and partner of “Repute”.
