Pearl Bank wins inaugural PR Crown Jewel Award
The award recognised the bank’s successful rebranding journey from PostBank Uganda to Pearl Bank and the strategic communication efforts that helped manage the transition, reassuring customers while positioning the new identity in Uganda’s competitive banking sector.
Pearl Bank became the award’s first recipient after judges evaluated submissions and recognised its rebranding story and evidence-based approach to communication.
KAMPALA - Pearl Bank has won the inaugural PR Crown Jewel Award at the 10th Public Relations Association of Uganda (PRAU) Excellence Awards, cementing its position as one of the biggest winners at the ceremony held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The award recognised the bank’s successful rebranding journey from PostBank Uganda to Pearl Bank and the strategic communication efforts that helped manage the transition, reassuring customers while positioning the new identity in Uganda’s competitive banking sector.
The PR Crown Jewel Award, introduced during PRAU’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, is a judge’s choice distinction that does not require a formal entry. It is the second-highest honour after the Lifetime Achievement Award and recognises outstanding public relations work identified by the judges across the competition’s categories.
Pearl Bank became the award’s first recipient after judges evaluated submissions and recognised its rebranding story and evidence-based approach to communication.
The Chief Guest, Owek. Alhaji Osman Noor Ahmed, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Obwa Kyabazinga Bwa Busoga, presented the accolade to the bank’s team.
He congratulated PRAU on celebrating 50 years of public relations practice in Uganda and commended the award winners and participants for championing excellence in the profession.
Beyond the prestigious Crown Jewel recognition, Pearl Bank won three Gold Standard Awards in the Corporate Storytellers, Media Relations and Impact Beyond Profit categories. The bank also emerged runner-up in the Culture Champions category, taking home a silver award.
The multiple awards recognised its communication campaigns covering brand transition, media engagement, employee culture and social responsibility.
In the Media Relations category, Pearl Bank was recognised for its strategy of making verified information easier to find than rumours during its transition from PostBank Uganda. The campaign addressed customer concerns about account numbers, balances, loans, cards and deposits through media engagement, leadership interviews and consistent messaging.
According to figures submitted in its awards entry, the bank’s media coverage increased from 353 stories in 2024 to 498 in 2025, representing a 41% rise. Its share of voice in banking coverage reached 10.2% in 2025 and 12% in 2026 reporting, while its ranking improved to second place in 2026.
The Corporate Storytellers Award recognised the campaign, “The Trust Transition: The Name Changed. The Trust Didn’t,” which communicated the bank’s new identity while emphasising continuity in customer relationships and services.
In the Impact Beyond Profit category, Pearl Bank was recognised for partnering with the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) to support the development of Uganda’s bone marrow transplant capacity. The bank contributed Shs200 million towards the project and supported public engagement efforts to mobilise additional contributions.
Pearl Bank Head of Marketing and Communications, Priscilla Akora, said the recognition came shortly after the bank marked one year since its rebranding from PostBank Uganda, demonstrating the value of strategic communication in managing institutional change.
She noted that communication goes beyond publicity, emphasising “how well you use it as a strategic function to engage stakeholders and be able to deliver the right message to the audiences”.
“For Pearl Bank, it was about communicating the transition to its new identity and how this was aimed at fostering prosperity for Ugandans, which aligns with the bank’s ongoing campaign, ‘When You Grow, Uganda Prospers’,” said Akora.
The bank’s success highlights the importance of communication in building customer confidence, strengthening corporate reputation and connecting business objectives with wider social development goals.
PRAU’s 10th Excellence Awards formed part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations under the theme “Celebrating 50 Years of Professional Excellence, Shaping the Future of Public Relations.” The event brought together public relations practitioners and industry stakeholders to recognise outstanding achievements in strategic communication.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was not presented this year, as former PRAU presidents received commemorative accolades in recognition of their service to the association since its establishment in 1976.