Colonial Pipeline Recognized Nationally for Crisis Communication Response to Company Cyberattack

Company receives Public Relations Society of America’s Silver Anvil Award of Excellence

ALPHARETTA, GA (May 26, 2022) – The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has awarded Colonial Pipeline Company the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for its communication response while managing through a national crisis and changing the playbook in the process. 

On May 7, 2021, Colonial became a household name in the United States and around the world as a result of a cyberattack. In the following days, communities up and down the East Coast felt the stress of product shortages created by panic buying. Colonial recognized early on that providing accurate and timely information would be central to an effective response. While fielding 1000+ media inquiries, developing regular employee updates, preparing for daily government briefings, and supporting the operational and IT response teams as they worked to restore the system, the Communications Team worked to ensure messaging ran through every aspect of response to this historic event. 

“This award is a testament to the agility of the team, the relationships formed across the company and the ability to recognize and overcome barriers that could have easily crippled our ability to communicate with our employees and key stakeholders,” said Colonial Senior Vice President of People and Chief Communications Officer Angela Long. ​“I’m so proud of the team for their dedication and commitment to open, honest, and timely information when all eyes were on us and there were so many unknowns.”

For over 75 years, the Anvils have been considered the icon of the profession and the benchmark of high performance in public relations. Silver Anvil Awards celebrate the best strategic public relations campaigns of the year, as well as outstanding organizational excellence.

Colonial shares this honor with its crisis consulting firm of record, FTI.

About Colonial Pipeline: Colonial Pipeline Company, founded in 1962, connects refineries ­– primarily located in the Gulf Coast ­– with customers and markets throughout the Southern and Eastern United States through a pipeline system that spans more than 5,500 miles. The company delivers refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, home heating oil, and fuel for the U.S. military. Colonial is committed to safety and environmental stewardship across its operations. More information about Colonial is available at www.colpipe.com.

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Colonial Media Contact:
Meredith Stone
[email protected]

Colonial’s Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs John Alderman accepts the award on behalf of the company.

The Colonial team was joined by retired Sr. Communications Director Kevin Keeney and the Company’s crisis consulting firm of record, FTI.