Phonak and Hear the World Wins International Stevie® Award in Sixth Annual International Business Awards

Leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak has won the International Stevie Award for Communications Team of the Year for their work on Hear the World, a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and hearing loss.

Stäfa, Switzerland (PRWEB) July 13, 2009 -- Leading hearing system manufacturer Phonak has won the International Stevie Award for Communications Team of the Year for their work on Hear the World, a global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and hearing loss.

Hear the World is a global communications campaign launched in 2006 by Phonak to call attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and address the prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 16% of the world's population. Hear the World's goals are to educate people about the issue of hearing loss and provide support to those affected via the independent Hear the World Foundation, which was developed to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance.

To bring the topic of hearing loss to the forefront, Hear the World enlisted the help of celebrity photographer and musician Bryan Adams, to create a one-of-a-kind photography exhibition, along with an interactive Web site, local educational events around Better Hearing and Speech month, a media campaign for free hearing screenings and a HEAR THE WORLD magazine - reaching more than 600 million people across the globe.

"The Hear the World initiative has been made possible through the work of teams all around the world who are dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of hearing," said Vanessa Erhard-Blattmann, Phonak Corporate Marketing Director responsible for Hear the World. "We are very proud to be the recipients of this very prestigious award that speaks to both the hard work of the global Phonak team and our continued commitment to making a difference in the lives of those living with hearing loss."

Phonak and Hear the World were also named finalists in two related categories: Communications Campaign of the Year in Europe and Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year in Europe.

Nicknamed the Stevie® for the Greek word "crowned," the International Business Awards are the only global, all-encompassing business awards program honoring great performances in business. International Stevie Award winners were selected from more than 1,700 entries received from organizations and individuals in more than 30 countries.

For additional information on Hear the World and Phonak, please visit www.hear-the-world.com or www.phonak.com.

About Hear the World

Hear the World is a global initiative by hearing system manufacturer Phonak created to raise awareness about the importance of hearing. The initiative calls attention to the social and emotional impact of hearing loss and addresses prevention of and solutions to a problem that affects more than 16% of the world's population. Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Lenny Kravitz, Plácido Domingo and other renowned musicians support the Hear the World initiative as ambassadors. In the context of the Hear the World initiative, Phonak has established the non-profit Hear the World Foundation to improve the quality of life of people with hearing loss through financial and technical assistance. The foundation is committed to the prevention of hearing loss as well as the support of people with hearing loss and their families.

About Phonak

Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of Sonova Group, has developed, produced and globally distributed state-of-the-art hearing systems and wireless devices for more than 50 years. The combination of expertise in hearing technology, mastery in acoustics and strong cooperation with hearing healthcare professionals allows Phonak to significantly improve people's hearing ability and speech understanding and therefore their quality of life.

Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments, along with complementary wireless communication systems. With a worldwide presence, Phonak drives innovation and sets new industry benchmarks regarding miniaturization and performance.

For more information please visit www.hear-the-world.com or www.phonak.com

###