Anniversary
Includes anniversary programs, events or activities that take place for a day, week or over the course of a year (commemorations, observances, celebrations, etc.).

Annual Report
We'll award the annual report that demonstrates the best and most efficient communication of a company's financial results and overall positioning. Design, crafting of messages from the CEO and effective presentation of company messages will be included in judging criteria. Please include five copies of the report as well as pertinent information from our standard campaign entry form, or a link to the annual report.

Blog
Recognizing an outstanding, influential business-related blog or online journal written by a representative of the organization with the goal of espousing the brand or a certain brand message, and done so with flair and personality.

Branding
Recognizing a highly effective campaign in which a corporate brand is enthusiastically received by its target audiences, where the essence of the product or purpose of the company is effectively conveyed via the brand campaign. This category also recognizes a company’s efforts to effectively reinvent a brand, applying the same principles of an outstanding PR campaign in which the brand becomes highly recognized and well received.

Cause-Related Marketing
This category comprises campaigns whose primary focus is promoting a social cause, but which may also include promotion of your product and/or services and the advancement of your reputation as a corporate citizen.

Community Relations
Community relations campaigns are those that target the communities in which your organization works. A broad range of campaigns fit into this category: anything from persuading a community to accept a new recycling system to promoting a holiday drive that benefits those members of the community who are in need.

Content Marketing
Recognizing sponsored content that shines a positive light on your organization, a key issue and/or supports a multimedia campaign. Enter one piece of sponsored content or a series and show us how your storytelling resonated with your key stakeholders.

Crisis Management
Communications surrounding any crisis, from product recalls to executive malfeasance to social media gaffes are eligible in this category.

CSR
This category recognizes a communications strategy with your organization’s "Go Green" efforts as its focus. Along with your entry form, provide an explanation of your company’s green practices as well as a synopsis of the campaign or ongoing communications initiatives.

Digital Communications
Entries in this category should focus on the overall digital communications efforts surrounding a product, service or event in the communications arena. Judges will look for PR strategies with a digital-first approach, leveraging online platforms and tools to elevate a message.

Diversity & Inclusion Campaign
Innovative campaigns that have furthered the advancement of diversity and inclusion. Agencies that have developed diversity campaigns on behalf of clients as well as communications and HR teams at corporations, government associations, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations that have developed successful diversity campaigns in-house are eligible to enter.

Education Program
Recognizing university programs showcasing outside communications curriculum and student outcomes. Graduate and undergraduate programs will be judged separately.

Employee Relations
This category recognizes outstanding communications to your most important stakeholders—your organization’s employees. Any PR campaign actively targeting the workforce is eligible.

Event Marketing
Event marketing entries should include PR conducted at an industry event (a marketing communications effort conducted at an industry trade show, for example) or through an event or series of events conceived and implemented by your organization (for instance, a multi-city tour promoting a product or awareness of an issue).

External Publication (print or online)
Any publication produced for stakeholders outside your organization is eligible for entry in this category. Please include the publication, a synopsis and pertinent information from our standard campaign entry form.

Facebook Communications
Communications campaigns either developed specifically for Facebook, or campaigns that include a strong Facebook component will be considered. Entrants should demonstrate objectives, execution and results that are specific to Facebook.

Financial/Investor Relations (NEW CATEGORY!)
This category recognizes campaigns conducted to support your organization's financial messages, whether targeted to investors or other audiences.

Global PR Campaign
Global PR campaigns are those that are international in scope and require special efforts to manage the target audiences' broad geographic and cultural diversity.

Influencer Communications
Recognizes success at identifying influencers for a particular campaign or ongoing initiative, and mobilizing them to connect positively with a brand or organization.

Instagram Campaign
Communications campaigns either developed specifically for Instagram, or campaigns that include a strong Instagram component will be considered. Entrants should demonstrate objectives, execution and results that are specific to Instagram.

Internal Publication (print or online)
Entrants in this category should be publications targeted at your internal employee stakeholders. Hard copy and electronic publications are eligible; please include hard copies of the publication with your entry. Also include pertinent information from our standard campaign entry form.

Live Streaming
Either one live stream using Facebook Live or Periscope or similar app, or an organization’s overall use of live streaming apps will be considered. Entrants should include clear organizational objectives for live streaming, specific measurement tactics and PR used to build an audience for live streaming.

Marketing Communications
Campaigns in this category combine public relations and communications with traditional marketing tactics for either b2b or b2c promotions.

Media Event
Media events are those events, from press conferences to media tours, which are built around in-person interaction between your company and the press. Entries should exhibit creativity in planning and implementing the event, drawing the media to it and engaging them at the event.

Media Relations
This category recognizes an overall campaign whose primary objective was to win fair or favorable media coverage of an organization. These campaigns may include individual components eligible in other categories (like media event), but are representative of a complete campaign using a variety of tactics to reach the press.

Multicultural Campaign
This category includes campaigns designed to recognize and serve the distinct needs of multicultural audiences. Campaigns targeted at specific cultural segment or at an array of cultural segments of the population, including LGBT people, are eligible in this category.

On a Shoestring Campaign
Recognizing outstanding examples of achieving success with limited funds/budget, whether it's for a single campaign or ongoing PR/public affairs. While "shoestring" is subjective, the winners in this category are those who have done more with less, and have been creative with the limited PR dollars they have.

Online Press Room/Media Center
Recognizing effective online platform for media and other influencers to access information and intelligence about your organization or client; demonstrates ease of use for members of the media, influencers, bloggers; frequent updates; integration of social media channels; easily visible contact links for media to request interviews and more information.

Podcast
Entries in this category should focus on outstanding, impactful podcasts that promote a brand or executive and/or PR efforts surrounding a podcast and/or videocast, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena. Specific measurement tactics should be demonstrated.

Press Release
We're looking for the best-written press releases employing the effective storytelling techniques, leveraging multimedia where applicable and resulting in a return on investment. Will be judged on measurement results and ROI.

Pro Bono Campaign
Recognizing an organization with a successful pro bono effort for a constituency or client in which the communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the market it serves.

Product Launch
Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding the launch of a new product or service, in the consumer or business-to-business arena.

PSA
Television, online, print and radio PSAs created by any organization are eligible in this category.

Public Affairs
This category encompasses a wide range of campaigns influencing or educating the public about social, economic, governmental and other issues.

Re-Branding/Re-positioning
This category recognizes a company’s efforts to effectively reinvent a brand, applying the same principles of an outstanding in which the brand becomes highly recognized and well received by its target audiences.

Research & Measurement
This category recognizes the most creative and effective use of metrics, whether front-end research to develop the best-targeted campaign, or back-end monitoring of outcomes resulting from your PR outputs. We look for creative applications of measurement and effective results stemming from the use of your research.

Satellite Media Tours
Recognizing one or a series of live broadcasts aired by TV stations based on content, production value, messaging and ROI. Submit edited video along with the two-page synopsis.

Social Media Campaign
These are campaigns that connect people and allow them to be integrated into a product or company. Social media campaigns can leverage platforms ranging from Facebook to Twitter, from Snapchat to Instagram, from online forums and message boards to video and virtual reality.

Snapchat Campaign
Communications campaigns either developed specifically for Snapchat, or campaigns that include a strong Snapchat component will be considered. Entrants should demonstrate objectives, execution and results that are specific to Snapchat.

Speechwriting Campaign
Recognizing a presentation/speech by a PR professional or written by a PR professional for a client or an executive at his/her organization, given during any type of internal or external event/conference. Will be judged on quality of content and whether the speech met the stated objectives. Submit the text of speech and one-page synopsis.

Trade Show/Event PR
Innovative use of multiple channels to raise awareness of trade show or event; tactics should be clearly linked to results (attendance, revenue, etc.).

Tumblr Campaign
Entrants will be judged on the writing and/or visual style of a specific Tumblr blog that is tied to an organization’s overall goals. Engagement with audiences will be a factor, as will frequency of posts.

Twitter Campaign
Communications campaigns either developed specifically for Twitter, or campaigns that include a strong Twitter component will be considered. Entrants should demonstrate objectives, execution and results that are specific to Twitter.

Video Program
Best use of a video or moving image campaign to get your message across. We'll consider the customization and depth of an effort and ROI.

Website Marketing
Recognizing a campaign conducted primarily via a Web site, landing page or microsite, to promote a particular service, product, message or initiative.

Visual Storytelling Campaign
If a picture is worth a thousand words, show us how your visual storytelling took your communications to the next level. Whether it’s leveraging Instagram and Snapchat or utilizing photography and digital communications to tell your brand’s story, we are looking for the industry’s best visual storytellers.

YouTube
Entrants should be able to demonstrate a high degree of engagement with either one YouTube video or with a YouTube channel. Show clear organizational goals for a specific YouTube video or a series of videos, as well as analytics showing those goals had been reached. Quality of videos is less important than meeting organizational goals with videos.

Word of Mouth Marketing
We'll honor viral marketing campaigns that touch a nerve and create major buzz among your customers. Leveraging best practices in word of mouth marketing, the winners will exemplify the hard work that goes into making something go viral.

WOW! Award
Enter your most innovative, out of the box PR or marketing communications campaign. We’re looking for clearly original communications ideas. Run-of-the mill campaigns won’t make the cut.

CEO of the Year
Does your CEO support Public Relations and recognize the role of the communicator? We will recognize the C-suite partners who get what you do and consistently support and extoll your PR efforts.

Marketing Team of the Year
We’re looking for the top marketing teams of the year. Share with us the achievements of your marketing team and provide example of campaigns that resonated with your stakeholders.

PR Professional of the Year
Nominate the best communicator within your organization who extolls the qualities of a modern day communicator and business leader. All levels and job titles are eligible for this program. Must emphasize initiatives and successes over the past 12 months.

PR Team of the Year
Share with us what makes your communications team great! List all team members who should be recognized and provide 5 examples of outstanding initiatives that moved the needle for your brand or organization in the past year.

Sole Practitioner/Consultant
Measurable success with existing clients and the ability to win new clients over the past 12 months will be important factors in this category, as will a demonstrated skill at doing PR for one’s own PR services. Entrants may enter themselves in this category, or be entered by others.

Large PR Firm of the Year
Saluting outstanding PR agency that has demonstrated client growth, retention and financial success in the past year. Judges will also look at the creativity of the programs and campaigns and the employee and agency/client culture. Open to U.S. and Canada-based firms with annual PR income of at least $60 million.

Midsize PR Firm of the Year
Recognizing a midsize firm with annual PR billings of $10 million between $60 million. Nominees will be judged on client growth and retention, innovation and agency/client culture. Open to any firm based in the U.S. or Canada.

Small PR Firm of the Year
This award is open to any U.S. or Canadian-based PR agency with annual income below $10 million. As with other agency categories, nominees will be judged on their innovations, client growth and retention and culture.

*Provide the following for all Firm of the Year Entries: Overview of the firm, including practice areas, # employees and hiring/retaining strategy; Examples of top campaigns executed between January 1, 2016 and May 5, 2017; Notable achievements between January 1, 2016 and May 5, 2017; Marketable distinction from other firms your size; Account wins & losses between January 1, 2016 and May 5, 2017; 2 client testimonials; Industry partnerships, pro bono work and other community relations initiatives.