Sponsored By:

• Anniversary - Includes programs or events that take place for a day, week or a year long anniversary (not including planning or preparation), or activities (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, a synopsis as well as pertinent information from our standard campaign entry form.
• Blog - Recognizing an outstanding, influential business-related weblog or online journal written by a representative of the organization with the goal of espousing the brand or a certain message and written 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 re-invent a brand, applying the same principles of an outstanding in which the brand becomes highly recognized and well received.
• Cause-Related Marketing - This category comprises those 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.
• Crisis Management - Communications surrounding any crisis, from product recalls to executive malfeasance to terrorist attacks are eligible in this category.
• Editorial/Op-Ed - Outstanding opinion article or series of articles written as a letter to the editor, as an editorial or guest column in a media outlet. Include measurable objectives of the article, results and reach.
• Employee Relations - This category recognizes outstanding communications to your most important stakeholders. 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 - Any publication produced for stakeholders outside your organization is eligible for entry in this category. Please include five copies of the publication, a synopsis and pertinent information from our standard campaign entry form.
• Financial/Investor Relations - This category recognizes campaigns conducted to support your organization's financial messages, whether targeted to investors or other audiences.
• 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.
  • 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 mid-size 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; List of major accounts and top campaigns executed in 2008; Notable achievements in the 2008 calendar year; Marketable distinction from other firms your size; Account wins & losses in 2008 thru 2009; 2 client testimonials; Industry partnerships, pro bono work and other community relations initiatives
• 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.
• Green PR - 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.
• Internal Publication - 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.
• Marketing Communications - Campaigns in this category combine public relations and communications with traditional marketing tactics for either b-to-b or b-to-c 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 sway the media. 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 racial or ethnic groups, gay and lesbian audiences, or any group whose needs differentiate it from a mainstream consumer target, 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 Communications - Entries in this category should focus on the Online PR communications efforts surrounding a product, service or event in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
• Podcast and/or Videocast - Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a podcast and/or videocast, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
• Press Release - We're looking for the most creative campaign or product driven press release. Will be judged on measurement results and ROI.
• Pro Bono Campaign - Recognizing an organization with a successful charitable giving program(s) in which the communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the markets it serves.
• Product Launch - Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding the launch of a new product or service, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
• Public Affairs - This category encompasses a wide range of campaigns influencing or educating the public about social, economic, governmental and other issues.
• PSA - Television, online and radio PSAs created by any organization are eligible in this category.  
• Re-Branding/Re-positioning - This category recognizes a company’s efforts to effectively re-invent 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 DVD and a one-page summary outlining objectives and results.
• SEM Campaign - A campaign where SEM was used as a form of Internet marketing to promote a campaign by increasing visibility in the search engine result pages. This category will be broken into two sub-categories – Organic and paid search and will be judged on branding and ROI results.
• Social Media Campaign - These are campaigns that connect people and allow them to be integrated into a product or company. Social media campaigns can include: Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies such as blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, group creation and voice over IP.
• Speeches - 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.
• 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.
• Web Site/PR Firm - this category recognizes the most effective web site among PR agencies, conveying the spirit and brand of the agency and serving as an excellent resource for clients and prospective clients.
• Web Site Marketing: recognizing a campaign conducted primarily via a Web site, landing page or microsite, to promote a particular service, product, message or initiative.
• Word of Mouth/Viral Campaign - We'll honor viral marketing campaigns that touch a nerve and create major buzz among your customers.

• WOW Award - for the most innovative, out of the box PR campaign or paradigm-shifting communications idea.