The world's largest unboxing broadcast live on Facebook, a luxury hotel chain sharing its service values on Twitter, pancreatic cancer awareness communicated through Instagram: These are just a few of the worthy social media campaigns spotlighted by the 2018 PR News' Social Media Awards finalists.
The winners of PR News' Social Media Awards—which showcase the top social media campaigns and honor the individuals behind their success—are announced at an annual luncheon in New York City. This year, PR News' Social Media Awards luncheon will be held May 23, 2018 at The Yale Club.
The luncheon will feature a keynote presentation from Jennifer Dulski, Head of Groups & Community at Facebook, and the former president and COO at Change.org. Dulski will talk about how communicators can create online movements that inspire supporters, persuade decision makers, mitigate negativity and more. She pairs her own experience as a startup founder, tech executive and social change leader with powerful stories of movement leaders from both business and activism.
Here's the full list of PR News' 2018 Social Media Awards finalists:
Best Blog
- CompTIA - IT Career News
- DEVENEY Changes the Blogging Game
- Dixon Schwabl - Finger Lakes Visitors Connection
- Ferrovial - Brand Journalism
- GROW with Shield HealthCare
- InterContinental Hotels Group - IHG One Sheep, Two Sheep Sleep Blog
- Life at Cisco
- Preferred Employers Insurance - Preferred Programs
- TaskUs - Ridiculous Rundown
- UPMC Pinnacle - Healthier You Blog
Best Infographic
- MARTA - Georgia Dome Implosion Infographic
- ForRent.com - Netflix Infographic
Best Social Media Team
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
- PETA
- TaskUs - Brand, Environment for Communications & Design
- @WeAreCisco Talent Brand Team
- Western Union
Digital Leader of the Year
- Jon Alhart, Dixon Schwabl
- Alfred Dela Cruz, BED Head
- Craig Greiwe, Rogers & Cowan
- Liz Gross, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation
Facebook - Best Facebook Live Campaign
- Association of International Certified Professional Accountants - Human Intelligence Series
- IBM
- Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency - The Heartbeat Heard 'Round the World
- Mack Trucks - #NewMack
- PayPal - Dan Schulman’s Facebook Live Series
- Raytheon - Faces of Raytheon Recruiting Campaign
- rbb Communications - Hampton by Hilton Uses Comedy to Connect With “Real” Travelers and Break the Aspirational Mold
- TaskUs - DIBS!
- We Are Cisco - Culture Contributors
Facebook - Best Marketing Campaign
- DISH OneTen Creative - Die Hard
- DISH OneTen Creative - Hands Free TV
- FleishmanHillard - AbbVie
- Rogers & Cowan - DreamWorks Animation Television Social Campaign
- Volvo Trucks North America - The World's Largest Unboxing
Facebook - Best PR Campaign
- Agency 451 - Change the Cycle
- Energy Northwest - Summer of Nuclear
- Florida Public Utilities, a Chesapeake Utilities Corporation subsidiary - Hurricane Irma Restoration Communications
- NCR Corporation - New Global Headquarters Campus Campaign
- Nuclear Matters in collaboration with APCO Worldwide
- TaskUs
- Teacher Created Materials - 40th Anniversary Social Media Campaign
- Volvo Trucks North America - The World's Largest Unboxing
Facebook - Best Promoted Post
- Fanscape Inc. - Pets of Mars: Another Day at the Office with Sherman and Paddington
- TaskUs - National Heroes Day
- The Ritz Carlton - Yacht Collection Sets Sail On Social
- Weber Shandwick - Jibo uses Social UGC to Drive Sales
Facebook - Community/Engagement
- BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York - The Official Health Plan of Canalside Buffalo
- Cambia Health Solutions - Voices for Affordable Health
- EvolveMKD - Integrated Genetics
- Florida Public Utilities, a Chesapeake Utilities Corporation subsidiary - Hurricane Irma Restoration Communications
- Radius Health, Inc. - Fractured Truth Facebook Community
- SCORE - The American Small Business Championship
- USS Midway Museum - Top Gun Movie Night & Party: We Have the Need, the Need for Speed
Facebook - Contests/Games
- AbelsonTaylor - #MyEpilepsyHero Campaign
- Dixon Schwabl - Frontier Communications
- The Fender Pro Sweepstakes
- United Heritage Credit Union - 2017 Summer Showtime
- United Technologies Corp. - Engineers Week Quiz
Facebook - Social Good Campaign
- Aflac and the Power to Do Good
- BECU - Shred & E-Cycling Event
- CompTIA - Hurricane Harvey Donation Appeal
Facebook - Use of Video
- BAE Systems, Inc. and Weber Shandwick - The Edge Inside
- "Can't Wait To Try SphereTEC!" Teaser Campaign - Symmetri Marketing Group
- Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau - Colorado's Garden of the Gods
- DISH OneTen Creative - New Music Friday
- Dixon Schwabl - The Great New York State Fair: Find Your Great
- IBM
- Nasdaq - Cultural Capital
- NOBODY - AARP: The Future of Healthcare
- Ogilvy - Stand In-B-Tween
- Porter Novelli - National Honey Board Hive-to-Table Virtual Reality
- Prudential - Masterpiece of Love
- Pullman Regional Hospital - Health Education Video Series
- Vancouver Airport Authority - Rumble at YVR
- Volvo Trucks North America - The World's Largest Unboxing
Instagram - Best Contest
- Kreps DeMaria Public Relations + Social Media + Events - Arbor Independence Day
- National Beer Wholesalers Association - NBWA 80th Annual Convention & Trade Show
- Newell Brands - Fans Win with Slime: Elmer's Glue and Kinetic Sand Partnership Catches the Slime Craze
- Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick - #freestyle50 challenge
Instagram - Best Influencer
- Ferrovial - #UrbanPeek
- The Ritz-Carlton partners with Trey Ratcliff for 80 Stays Around The World
Instagram - Best Marketing Campaign
- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, NetJets, HL Group - Four Seasons x NetJets
- Rogers & Cowan - Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 Launch
Instagram - Best PR Campaign
- Cisco - WeAreCisco
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Sony Electronics - Sony Alpha Collective
- UN Foundation - #EyeOnClimate
Instagram - Best Story
- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, NetJets, HL Group - Four Seasons x NetJets: European Escape
- IBM
- Indiana University Communications - Newscast
- Northwell Health - One in 61,000
- Nasdaq - Stitch Fix IPO
- @WeAreCisco: GSX Event
Instagram - Best Use of a Photo
- Conrad New York - Signature Prosecco and Ice Pop Cocktail
- @WeAreCisco Is Family
Instagram - Campaign to Increase Followers
- Newell Brands - Get Slimed: Elmer's Glue Gains Fans Through Slime
- Tattoo Projects - Hostess Snacks
- Society for Neuroscience
- Sony Electronics - Sony Alpha Collective
Snapchat - Best Use of a Filter
- Brownstein Group - IKEA National Chain Snapchat Geofilters
- MELT - Coca-Cola: ESPN GameDay
Snapchat Campaign
- Career Artist Management - Maroon 5: Album Marketing Campaign
- Marriott International - Six Days, Seven Nights
- Northeastern University - Global Snapchat Takeover Map
Twitter - Best Marketing Campaign
- ESPN - Golic and Wingo Launch
- ESPN - Mike & Mike Finale: #MMSayThanks
- Parallel Wireless - Connecting The Unconnected Canadians
- SmartyPig by Sallie Mae - Spooktacular Sweepstakes
- The Ritz-Carlton extends its service values to Twitter
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - The Future of Health Care
Twitter - Best PR Campaign
- Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour - #HeresToTheFarmer
- Nuclear Matters, in collaboration with APCO Worldwide
- RFI Studios - #SubYAY Social Media Campaign
- Roush Fenway Racing - #DriveYourHealth
- SHIFT Communications - Machine Learning Enables Alteryx to Dominate on Social Media
- Verizon, 300 Entertainment, KWL Management, IW Group, LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, VPE Public Relations, Weber Shandwick - #freestyle50 challenge
Twitter - Best Tweet Content
- Dixon Schwabl - RBC Heritage
- ESPN - Mike & Mike Finale: #MMSayThanks
- JP Morgan Chase and Co. - Insecure Vs. Chase Bank
- MARTA - #MARTAstrides
- SME
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) - Playoff Push
Twitter - Best Use of Hashtags
- Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour - #HeresToTheFarmer
- JP Morgan Chase and Co. - Chase Auto Name Your Car Day
- Mathematica Policy Research - #All4Evidence
- NewYork-Presbyterian - #NYPResponds
- Sun Life Financial U.S. - #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes
Twitter - Crisis Management Campaign
- Sonshine Communications - FDOT: FL511’s Rapid Response during Hurricane Irma
- PepsiCo
Twitter - Social Good Campaign
- Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour - #HeresToTheFarmer
- PepsiCo
- Sun Life Financial U.S. - #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes
- W2O Group - tALK+ (Talk Positive): #tALKpositiveNSCLC Takeda Oncology
YouTube - Best PR Campaign
- Actors' Equity Association - #EquityStrong
- Arrow Electronics - Five Years Out
- Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts - We Are Four Seasons -
- PwC - #AuditorProud Campaign
- Volvo Trucks North America - The World's Largest Unboxing
YouTube - Individual Video
- Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour - #HeresToTheFarmer
- Cohn & Wolfe - Colgate x MagnusCards
- FGL Sports Ltd. - Sport Chek: Pillar vs. Cake - Canada 150
- Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts - Private Jet Video
- Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers - Sheltering Arms Mother's Day Hugs
- Volvo Trucks North America - The World's Largest Unboxing