September 9 2019
Let’s face it – most PR pros aren’t in it for the awards… but they sure are nice.
Besides adding statues and plaques to your office shelf, PR industry awards present excellent opportunities for agencies to analyze their work, receive feedback from peers, evaluate outcomes and benchmark against best practices. However, with rising entry fees and complex submission guidelines, how do you determine which awards programs are worth the investment?
We polled our PRGN colleagues for their recommendations on the awards that deliver the most meaningful impact outside the trophy case. Here are five of the most compelling.
Ragan and PR Daily Awards programs celebrate the most successful campaigns, initiatives and teams in PR and marketing. As the leading voice in organizational communications – both internal and external – Ragan Communications recognizes creativity and best practices. Ragan offers several awards programs throughout the year; among the standouts:
*LCI has earned this award in the “Best Small Agency” category three times.
**Buchanan Public Relations earned this award in 2019 in the “Newsjacking” category.
The PRWeek Global Awards honor work that demonstrates the highest standards across regions and territories, as well as the best work in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East markets. The power of communications is a key factor in the growth of global business and the ability of organizations of all types to tell their stories and change behaviors. The PRWeek Global Awards recognize and celebrate the best examples of international communications.
The PRNEWS awards programs provide PR pros the opportunity to showcase their best communications initiatives and salute outstanding performance by individual PR professionals. They offer multiple programs that spotlight top talent and creativity across the communications spectrum. PRGN members recommend the following programs:
*Three Box is currently a finalist for this award in the “On a Shoestring Campaign” category, while LCI is a finalist in “Community Relations.”
The SABRE Awards – which include regional competitions for North America, Latin America, Africa, South-East Asia, EMEA and Asia-Pacific – attract more than 5,000 entries from 60+ countries every year. Winners of the Global SABRE Awards represent the elite of the elite, honoring best practices in a variety of categories, from social media and corporate social responsibility to public affairs and employee communications.
*CROS Public Relations & Public Affairs earned the Russia/CIS PR Consultancies of the Year recognition at the EMEA SABRE Awards.
Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Awards
An icon within the public relations profession, the Silver Anvil Awards* recognize the best PR programs of the year and the highest performance standards in the profession. Commonly referred to as “the Oscars of PR,” the Silver Anvils culminate in a prestigious awards show held each spring in New York City.
The Bronze Anvil Awards recognize individual tactics or components of programs or campaigns — media kits, annual reports, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, social media, video programs, PSAs, speeches or websites — that contribute to their overall success.
Lastly, many regional PRSA chapters host awards programs to recognize outstanding local efforts by providing constructive critiques by a panel of judges.
*Three Box and LCI were both recognized at the 2019 Silver Anvil Awards, with each firm taking home an Award of Excellence and Three Box winning a Silver Anvil in the “Most Effective Campaign on a $5-10k Budget” category.
Do you agree with our list? Which awards programs do you think add the most value?
PRWeek Global Awards
PRNEWS Awards
