Public Relations Awards

There are 21 PR awards categories in The 2013 American Business Awards, the top business awards competition in the U.S.A., to help you highlight your PR successes. (Friday, November 16, is the first early-bird entry deadline for the 2013 ABAs, request your entry kit here  and you'll receive it right away.)

The public relations awards categories for Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year include:

• Community Relations
  Campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
• Crisis Communications
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with an unplanned event and requiring immediate response.
• Events & Observances
  Campaigns/programs that generate awareness of or document commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations, and other types of events.
• Global Issues
  Campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries, one of which must be the United States.
• Internal Communications
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
• Investor Relations
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to communicate information to a company's investors and the investment community and/or to manage the company's relationship with investors.
• Issues Management
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
• Low Budget (under $10,000)
  Campaigns/programs that cost no more than $10,000 to plan and implement.
• Marketing – Business to Business
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
• Marketing – Consumer Products
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
• Marketing – Consumer Services
  Campaigns/programs designed to introduce new services or promote existing services to a consumer audience.
• Multicultural
  Campaigns/programs specifically targeted to a cultural group.
• Reputation/Brand Management
  Campaigns/programs designed to enhance, promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics.
• Public Affairs
  Campaigns/programs specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
• Public Service
  Campaigns/programs that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.
• Social Media Focused
  Campaigns/programs designed to be implemented primarily through online social media. 

There are a number of other communications awards categories including:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications Professional of the Year(for non-executive communications, PR, and IR professionals)

Looking for more ways to showcase your organization's PR triumphs? There are a number of other ABA categories that should be of interest to communications professionals, including many of the corporate literature awards, annual report awards, website awards, video awards, and live event awards categories.

The final entry deadline for The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, is quickly approaching on 27 June. All individuals and organizations worldwide – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small – may submit nominations to the IBAs. If you haven't yet done so, you can request your entry kit here.

To make the most out of your PR awards entries, we suggest the following tips:

1. Review the business awards categories.
There are several PR award categories being celebrated at the 2012 IBAs including:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year

We have many other communication awards categories that may be of interest to communications professionals including:

• Annual report awards
• App awards
• Live event awards
• Video awards
• Website awards

2. Review the entry submission criteria.
Make sure your IBA entries include all required submission information.

3. Download our 10 Tips for Winning PR Awards in the Stevie® Awards tipsheet for 2012. 
Our tipsheet contains great tips and tools for making the most out of your entries. 

4. Contact us!
If you have any questions about the 2012 IBAs, email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Looking for more ways to connect with the Stevies? Join us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn for the latest IBA updates.

Today is the final entry deadline for The 2012 (10th Annual) American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A. If you haven't yet done so, you can request an entry kit here and you will receive it right away. (All ABA entries are submitted directly online through your account and the web site will be open all night to accept your entries.)

To make the most out of your PR awards entries, we suggest the following tips:

1. Review the business awards categories.
There are several PR award categories being celebrated at the 2012 ABAs including:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications Professional of the Year

We have many other communication awards categories that may be of interest to communications professionals including:

• Annual Report Awards,
• App Awards,
• Live Event Awards,
• Video Awards, and
• Website Awards.

2. Review the entry submission criteria.
Make sure your entries include all required submission information.

3.  Watch our video, How to Enter The 2012 American Business Awards.
Get step-by-step instruction on how to submit your 2012 entries.

4. Contact us!
If you have any questions about the 2012 ABAs, email us at help@stevieawards.com or call us at + 1 703-547-8389.

Looking for more ways to connect with the Stevies? Join us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn for the latest ABA updates.

There are 24 PR awards categories in The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, to help you showcase successes. (All organizations and individuals worldwide may submit nominations to the IBAs. The entry deadline is 16 May; request your entry kit here.)

Our new 2012 IBA communications awards categories are:

• Internal Communications
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to inform or educate an internal audience, such as employees or members.
• Investor Relations
  Campaigns/programs undertaken to communicate information to a company's investors and the investment community and/or to manage the company's relationship with investors.

Our other communicator awards categories include:

• Public Relations Agency of the Year
  a. in Asia, Australia and New Zealand
  b. in Asia (China, Japan and Korea)
  c. in Europe
  d. in the Middle East and Africa
  e. in Canada and the U.S.A.
  f. In Mexico, Central and South America
• Communications Department of the Year
• Communications Team of the Year
• Communications, Investor Relations, or PR Executive of the Year
• Communications or PR Campaign/Program of the Year
  a. Community Relations: campaigns/programs that aim to improve relations with communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.
  b. Crisis Communications: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with an unplanned event and requiring immediate response.
  c. Global Issues: campaigns/programs that demonstrate effective global communications implemented in at least two countries, one of which must be the United States.
  d. Issues Management: campaigns/programs undertaken to deal with issues that could extraordinarily affect ongoing business strategy.
  e. Low Budget (under $10,000 / € 7500): campaigns/programs that cost no more than $10,000 / € 7500 (or equivalent in other currencies) to plan and implement.
  f. Marketing – Business to Business: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products or services to a business audience.
  g. Marketing – Consumer Products: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new products or promote existing products to a consumer audience.
  h. Marketing – Consumer Services: campaigns/programs designed to introduce new services or promote existing services to a consumer audience.
  i. Multicultural: campaigns/programs specifically targeted to a cultural group.
  j. Reputation/Brand Management: campaigns/programs designed to enhance, promote or improve the reputation of an organization with its publics or key elements of its publics.
  k. Public Affairs: campaigns/programs specifically designed to influence public policy and/or affect legislation, regulations, political activities or candidacies.
  l. Public Service: campaigns/programs that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems or concerns.
  m. Social Media Focused: campaigns/programs designed to be implemented primarily through online social media.    

Your public relations awards entries should include the following information:

• An essay of up to 500 words describing the nominee's achievements since January 1 2011
• A biography of the nominee or the leader of the nominated company, department or team of up to 100 words
• Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges

The 8th Annual International Business Awards were presented in October 2011 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. PR award honorees included Informatica Corporation, M3 Communications Group, Inc., MWW Group, RSA Canada, Turk Telekom, Tesco Poland, and Weber Shandwick, among others. 2012 honorees will be celebrated at the 9th annual awards banquet on Monday, 15 October in Seoul, South Korea.

Other IBA categories that should be of interest to communications professionals, include many of the annual report awards and other literature categories, website awards categories, app awards categories, video awards categories, and live event awards categories.

How will our corporate awards categories help you highlight your organization?

The Dow Chemical Company of Freeport, Texas, won the Stevie® Award for Best Communications or PR Campaign of the Year in Community Relations in The 2011 American Business Awards. (The 2012 American Business Awards are now open for entries. Request your entry kit.) Here we look at how the communications awards recipient, Dow Texas Operations, enhanced its reputation in the local community.

The PR awards winner is not only the largest integrated chemical facility in the Western Hemisphere but is also Freeport's largest employer. In 2010, The Dow Chemical Company, sought opportunities to recognize Dow Texas Operations’ WWII veteran retirees in a way that would also benefit its community relations. With its more than 6,000 near neighbor retirees, including several veterans, the communicator awards receiver decided to join forces with Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization that transports veterans to memorials.
                                                                                 
Dow Texas Operations established three community-relations goals:

1. to thank Dow retirees who are WWII veterans for their honorable service,
2. to strengthen outreach to Dow retirees in Brazoria County and;
3. to increase the positive reputation of Dow Texas Operations in the local community, especially among key influencers in local government.

To meet these goals, Dow:

1. Got their employees involved
   On September 27, 2010, 74 Dow WWII veterans—along with 43 Dow “Guardians”—flew from Lake Jackson, Texas, to Washington, D.C. 
2. Used social media to spread the word
   By establishing a Facebook page, Dow was able to engage thousands more in the experience. More than 340 images were posted to the page throughout the day.  By week’s end, nearly 1,300 people “liked” the Facebook page (slightly more than the target of 500). Of those “likes,” more than 50% lived within 50 miles of Texas Dow Operations.  There were 8,761 photo views on September 27, and 18,540 page views during September and October. 
3. Organized a Heroes’ Welcome to involve the community
   At the end of the Honor Flight day, Dow hosted a “Welcome Home” party. The veterans were escorted down a red carpet, and were honored by more than 700 local elected officials, other Dow retirees, Brazoria County veteran groups, and family members, all waving flags or holding patriotic signs. 
4. Reminded local residents of Dow’s history in the community
   Dow Texas Operations posted service photos and personal war stories of the veterans to the Facebook page.  Dow also chronicled the company’s role in WWII by posting newspaper articles from the 1940s about its efforts to mine seawater for magnesium as part of the war effort.

A Grand Success
By any measure, the business in the community awards winner's event was a grand success.  Hundreds of positive comments were posted to the Facebook page. Dozens of expressions of gratitude were voiced in community forums, including the Dow Community Advisory Panel and local Rotary Clubs, and at Chamber of Commerce meetings. A survey of influential people in the community, conducted one month after the Honor Flight, indicated an 82.4% positive perception of Dow’s corporate
citizenship. 

The Brazosport Chamber of Commerce honored Dow Texas Operations with a special award in recognition of outstanding community support for honoring WWII veterans/Dow retirees.  The local newspaper, The Facts, carried extensive coverage of the trip, including an ad-free special section, a first for the newspaper.

Gary Hockstra, who was at the time the Vice President and Site Director for Dow Texas Operations, was one of the driving forces behind the project. On learning that it had won a Stevie Award, he commented: 

“Those of us who took part in the 2010 Dow Honor Flight know just how special it was and we are honored by this national recognition from the American Business Awards. It was an amazing initiative that brought our community together to provide some much-deserved appreciation to these heroes. It is wonderful to be receiving such a prestigious award for the project.”

Hockstra has since been promoted to Vice President of Dow’s Advanced Materials Division and is now based in Philadelphia; however, before departing for his new job, he initiated and participated in a second Dow Texas Honor Flight, in 2011. “We cannot do enough for these men who were willing to sacrifice their lives for our freedom,” he said. “I am very proud that my company provides them with the opportunity to see the memorial that was built in their honor.”

About Gary Hockstra
Gary Hockstra is the Vice President of Dow’s Advanced Materials Division in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Until 2011, he was Vice President of Dow Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas. Before being named Vice President and Site Director for Dow Texas Operations in December 2007, Hockstra worked in various manufacturing roles for the company all over the world. Hockstra joined Dow in 1980 after earning a degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University. He considers the Dow Texas Operations Honor Flight one of the greatest community projects he has had the opportunity to work on during his Dow career.

About Dow Texas Operations
Texas Operations is Dow's largest integrated site. The three major complexes—Plant A, Plant B, and Oyster Creek—operate as an integrated unit serving all eight of Dow's Global Business Groups. Texas Operations manufactures 44% of Dow's products sold in the United States and more than 21% of Dow's products sold globally.

About Dow:
Dow combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences, and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high-growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings, and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.