On Thursday, May 20, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) & PRSA-NCC presented a "PR Awards Writing” Brown Bag Lunch Event at the National Press Club.
In the photo on the right stanading are participants Marie Manning, Vice President at Ogilvy PR, Susan Matthews Apgood, president of News Generation (moderator) and seated are Courtney Sakai, Senior Campaign Director at Oceana, Judy Phair, President of PhairAdvantage Communications and Marmie Edwards, Vice President of Communications at Operation Lifesaver.
Judy Phair compiled a list of tips, which I thought would be helpful to share:
1. Thoth and PRSA Silver Anvils: Similar competitions, consider entering both
2. Focus is on the whole package – the vetting process is very thorough and you have to score well on all the elements to win
3. About judges
· Judges are generally senior professionals (always the case with Silver Anvil)
· Most competitions try to assign judges to categories that the judges have some expertise in
· Judges generally have many entries to review – first impressions count
4. What judges in major competitions look for:
· Beginning and the end: Research, research, research
· Evaluation
· Clear statements of objectives
· Evidence of strategy – not just tactics
· More than media for public relations campaign
· Measurable results – impact (not just clips or pretty publications/ web sites)
· Well-written, coherent entries
· Accessible materials (e.g. If you include a video, make sure it will run properly in different formats)
· Complete entries
· Compliance with regulations (Watch that binder size!)
5. What doesn’t impress the judges
· Big entries with little real content (Don’t include every clip; give a sample and indicate where else it appeared.)
· Empty words (Show examples. Don’t be too big – or too small.)
· Big budgets. (These don’t count – big results do.)
· Lack of documentation
· Lack of understanding what the category is about (If you are in the wrong category, judges won’t move you.)
· Lack of measurable evaluation (“Everyone liked it” doesn’t do it.)
6. Final words
· Judges are pretty serious and they take competition seriously
· If it isn’t your best work, don’t enter it
· Judges can – and have – had no winners in a category
###
Judy Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA
PhairAdvantage Communications
Office: 240-786-6624; Cell: 202-903-3227
jphair@phairadvantage.com
2. Focus is on the whole package – the vetting process is very thorough and you have to score well on all the elements to win
3. About judges
· Judges are generally senior professionals (always the case with Silver Anvil)
· Most competitions try to assign judges to categories that the judges have some expertise in
· Judges generally have many entries to review – first impressions count
4. What judges in major competitions look for:
· Beginning and the end: Research, research, research
· Evaluation
· Clear statements of objectives
· Evidence of strategy – not just tactics
· More than media for public relations campaign
· Measurable results – impact (not just clips or pretty publications/ web sites)
· Well-written, coherent entries
· Accessible materials (e.g. If you include a video, make sure it will run properly in different formats)
· Complete entries
· Compliance with regulations (Watch that binder size!)
5. What doesn’t impress the judges
· Big entries with little real content (Don’t include every clip; give a sample and indicate where else it appeared.)
· Empty words (Show examples. Don’t be too big – or too small.)
· Big budgets. (These don’t count – big results do.)
· Lack of documentation
· Lack of understanding what the category is about (If you are in the wrong category, judges won’t move you.)
· Lack of measurable evaluation (“Everyone liked it” doesn’t do it.)
6. Final words
· Judges are pretty serious and they take competition seriously
· If it isn’t your best work, don’t enter it
· Judges can – and have – had no winners in a category
###
Judy Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA
PhairAdvantage Communications
Office: 240-786-6624; Cell: 202-903-3227
jphair@phairadvantage.com
