Categories & Criteria

The online entry system will be available in early March, please use the information on these pages to prepare  your submissions. 

You can pay the entry fee online or pay by invoice. 

The closing deadline for entries is Thursday 17 May 2012. Entry fee: £235.00 excluding VAT. Please note all prices are exclusive of VAT at the current applicable rate. A fully itemised VAT invoice, receipted as necessary, will be sent to you by post.

Nominations for Communicator of the Year Award and PR Professional of the Year are free of charge

Extended deadline for entries is Thursday 31 May 2012. Entry fee: £310.00 excluding VAT*. The late entry fee will apply to entries submitted after Thursday 17 May 2012.

Please note that you do not have to make payment at the time of entry but all entries remaining UNPAID in the online system at midnight on Thursday 17 May will incur the late entry fee. The late fee will also apply to new entries submitted after midnight on Thursday 17 May.

Entries may be withdrawn at any point up to 15 June 2012 upon written request. Please note, however, that entry fees are non-refundable.

Campaign Categories 

1.  Insight, Research& Strategy 

This award will recognise outstanding insight as the basis of a PR campaign, this could include research or strategy. Entries should show whether research was commissioned specifically for the campaign. Please specify how the project fed into the overall PR strategy and detail the campaign's business outcomes. Entries should include details of the demographic target audience and how they were engaged through the campaign.

2. Issues Management or Crisis Management

This award will be given for the most effective management of an issue or crisis by a consultancy or in-house team  or a combination of both. The objectives, strategy and method deployed should be clearly set out. Because of the sensitive nature of this type of work, entrants may mark parts of their submission as strictly confidential and not for publication.

3. Public Affairs 

Entries should relate to the most effective use of PR to change or enlist political or public opinion utilising either lobbying or broader grassroots public affairs tactics including media and on-line relations. The target audience should be clearly identified. Where advertising has also been utilised in the campaign, the judges will look for evidence of the distinct role and results of public affairs and lobbying.

4. Most innovative use of Social Media 

This category covers PR campaigns where the focus of activity was digital in nature. This includes PR-led viral campaigns and social media campaigns (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Bebo etc). It could also include campaigns with a strong element of video or other broadcast content via digital channels. Entry is open to clients, consultancies or a combination of the above. The judges will look for evidence of a creative and innovative use of the medium and of the project’s effectiveness in its own right. Judges will also be looking for evidence that the medium was integrated fully into the campaign from the beginning of the planning process and had a pivotal role within the campaign. Please focus on the tangible outcomes of the campaign rather than the audience reach.

5. Live PR Event 

This category recognises the use of a brand event activity or live event to build the value and reputation of a brand, or fulfil a communication need for a brand or organisation as part of a wider, strategic PR campaign. It could be a concert, product launch, conference, roadshow, field marketing activity, sponsorship, stunt or guerrilla opportunity, but it will have incorporated live event skills to bring a brand to life in the eyes of end users.
It is important that the nature of the event, strategy, context within an overall PR campaign, planning, logistics, production and subsequent execution and measured effect should be summarized clearly along with details of expert design, production, logistics and support teams employed.

6. ***Integrated Campaign***New for 2012 

This award will recognise the creativity, innovation, impact and effectiveness of an integrated campaign. Entry is open to in-house teams, full-service agencies or a combination of agencies from different marketing disciplines. The idea must be PR-led, and the role that PR played in the strategic development and implementation must clearly be stated. Please explain the role different marketing disciplines played in the campaign and why they were assigned these roles. Please give details of the tangible outcomes of the campaign.

7. ***Culture, Media and Sport*** New for 2012

This new category is open to specialist campaigns including fashion, arts, music and sports PR recognising the huge growth in this area or PR and the great work being done. Judges are looking for the impact, creativity and effectiveness of the campaign. Entries should include details of the demographic target audience and research undertaken as part of the planning process. Judges will be looking for innovation in lifestyle campaigns from conception to execution.

Product & Promotion Categories 

8. Global PR 

Entries should relate to ongoing or one-off campaigns - taking place during the entry period - where a PR campaign operated successfully in more than one country. The campaign could be consumer, corporate, financial or issues-related in nature. Please be very clear about the countries/regions in which the campaign ran – and your precise role in the strategy/implementation.
Success criteria will include the ability to adapt a strategy, tactics and message to different national audiences, while still delivering consistently high results.
Other criteria include the ability to achieve tangible outcomes for the client organisation, in terms of sales, business success or behavioural change. Please supply programme budgets.

9. Healthcare: Ethical & OTC Consumer 

This category covers ongoing work or one-off projects undertaken by or on behalf of a pharmaceutical company relating to ethical (prescription only) drugs. This category covers also ongoing work or one-off projects relating to licensed OTC medicines and other consumer healthcare products and targeted at consumers, either directly or through pharmacists, GPs, other primary care professionals or retailers who interface with the general public. Campaigns can be at any stage in a product lifecycle and include communications with target audiences such as prescribers, primary care departments, NHS budget holders, patient groups and specialist media as well as disease awareness and direct to consumer work. Campaigns lobbying central or local government or government agencies should be entered into the public affairs category.

10. Marketing Communications: Consumer (annual fees less than £100k) 

Entries should relate to ongoing or one-off campaigns where the target audience is defined as consumer (e.g. personal finance, fmcg and consumer durables). Entries should include details of the demographic target audience and research undertaken as part of the planning process. And when part of an integrated marketing campaign, the role that PR played in the strategic development and implementation must be clearly stated. Campaigns aimed primarily at a youth audience (under 24) will also be judged in this category, as will "green" initiatives by companies that aim to persuade consumer attitudes to change.

11. Marketing Communications: Consumer (annual fees more than £100k) 

As above but campaigns with a budget of over £100,000 per year.

12. Marketing Communications: Business 

Entries should relate to ongoing or one-off campaigns where the business community, or part of it, is the target audience. The category is open to companies and/or consultancies operating in any sector, and embraces "green-aspect" campaigns.

13. Technology 

This award will be given for the most effective ongoing business or consumer campaign or one-off project undertaken by or on behalf of a company operating specifically in the technology sector (e.g. telecoms, computers or dot.com). The judges will note campaigns that focus on green issues in this market sector.

14. Financial Services 

This award will be given for the most effective ongoing business or consumer campaign or one-off project undertaken by or on behalf of a company operating specifically in the financial services (banking, insurance, mortgages, life assurance etc) sector.

Corporate & Public Categories 

15. Public Sector 

Open to government deparments, local authorities and public sector agencies and bodies including the police, and local authorities, PR agencies may also enter who have carried out work for an authority, but only as a joint entry with the authority. This award will be given for the most effective campaign or communications programme on a single topic e.g. health, road safety, crime, environment. These can include media relations, use of on-line media, posters, publications and consultation processes.

16. Not-for-profit 

This category will recognise the most effective work for or by a charity, voluntary or not for profit organisation, including campaigning and patient groups. Particular attention should be paid to the cost-effectiveness of the campaign, and in the case of fundraising activities, to the monies received.

17. Internal Communications 

Entries should describe how ongoing strategic communication or a significant project have engaged internal stakeholders such as managers, employees, and trade unions. They should specify:
the business and organisational needs addressed (e.g., performance, productivity, "green" topics, customer service, cost management);the outcomes sought for key stakeholders, such as shifting employee or management attitudes and commitment, achieving real engagement or behavioural change;
how the success of the communication was evaluated against the outcomes specified; how communication was integrated with other activities.

18. City & Corporate Communications 

This award will be given to the best ongoing or one-off campaign on behalf of a corporate brand or organisation (as opposed to specific branded products or services). Such campaigns should be targeted primarily at the business, City or investor relations community –although it can also include corporate reputation campaigns aimed at the public. The category is open to companies and/or consultancies operating in any sector. Entries can include: corporate rebranding and repositioning projects; reputation management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), merger, acquisition, flotation or rights issue PR. The judges will look for a strategic approach to the development of activity; evidence of success in building corporate reputation, enhancing company positioning, communicating with investor or other stakeholder, or achieving other corporate goals.
In the case of CSR related projects, tangible benefits to the communities in which the organisation operates will also be taken into account, although the level of resource allocated to the project will not be material in selecting the winner. 

People & Agencies 

Open to any consultancy which has been trading for up to 24 months. Include: date of incorporation, numbers employed (split executive and support staff); key clients; two year's fees and profits data. Annual income (fees + mark up on disbursements) should cover the full trading period. Entries must also include details of sources of start up finance and in the case of subsidiaries or breakaway brands, full explanation must be included of relationship with parent companies including ongoing financial and infrastructure support (e.g. access to training, HR, financial management etc). Judges will look for evidence of financial growth, client list growth, client retention and PR innovation.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be invited to attend a viva as part of the judging process. 

20. Specialist Consultancy of the Year 

This category is open to any PR consultancy and specialist division within a PR consultancy whose business is concentrated on a specific sector, whether an industry sector, a market segment or a PR discipline (e.g. healthcare, technology; youth; or broadcast PR). Judges will be looking for evidence of market share and financial growth, client list growth and client retention, understanding of market and PR innovation. Include: date of incorporation, annual income, numbers employed (split executive and support staff), client list and two years' fees and profit data. 

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be invited to attend a viva as part of the judging process.

21. Young PR Professional of the Year 

Open to PR professionals in consultancies and in-house teams, who are under the age of 30 on 30 June 2011. Nominations are accepted from employers, who should include the details of the nominee's career history and professional qualifications. Along with the submission please attach a 200 word statement from the person nominated, outlining why they feel they should win this award. The judges will look for evidence of outstanding achievement in handling PR campaigns, showing creativity, relevance to brief and results. They will also look for evidence of the nominees ability and willingness to extend their range of PR skills.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be invited to attend a viva as part of the judging process.

22. In House Team of the Year 

Open to any in-house team within the private and corporate sector, local government, government agencies, health authorities, trade unions and trade bodies as well within NGOs, charities or other not-for profit organisations.
Include number of staff employed (split executive and support staff) and annual PR budget (broken down into areas of marketing activity directly under the teams control). Where relevant, details should be included of success in meeting Government regulations or standards (e.g. e-government and consultative clauses in the Local Government Act). The judges will look for evidence of success in executing campaigns or programmes during the period covered by the awards as part of an overall PR strategy. They will also look for cost-effective use of both in-house and external resources.

23. Large Consultancy of the Year (UK fees £10m plus) 

Open to any PR consultancy generating fees from the UK market in excess of £10m annually. Include: date of incorporation, numbers employed (split executive and support staff); key clients; two years fees and profits data. Judges will look for evidence of financial growth, client list growth, client retention, staff retention and PR innovation. Emphasis should be placed on the consultancy's achievements within the period covered by this year's awards.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be visited by a panel of judges incorporated with both agancies and clients  as part of the judging process.

24. Mid-sized Consultancy of the Year (UK fees £2m-£10m) 

Open to any PR consultancy generating fees from the UK market between £2m and £10m annually. Include: date of incorporation, numbers employed (split executive and support staff); key clients; two years fees and profits data. Judges will look for evidence of financial growth, client list growth, client retention, staff retention and PR innovation. Emphasis should be placed on the consultancy's achievements within the period covered by this year's awards.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be visited by a panel of judges incorporated with both agancies and clients  as part of the judging process.

25. Small Consultancy of the Year (UK fees less than £2m) 

Open to any PR consultancy generating fees from the UK market of less than £2m annually. Include: date of incorporation, numbers employed (split executive and support staff); key clients; two years fees and profits data. Judges will look for evidence of financial growth, client list growth, client retention, staff retention and PR innovation. Emphasis should be placed on the consultancy's achievements within the period covered by this year's awards.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be visited by a panel of judges incorporated with both agancies and clients  as part of the judging process.

26. International Consultancy of the Year 

Open to consultancies with wholly owned offices in two or more countries. Entry to include list of countries in which the company operates, plus any countries in which the company has affiliates, with date of incorporation, acquisition. Plus a truly international client list with indication of which clients are handled across three or four markets and the proportion of international PR-only fees this represents in percentage terms. Judges will be looking for evidence of client list growth, staff retention, international knowledge management, and consistency of quality service across international markets (including international awards, client satisfaction surveys etc). Emphasis should be placed on the consultancy achievements within the period covered by this year's awards.

Please note that long-listed entrants for this category will be invited to attend a viva as part of the judging process.

27. PR Professional of the Year 

Nominations are invited. This award will be given in recognition of outstanding professional performance made by an individual and/or contribution to the professional development and standings of the industry as a whole. A shortlist of relevant professionals will be drawn-up from the judges' nominations. The judges will then be asked to vote at the second stage of judging. Professionals may also nominate themselves or be nominated. If you would like your name to be considered for the shortlist please email your details along with a brief biography and a 200 word statement explaining why you should be considered for this award to liz [dot] lockard [at] haymarket [dot] com.

 Gold Awards

28. Campaign of the Year 

Not open for entries. This award cannot be entered directly. The Chairman of the Judges and the Editor of PRWeek will decide on the entry considered the best of the individual campaign category winners in the specialist & technique, product & promotion and corporate & public categories.

29. Consultancy of the Year 

Not open for entries. This award cannot be entered directly. The Chairman of the Judges and the Editor of PRWeek will decide on the entry considered the best of the Consultancy of the Year categories winners.