Video & Visual Awards 2017
Creating visually appealing content has never been more important. As audiences flock to great video content, the communications industry has taken notice. As a result, we’re combining two of our award programs into one for the first time ever. We’re looking for videos and visual design work that attracted major attention for PR Daily’s 2017 Video and Visual Awards.
Video is a booming communication medium. Whether you’re using it to share internal messages or build brand awareness on social media platforms, we want to see what you’ve got. No budget is too small and no concept is too wild.
Creating a powerful campaign featuring complex data or an important social message is much easier with visual design. We want to see how you improved the look and function of a particular product, such as a website or mobile app, and also how you told a story using design with creative campaign materials.
We’ve created 42 categories to celebrate the best and brightest work in the industry.
Prepare for your entry by checking out the 2016 Video and Visual Award winners.
See a full list of categories and eligibility requirements, and read how to enter below.
Eligibility Requirements
These awards are open to in-house, agency and independent communication practitioners in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Enter your work, the work of your organization or submit entries on behalf of your client.
Companies from around the world are welcome to enter as long as the entry is submitted in English.
This year’s program is open to any work executed between Jan. 1, 2016, and Oct. 25, 2017, inclusive.
Contact Justine Figueroa to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can reach her at 312-960-4304 or justinef@ragan.com
Deadlines/Entry Fees
Early Bird Deadline: September 29, 2017
(Save $50 per entry!)
Late Submission Deadline: Dec. 20, 2017
The fee for this program is $295 per entry. (Entry fee for either Grand Prize category is $395.)
Early bird submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central time on September 29, 2017 to receive the $50 discount.
A late fee of $100 per entry will added to all entries after 11:59 p.m. Central time, October 25, 2017.
Please note: Entry fees are non-refundable.
W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request
Prizes
Each category winner will receive:
- A featured write-up in a Special Edition of Ragan.com
- An elegant trophy
- One complimentary registration to any Ragan event, webcast, or conference within 12 months of winning
The winners of the Grand Prize categories also will receive a one-year membership to Ragan Training —a premium online training library featuring hundreds of hours of the very best content from Ragan events. Find out more about the site here: https://ragantraining.com/
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VIDEOS BY TOPIC
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Charitable or Nonprofit Video
How did you use video as a storytelling tool for your nonprofit or charitable initiative? Share the video you created to raise awareness about an issue, foundation, charitable service or nonprofit. We want to know what your goals and results were. Entries from nonprofit organizations or for-profit companies doing charitable work are eligible.
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Organization Overview Video
How did you capture your organization’s goals, mission, new initiatives or services on video?? We want to see videos that provided a comprehensive view of what your organization offers. What did it use for recruitment and training? Did it provide background for the news media when reporters were telling your story? We want to know what you did to enhance your organization’s message, as well as the feedback you received.
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Digital Advertisement
Video is an extremely effective way to drive sales. How did your digital ad show off your product or service and entice people to buy? Tell us all about it—and whether it made a difference in your revenue as well.
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Educational Video
Who was your audience? What were you hoping to teach it with your video? How did you use the expertise of your employees, executives or outside influencers to add credibility to your message? We want to know its mission and, most importantly, the results.
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Event Video
Driving registrations to your event is more complex than sending out invites. You sought a more creative approach. Share the video that told the story of your event. What channels did you use to share it? Did it feature clips from speakers, emphasize the benefits of attending or show what people missed by not attending last year’s event? Did you create the video as a post-event recap of your successful soirée? Did it get attention from the media? Let us see the video you created for your event or program. Please include responses from your audience(s).
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*NEW!* Executive Communication Video
You wanted people to pay attention to the news your organization has to share, but using a communicator wasn’t flashy enough. How did you train your executives to effectively share messages on camera so that people would pay attention? How did this make a difference in viewership and perspectives of credibility? What were the results from your executive comms video message? Share your video with us.
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*NEW!* Influencer Video
You wanted to get your brand in front of a massive audience, so you let an influencer take center stage. How did you choose the right spokesperson for your video? What made him or her a perfect fit for your brand? We want to see the planning that went into selecting this influencer, the video you produced and the results.
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Internal Communications Video
We want to see how you delivered your organization’s news onscreen, offered holiday greetings to your workforce, announced a merger or new direction, boosted morale or communicated an executive’s statement. Share your success with us, and don’t forget to include employee feedback.
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Interview Video
Video captures human wisdom and emotion more powerfully than any other medium. Why did you choose video to bring a person’s passion or story to life? Did a compelling story or idea emerge during the interview? Did you interview an employee to share his or her experience at your organization? Did a customer share his or her experience with your brand or service? We want to know what made your interview video a success.
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Marketing Video
A picture might capture a moment worthy of a thousand words of marketing copy, but a video tells your product’s story. Why did you choose video to market this product? What was the medium’s distinct value? We want to know what your marketing goals were—and don’t forget feedback. What made your video a hit?
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News Story Video
You delivered powerful or important news to your audience through video. Tell us how you covered all the important questions and delivered vital information to the public, employees or customers. What made your video distinct and unique to your brand? How did you capture your audience’s attention in a world of constant breaking news?
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Public Relations Video
Your press releases weren’t getting attention anymore, so you went a different route. What story did you tell in your public relations video? Was your video created to pitch a story to journalists? Did you want to generate a more favorable image of your client or brand? We want to know the results of your video. What did you achieve?
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Recruitment or Employer Branding Video
Your organization would be nothing without good people. How did you use video to attract great candidates for your team? Share the video that touched the hearts and minds of a bright, demanding pool of potential new hires. How did you attract a new, more digital workforce? What was the response? What story did you convey via video?
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Safety Video
You created a safety video that conveyed serious, lifesaving safety tips or procedures in a fun, inviting way. We want to know how you used video to promote a safety campaign in your workplace or among the public. What issue were you looking to tackle? How did your video keep your audience attentive? How did your video result in a safer workplace?
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TV Advertising Campaign
TV ads should be unique, memorable and watchable again and again. How did you maximize exposure for your organization, product or service with an innovative, intelligent, witty TV ad campaign? What message did you get across? Please show us results.
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Tutorial or Demonstration Video
The best way to show off your product is by doing just that—showing instead of telling. Your tutorial or demonstration video gave current and potential customers an idea of how your product works. Did you use your expertise in a specific area to teach or demonstrate? How did you use video to maximize exposure to your brand or product, service or expertise? Your explainer video had people tuned in to begin a new hobby, reinvent their lives or try a new recipe. How did you do it? Be sure to share the metrics.
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*NEW!* User-Generated Video
Your users add a new perspective to your brand story. You may have sent out a call for video submissions to learn more about customers’ experience. Maybe you scoured the web for people creating content about your brand. In any case, user-generated videos can tell you a lot about how your products or services are viewed. Share the user-generated videos you collected and tell us how you used them. What inspired people to create them? Did you develop a contest or giveaway? Share the videos and the results.
VIDEO ATTRIBUTES
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*NEW!*360 Video
You wanted to give your viewers the entire picture, so you created an interactive, 360-degree video they could explore. Were you showing off a product, an event or something else? Share your 360 video with us and tell us how it helped achieve your goals.
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Animated Video
With whimsical yet relatable characters and a fun and engaging storyline, your video has attracted a broad audience. We want to see the methods, feedback and results of your outstanding animated video.
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Content Marketing Video
Tell us how you used the most innovative communications medium to push your message or new product. How did you get all those views for a video that launched the best thing since sliced bologna? How did footage shot in another area of the world explain your organization’s mission? We want to see the results.
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Live Video
With the rise of live video apps like Snapchat, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, YouNow, Live.me and more, you can connect and engage with your audience immediately. How did you use live video to drive engagement to your organization, event or campaign? What did you broadcast? How was your live video perceived? Did you ask for feedback or participation from your audience? Tell us all about it.
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Low-Budget Video (Under $2,500)
It’s easier than ever to create stunning video without breaking the bank. Did you use a smartphone, digital camera or GoPro to make movie magic? Show us how you stretched every dollar and got more video bang for your buck.
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Mobile Video
Content needs to be accessible to your mobile-obsessed audience. How did you ensure your video was compatible with today’s portable devices? What made it easy for your audience to view your content on the go? We want to see the metrics behind your mobile integration movement.
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*NEW!* Stop Motion Video
Did you create content for a client or brand using stop motion techniques? How did this help you show off a product or share an idea more effectively? Did you use it to promote an event or elevate your brand on social media? Show us why stop motion was the right video style for you.
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Use of a Celebrity or Personality
You had to create a video concept, but it needed a touch of star power. How did you form a partnership with a celebrity or personality that made sense for your brand? Who did you select and why did it work? We want to know how you employed your celebrity’s influence and reputation to lend credibility to your message. We also want to know the impact he or she made by advocating for your message.
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*NEW!* Virtual Reality Video
A video shared on social media wasn’t enough to tell your brand story. You wanted to provide an immersive experience. How did you use virtual reality technology to create a truly innovative video? Did you share your video at an expo or trade show? Was it shared internally? Tell us what made it a success.
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Video Series
You told a rich, exciting story in many parts. Why was each video spectacular on its own and even better when put together with others? Tell us how you were able to make these interesting segments add up to more than the sum of their parts. How did your series increase engagement and keep viewers coming back for more? Don’t forget to share the results.
DESIGN
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Infographic
Did you rise to the challenge when you were asked to turn intimidating data into an elegant infographic? We want to see how you found a story in numbers and used design to tell it. Did you make boring statistics interesting with your creative and interactive design? Tell us how your infographic made overwhelming information engaging and valuable.
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Internal Communications Design
Show us how you inspired your workforce to act. Did you use interactive design to explain a new benefits plan? Did you use gamification to entice employees to complete a boring training session? Tell us how your internal communications benefited from an updated visual design. Show us how you got routinely ignored messages noticed using visual design.
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Marketing Design
The best marketing campaigns would seem incomplete without design. We want to see how your design gave your campaign staying power. Why were your visuals the most influential part of your campaign? How did design help you execute your vision?
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PR Design
Did your design change the public perception of your client or organization? Did you build brand awareness with impressive graphics? Did you create a design that was highly shareable? Tell us how you met (or exceeded) your organization’s or client’s goals thanks to design. Back up your creative idea with metrics.
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Social Impact Design
Your design or infographic did more than generate buzz. It incited social change. Tell us the cause you’re passionate about. Did it target environmental, educational or human rights issues? How did design bring the issue to the forefront of public consciousness? Why was design essential to educating your community about important issues? We welcome submissions from agencies, corporate and nonprofit organizations. Don’t forget the results.
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Social Media Design
Social media speaks to the masses, but your message could easily be missed. How did design set your social media content apart from your competition? Did your visuals generate tons of likes, shares and comments? How did you figure out what content would appeal to your audience? Show us how you used social media to become a thought leader in your industry. Why were your profiles the go-to pages for your audience? Did your design enhance your entire profile or was it used to generate buzz for a specific campaign? Show us your visuals and impressive metrics.
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Website Design
Your website sets the digital experience your audience associates with your brand. How did your website design impress people? Was this an initial web launch for a new product or a complete image overhaul for an organization or client? How did your design boost traffic? Were you able to turn your website into a digital destination? We want to see proof of a beautiful and functional website that engages and retains visitors.
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Digital Design
What makes your design eye-catching? Show us your most appealing creations that drew people to your brand. What was the purpose of your design? How did it change? Did you use it for emails, ads or a special campaign? Tell us the details and don’t forget to include metrics.
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Illustration or Animated Design
Animations and illustration are anything but lowbrow. Done right, they provide straightforward explanations for complicated concepts. Why were animated characters the right medium for your message? What did you design? Did your illustrations and animations grace a video, infographic or something else? Tell us about the story you created for your characters and how it met your goals.
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Mobile App Design
Loyal consumers live on mobile apps. What did you do to make yours stand out? Did you redesign your app to make it more user-friendly? What improvements did you make to previous versions? Did you add new features that users loved? Tell us what they said about their experience with the app. We want to see metrics, feedback and, of course, the app design.
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Photography
Stunning photography displays the human experience from a new perspective. It incites passion, emotion and action, and it speaks for your brand as few other things can. How did you use photography to portray your campaign, project or organizational message? What was your goal? How did photography affect your results?
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Print Design
We know print is alive and well, but we want to see how you kept its blood pumping. Show us how you brought your message to life with your design of print materials. Why was print the best medium for your message? How was your print design displayed? Was it a post card or a billboard? Was it for an internal or external audience? We want to recognize your work in the industry’s most traditional design medium.
GRAND PRIZE
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Grand Prize: Best Overall Video
We want to see videos that elicited an extraordinary response from employees, stakeholders and/or consumers. Your video can be about anything. As long as the story is great and the results are impressive, you’re in the running for the grand prize.
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Grand Prize: Visual Design of the Year
Tell us the story behind your stunning visual design. How did you use visual art to communicate an idea, cause or product? Was your design informative, powerful or humorous? Show us your top-tier design. What was the design for? What was its effect? Prove that you possess originality that instantly arrests attention.
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How To Enter
On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your project. We ask that the synopsis be at least 1,000 words (max: 1,250 words) and include the following sub-headings (when applicable):
- Goals
- Strategy and tactics
- Execution
- Evaluation: success, results or ROI
Be sure to follow the guidelines laid out in the category descriptions, as the judges will look for those elements when they select the winners.
You will be able to upload up to five additional documents to your submission. We encourage you to include press releases, design concepts, videos, analytics, testimonials and anything else you feel will give us a better sense of your project. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.
Supporting documents that can't be uploaded to the system should be mailed to:
Justine Figueroa
Ragan Communications
316 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60601
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FAQs
Are the awards open to organizations outside the United States?
Yes. Entries may be submitted by organization from around the world. The only requirement is that entries be submitted in English.
May an organization or nominator enter more than one entry?
Yes. Enter as many categories as you like. One story, video, design, etc. may also be entered in multiple categories if it meets the criteria. Each entry and each category will require a separate entry fee.
Will you return my entry materials?
No.
Who judges the entries?
Our judges include the editorial staff of Ragan.com, PR Daily.com, and Health Care Communication News.
When and where will the winners be announced?
We try to announce a list of finalists six to eight weeks after the close of the program. The announcement of the winners comes about three to four weeks after the announcement of the finalists. Each of these announcements will be made with a headline on our website, in our daily email newsletter, and on our social media platforms. Emails will be sent to all the entrants to notify them of these announcements.
Will there be an awards luncheon or live ceremony?
There is no live event associated with this program.
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Additional Questions
If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please call Justine Figueroa at 312-960-4304 or email her at
justinef@ragan.com.
Sponsorship Opportunities
If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Kristin Farmer at 312-960-4405 or email her at kristinf@ragan.com.
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