PR Daily’s 2019 Content Marketing Awards celebrates work from agencies, in-house teams and independent consultants. We’re looking for impressive creative content that told stories strategically. We want to know how you tapped into the way people consume content today and used that to your brand’s advantage.
PR Daily will recognize marketing and communications professionals who write, edit, film, curate, broadcast, publish or just plain create superb content to promote their brand or organization.
Tell us about the content you created to meet a larger marketing goal, such as building brand awareness or finding a fresh talent pool. You can also submit the content and campaigns themselves. We invite you to enter as many categories as you’d like in this year’s competition. Don’t forget our Grand Prize category, “Content Marketing Strategy of the Year,” which will shine a spotlight on the best work in the industry.
What makes a winner? Learn more about last year’s winners to see how your work measures up.
Please read this page in its entirety before submitting your entry.
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.
Contact Brendan Gannon to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can reach him at 312-960-4407 or brendang@ragan.com
This year’s program is open to any work executed between Jan. 1, 2018, and June 28, 2019, inclusive.
Recognition
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/
CATEGORIES
CONTENT MARKETING FOR THE PURPOSE OF
Brand Awareness
Building up your brand calls for creating content that appeals to both your current audience and the one you hope to acquire. We want to see how you increased awareness about the products or services your brand or client offers. Share your strategy and tell us how you measured success.
Customer Engagement
Customer comments can make or break your reputation, but getting your audience to talk and truly engage can be difficult. What obstacles stood in the way of creating opportunities for true customer engagement? What content did you create to get your audience talking? Did you spark discussions on your blog or social media posts? Did you develop a submission form for customer comments? Did you request video testimonials or written reviews to learn more about product experiences? Tell us.
Lead Generation
Did you create content with impact but that left prospective clients wanting more? Share the content that generated valuable leads for your brand. How did you get your audience to opt in? What made it enticing and engaging? Share your goals for this content and the results.
Reputation Management
Keeping your corporate reputation in good standing is important. What piece of content put your organization’s dedication to transparency on display? How have you used content marketing to recover from a crisis or maintain your pristine reputation? How did you change people’s minds about your brand or inspire them to remain loyal?
Talent Recruitment
You’re interested in recruiting the newest and freshest talent for your team. How did content marketing help you find the perfect candidates for your organization? Maybe you created videos that gave a behind-the-scenes look at the daily operations at your offices. Did articles and interviews featuring your colleagues (and spotlighting their current projects) show potential employees the kind of work they could do within your organization? Share how you used content marketing to broaden your talent pool.
CONTENT MARKETING ASSETS
Article
Were you inspired to write an article worthy of being published on your favorite news site or in your favorite magazine? We want to see how you put your storytelling skills to use. Share the long-form, multi-sourced pieces you’ve written or the short and fun interviews you’ve published. We want to see it all.
Audio Storytelling
An expert storyteller can do his or her job across mediums, so audio storytelling isn’t a problem for you. Was your piece of audio content a recurring podcast, clips from a speech, local radio segments features or a one-off addition to another piece of content? Tell us how you used audio storytelling to stand out, and show off what made it memorable.
Blog
Your blog is an information hub for industry experts, customers and potential employees. Tell us how you created blog posts that were fun and informative while providing an inside look at your organization. Did your leaders—or maybe your interns—create content that told a compelling story about their connection to the organization? Did you supplement written content with video and visual elements? Tell us about your strategy and how it affected traffic and other metrics.
*NEW!* Brand Journalism
We’re looking for organizations with talented storytellers who published engaging narratives that earned incredible engagement. Your stories set you apart from the pack, and we want to see how you delivered captivating content to the masses. Include any samples, links or other materials that showcase your work.
Content Series
The best stories aren’t always one-hit wonders. Keeping readers coming back is just as worthy a goal, and you achieved it with a thought-provoking content series. Did you feature your new class of interns in an article, or create a video series following a product from design to completion? Fill us in.
Electronic Publication or E-newsletter
Share how you took your e-newsletter from “auto-delete” to “must-read.” Tell us about the launch of your latest digital publication. What news did you gather from your analytics and how did you update your strategy to create content that was fresh and new?
Influencer Content Marketing
Your audience wants to hear from trusted sources. How did you tap into the minds of customers to find out who influences their purchasing behavior? How did you turn a viral video star, blogger or social media maven into an ambassador for your brand? How did you use someone else’s digital influence to expose your product or service to an entirely new market? Did you sponsor a series of videos created by a high-profile YouTuber, or maybe got an Instagram style star to feature your product in their #OOTD to earn all the double taps? We want to know how you used influencers to attract the masses.
Infographics
Your team used an infographic to share insights about your industry. What surveys or studies did you conduct to find the information? How did you pull it together in a creative and informative manner? How did you promote it to ensure it was widely shared? Tell us your strategy, how it got you attention and, of course, show us the infographic.
*NEW!* Interactive Content
Have you created interactive content that engaged audiences and increased leads and sales? Share the quizzes, surveys, polls and calls for audience input that got people clicking, commenting and giving their feedback. Be sure to share the results and the benefits.
*NEW!* Microsite
Diving into the details made all the difference for your digital destination. Show us your elegantly designed microsites and share how they stood out. Was it easily navigable? What purpose did it serve? We want it all. Share the details and results of your outstanding microsite.
*NEW!* Multiplatform/Omnichannel Content
Sometimes, one platform just isn’t enough. That’s why you delivered compelling stories and visuals across multiple media. Why was it essential to share your content on numerous channels? Tell us the benefits of being visible in many different places. Don’t skimp on the details.
*NEW!* Newsjacking or Trend-Related Content Marketing
There are times when pop culture moments or news stories align perfectly with your brand messaging. How did you capitalize on a fleeting moment in public consciousness that felt truly connected to your brand? We want to hear about your strategy for capturing an audience quickly by finding a real foothold in the conversation surrounding a piece of news or trending topic.
*NEW!* Partnership with Media
You teamed up with a media outlet to deliver a first-class campaign, and we want to hear about it. What made your partnership work so well? Share your success, with metrics and any media placements you landed.
*NEW!* Personalized Content Marketing Strategy
Personalized content is always eye-catching. How did you use personalized content to show your audience that you understand its needs? Tell us how you used demographic data to segment your audience and develop messaging that spoke to them. We want to know about the research that went into the strategy, execution and results.
Print Publication
You can’t get away with the generic ribbon-cutting ceremony cover shot anymore. Instead you took inspiration from the best magazines on newsstands for your print publication. Thinking like a journalist and publisher allowed you to feature the best articles and most compelling images in your publication. Tell us why your brand’s print publication is now the Vogue of your industry.
Social Media
Communicating with your audience has never been easier, thanks to social media. But are you creating content that they love—and love to share? Tell us how your content strengthened your organization’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. We want to see examples of your best posts and the audience reaction.
Sponsored Content
You partnered with a publication to get your brand out there. How did you choose which print or digital publication to contribute to? Share your method for creating seamless content that didn’t seem like an ad. Why was this piece successful?
User-Generated Content
Letting your consumers take the helm of your content can be a risk, but you had great success. How did you select your brand’s biggest champions to share their experience with your product or service? Did you create a design competition on social media? Maybe a patient created a blog series about his or her recovery journey at your hospital, or you invited your biggest fans to submit videos about their favorite products. We want to know how you used your customers’ passion for your brand to tell a story.
Video
Creating a video that stands out in today’s saturated social sphere is no easy task. What did you hope to accomplish with your video? How did it come together and result in thousands of views? Tell us how you used this fast-growing communications medium to share your message.
*NEW!* Virtual/Augmented Reality Content
Were audiences consumed by your immersive experience? What were the benefits of your simulation? Why was this the best way to promote your product or service? Dish out the details about the strategy, execution and overall results.
Website
We want to see websites that make use of many different types of content. Tell us how your content-oriented site scored big with your fans or journalists. How did you test your work against top contenders? We’re interested in website metrics, too: total visitors, unique visitors, time spent on site, the number of stories on your website, and videos and images shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
*NEW!* White Paper
Tell us about the research you did to produce an advanced guide for your audience. Why is your organization the authority on this topic, and your product or service the solution? Tell us why an in-depth piece of long-form content was the best way to pitch your product to a new audience. How did people respond? How were you able to use a white paper to generate new business leads, media coverage or partnerships?
CONTENT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
*NEW!* B2B Services Campaign
Share how you positioned your product or service as a beneficial source for businesses in your industry. How did you make sure you were getting your product or service in front of the right businesses and prove its benefits? Share any supporting documents that help tell your story and show the success of your campaign.
*NEW!* Consumer Products Campaign
Millions of products are available to consumers, and it’s easier than ever to find and purchase them. How did you make your organization’s or client’s products stand out? Share the details of your success and, of course, any metrics that back that up.
*NEW!* Education Campaign
Not everyone is excited about education, but you delivered a campaign that conveyed important messages in a way that got attention. Share how you drove outstanding engagement on behalf of schools, school districts, educational institutions, associations and more.
*NEW!* Financial Services Campaign
Let’s face it, financial services aren’t really a “sexy” topic, but they’re essential—and you spiced them up. Tell us how you communicated on behalf of these organizations and set them apart from competitors.
*NEW!* Food and Beverage Campaign
Show us how you served up a five-star campaign that showcased your food and beverage company or product. What made consumers eat up your content? We want to hear how you stood out.
*NEW!* Health and Wellness Campaign
You flexed your creative muscle to deliver a successful dose of health—and we want to hear how you accomplished this. There are plenty of powerful stories about health care organizations, but communicating on behalf of these organizations can be tricky. Share how you navigated and overcame the unique challenges you face in your industry. Don’t forget to include samples and data.
*NEW!* Media and Entertainment Campaign
How did you get your organization or client into the spotlight? What got the cameras flashing? Tell us about your successful media and entertainment campaigns. Don’t forget to share the juicy details and metrics.
*NEW!* Technology Campaign
Tell us how your tech-related brand or organization generated incredible buzz for its product or service. Did you promote a new product or service that customers loved? Are you a well-known company that attracted new audiences? We want to hear about it. Share the details about how you reached audiences. Be sure to include your strategy, tactics and data.
*NEW!* Thought Leadership Campaign
We want to hear how you spotlighted your organization or its executives as an industry leader. What set them apart as some of the brightest minds in the industry? What problems did you aim to solve? How did you prove this? We want to see your strategy and the results.
*NEW!* Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Campaign
You sold an experience to potential guests, and we want to hear about it. Share the campaigns that compelled travelers to book with you or your client. We want to hear the overall goals, how you achieved them and any feedback you received as a result.
PEOPLE AND TEAMS
*NEW!* Blogger
You’re a highly respected, go-to source for information in your industry. People flock to your blog to get the latest scoop and in-depth insight into the latest trends in your industry. We want to hear how your prose garnered eyeballs and kept readers coming back.
*NEW!* Content Editor
You’re the reason writers don’t slip up and copy is clean; you’re the slicer and the dicer, the hand that wields the machete. Tell us how you were instrumental in cleaning up copy and making authors sound better. Don’t forget to include examples.
*NEW!* Content Strategist/Visionary
The status quo wasn’t cutting it for you—and that made a world of difference. What cutting-edge tactics and innovative ideas did you implement into your content strategy that made you a communications leader? Share the details and any supporting materials.
*NEW!* Content Studio
You helped an organization keep up with the content demands that were attached to a successful marketing plan. Share the social media content, blogs, direct marketing, digital content, video and more that wowed audiences and earned incredible engagement. Be sure to share any relevant data.
*NEW!* Content Team
Enter your team as the Content Team of the Year. Share the tactics, strategy and content that set your team apart as the best in your industry. Be sure to include samples of your work and any relevant metrics.
*NEW!* Podcast Host
Show us how you tapped into an engaged audience and kept listeners coming back again and again. Did you offer insider scoops, feature highly sought-after guests or ask thought-provoking questions? Share the details, including your strategy and any metrics that prove your success.
*NEW!* Social Media Marketer
Have you created scroll-stopping social media posts? How did you bring busy Facebook, Instagram and Twitter fingers screeching to a halt? Share your strategy, tactics and content that earned incredible engagement.
*NEW!* Video Producer/Visual Storyteller
Visuals have the power to connect emotionally with audiences. Tell us how your visual narratives captivated audiences and captured their hearts and eyeballs. Be sure to include examples, links and data.
GRAND PRIZE
Content Marketing Campaign of the Year
Your overarching plan came to fruition, and it was wildly successful. Share how you created a killer campaign that delivered on multiple channels in diverse media and drove engagement, leads and sales for your client or organization. What was your strategy? Which channels were best for your campaign? What tactics worked for you? Show us how you executed an enviable content marketing campaign.
Content Marketing Strategy of the Year
Content marketing is essential to the success of your entire marketing plan. Tell us about your overarching strategy and how you executed it across multiple channels. We want to see how your content told your brand’s story and sold readers on it and your products. Tell us about your content marketing strategy, how you made use of the above categories and what the outcome was.
*NEW!* Content Creator of the Year
You were instrumental in the overall success of your marketing campaign. Your content caught eyeballs, drove engagement and played a pivotal role in delivering your organization’s message. How did you help tell your organization’s story? What goals did your content achieve? We want to hear all about your creations. Share your stories, visuals, social media posts—darn it, any content you created—that captivated audiences.
How To Enter
On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your project. We suggest that the synopsis be around 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:
Brendan Gannon
Ragan Communications
316 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60601
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should you apply?
Our award programs help you measure the success of your work and prove the value of your contributions to your organization. You can set yourself apart in the industry as an expert, which will open doors throughout your career. As a winner, you’ll earn publicity for your brand across our websites and social media audiences, free training at a Ragan conference of your choice, a custom write-up about your campaign and a trophy.Who can enter?
Entries may be submitted by organizations worldwide. The only requirement is that entries be submitted in English. Most programs are open to in-house, agency and independent communication practitioners in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Our Nonprofit PR Awards are reserved for nonprofit organizations.What does it take to be a winner?
Although each award program is unique, we look for top-quality work that shows clear, bold and creative ideas that benefit your business or client. Please provide metrics or media coverage that back up your claims, and share creative collateral such as videos, visual design or websites that were a part of your project. Please look at our past award winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded. We encourage you to submit the same campaign to multiple categories, if you feel they are relevant. Doing so increases your chances of winning.What are the entry requirements?
The entry form requires that you submit a synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your project. The synopsis—1,000 to 1,250 words, please—should include the following sub-headings (when applicable):- Goals
- Strategy and tactics
- Execution
- Evaluation: success, results or ROI
Why are some deadlines extended?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.Who are the judges?
We currently work exclusively with an external judging partner. We are not looking for new judges for our programs at this time.When will I find out results?
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 announcement will be made with a headline on our website, in our daily email newsletter and on our social media platforms. Emails notify entrants in advance of these announcements. As deadlines are extended, so are expected announcement dates.Additional Questions
Additional Questions
If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please call Brendan Gannon at 312-960-4407 or email him at brendang@ragan.com.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship Opportunities
If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact our sponsorship team at sponsorship@ragan.com.
