Comments on: And The Award Goes To… http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/ from corporate codswallop to community cool Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:29:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shonali Burke http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/#comment-580 Shonali Burke Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:33:19 +0000 http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/?p=692#comment-580 Thank you ALL for your comments, especially Judy & Heather, for providing such thought-provoking ones. The "cash cow" question is a valid one, Judy. I honestly don't know the "right" answer to that. We do charge for Silver Inkwell at IABC/Washington, as do most programs - as Mary mentioned, WWPR's Woman of the Year is one of the few "free" programs I know of in the DC area, but it's also a different animal. While it's great when awards programs bring in revenue, to me that enables us to provide other, sometimes free, services to our members and offer other professional development offerings at a reasonable cost to them. Even as a non-profit organization, we do have costs, such as administration, event costs etc., and we need to be able to cover those. The members only point is a really interesting one. Wouldn't that turn the world on its head?! Mary & Heather, again speaking of IABC/Washington, we do display the winning entries. Speaking of excellence, Heather, that's a really good point. I know there have been times we haven't given an SI award because the submissions just weren't good enough. And I completely agree with you about them being models in terms of objectives & evaluation. I've been shocked at some of the award submissions I've judged in other programs that don't have either. Thank you all again for contributing to the conversation! Thank you ALL for your comments, especially Judy & Heather, for providing such thought-provoking ones.

The “cash cow” question is a valid one, Judy. I honestly don’t know the “right” answer to that. We do charge for Silver Inkwell at IABC/Washington, as do most programs – as Mary mentioned, WWPR’s Woman of the Year is one of the few “free” programs I know of in the DC area, but it’s also a different animal. While it’s great when awards programs bring in revenue, to me that enables us to provide other, sometimes free, services to our members and offer other professional development offerings at a reasonable cost to them. Even as a non-profit organization, we do have costs, such as administration, event costs etc., and we need to be able to cover those.

The members only point is a really interesting one. Wouldn’t that turn the world on its head?!

Mary & Heather, again speaking of IABC/Washington, we do display the winning entries. Speaking of excellence, Heather, that’s a really good point. I know there have been times we haven’t given an SI award because the submissions just weren’t good enough. And I completely agree with you about them being models in terms of objectives & evaluation. I’ve been shocked at some of the award submissions I’ve judged in other programs that don’t have either.

Thank you all again for contributing to the conversation!

]]> By: Heather Yaxley http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/#comment-578 Heather Yaxley Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:49:48 +0000 http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/?p=692#comment-578 The thing that normally disappoints me with awards is that few of the winning campaigns or organisations are subsequently available as "case studies" that can be studied by students or reflected upon by practitioners. If these programmes are supposed to highlight the best of the best, then they should be available via websites etc in such a format that the key aspects - plus judging views - can be reviewed. At the least, they should be role models in terms of having robust objectives and demonstrating real evaluation. The thing that normally disappoints me with awards is that few of the winning campaigns or organisations are subsequently available as “case studies” that can be studied by students or reflected upon by practitioners.

If these programmes are supposed to highlight the best of the best, then they should be available via websites etc in such a format that the key aspects – plus judging views – can be reviewed.

At the least, they should be role models in terms of having robust objectives and demonstrating real evaluation.

]]> By: Judy Gombita http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/#comment-576 Judy Gombita Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:27:47 +0000 http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/?p=692#comment-576 Regarding bestowing awards rather than a pay-to-maybe-win contest, I was interested to discover when reading the Acknowledgement section of Ruth Reichl's newest memoir, Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way (2009), that Reichl was inspired to write this fourth memoir because of the speech she wrote/gave, after being awarded the 2008 Matrix Award for Magazines from New York Women in Communications, Inc. That's a pretty powerful outcome from an award determined on merit. Regarding bestowing awards rather than a pay-to-maybe-win contest, I was interested to discover when reading the Acknowledgement section of Ruth Reichl’s newest memoir, Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way (2009), that Reichl was inspired to write this fourth memoir because of the speech she wrote/gave, after being awarded the 2008 Matrix Award for Magazines from New York Women in Communications, Inc.

That’s a pretty powerful outcome from an award determined on merit.

]]> By: Michael Clendenin http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/#comment-575 Michael Clendenin Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:47:19 +0000 http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/?p=692#comment-575 Thanks, Leigh. So shall I put you down for a judging slot for IABC/Washington Silver Inkwell?! ;-) Thanks, Leigh. So shall I put you down for a judging slot for IABC/Washington Silver Inkwell?! ;-)

]]> By: Leigh Fazzina http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/2009/07/21/and-the-award-goes-to/#comment-574 Leigh Fazzina Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:52:11 +0000 http://www.waxingunlyrical.com/?p=692#comment-574 Shonali, great topic and very good post. I hope a number of people read this because it is all SPOT ON. Michael, thank you for the applause. My biggest piece of advice, as you posted above, is to judge. I have been a Sr. Judge of the PRSA Bronze Anvils for about 5 years. I have also judged the IABC Awards as well. Judging allows one to learn and see what make for a winning entry, a mediocre entry and weak entry. It allows you to see what to do and what not do. It also allows you to see what doesn’t get passed though and how quickly entry will be disqualified if the directions are not followed properly. Judging is a very big learning experience and it will definitely help one create a great submission. I cannot even begin to tell you how many entries my judging panels have disqualified (DQd) over the years for PRSA Bronze Anvil entries. This year we judged one category (which will remain nameless), and out of 28 entries submitted, 25 were DQd. Yes, 25 were DQd! Believe it! My judging team members and I were shocked. Most of us were shocked because these submissions were coming from not only PR agencies, but top worldwide PR agencies! I couldn’t even believe some of the entries had made it out the door and into the mail. Many of them didn’t follow instructions, and many still were getting “objectives” confused with “goals.” As soon as I started judging several years back I shortly after started entering my first round of award entries. And due to the great work my corporate team and I completed, and to a strong entry I put together, we began winning a number of awards – one right after another. I have to say I felt like I had the submission process down pat and to perfection since I had been a judge. I knew exactly what was needed and what to do and what not to do. If I worked for an agency, I would have taken this experience I gained and started an awards committee; creating a group that is responsible for all awards submission. I know some agencies do this as part of their corporate communications and having been a judge I can tell you this is the best idea around. This allows one department to control all award entries and go through the submission process with a fine tooth comb. I continue to judge, even after all these years. Why? Because categories change and criteria changes, and I want to stay ahead so my colleagues and I can benefit. PRSA is always looking for Bronze Anvil Judges each year. You can contact Karla Voth at PRSA to get involved. I recommend that if you start judging to do so with some of the smaller industry awards. I don’t recommend going right after the Oscars…. Although that could certainly be an experience in itself! Good luck to all! May you all be winners! Shonali, great topic and very good post. I hope a number of people read this because it is all SPOT ON.
Michael, thank you for the applause.

My biggest piece of advice, as you posted above, is to judge. I have been a Sr. Judge of the PRSA Bronze Anvils for about 5 years. I have also judged the IABC Awards as well. Judging allows one to learn and see what make for a winning entry, a mediocre entry and weak entry. It allows you to see what to do and what not do. It also allows you to see what doesn’t get passed though and how quickly entry will be disqualified if the directions are not followed properly. Judging is a very big learning experience and it will definitely help one create a great submission.

I cannot even begin to tell you how many entries my judging panels have disqualified (DQd) over the years for PRSA Bronze Anvil entries. This year we judged one category (which will remain nameless), and out of 28 entries submitted, 25 were DQd. Yes, 25 were DQd! Believe it! My judging team members and I were shocked. Most of us were shocked because these submissions were coming from not only PR agencies, but top worldwide PR agencies! I couldn’t even believe some of the entries had made it out the door and into the mail. Many of them didn’t follow instructions, and many still were getting “objectives” confused with “goals.”

As soon as I started judging several years back I shortly after started entering my first round of award entries. And due to the great work my corporate team and I completed, and to a strong entry I put together, we began winning a number of awards – one right after another. I have to say I felt like I had the submission process down pat and to perfection since I had been a judge. I knew exactly what was needed and what to do and what not to do. If I worked for an agency, I would have taken this experience I gained and started an awards committee; creating a group that is responsible for all awards submission. I know some agencies do this as part of their corporate communications and having been a judge I can tell you this is the best idea around. This allows one department to control all award entries and go through the submission process with a fine tooth comb.

I continue to judge, even after all these years. Why? Because categories change and criteria changes, and I want to stay ahead so my colleagues and I can benefit.

PRSA is always looking for Bronze Anvil Judges each year. You can contact Karla Voth at PRSA to get involved. I recommend that if you start judging to do so with some of the smaller industry awards. I don’t recommend going right after the Oscars…. Although that could certainly be an experience in itself!

Good luck to all! May you all be winners!

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