Marijane Funess
September 12, 2014 | 02:30:09
This witty post on 8 PR Awards You’ll Never See by Critical Mention’s Dave Armon looks askance at some less-than-scrupulous PR behavior, but it was food for thought as we look back over a year in which we were recognized with three different “legit” PR awards for client campaigns.
Awards criteria in our business are fairly similar; you describe the goals, strategies and tactical plan for a campaign and showcase outcomes that are presumably not simply a laundry list of media hits but those that show the campaign supported business goals. And while this peer recognition for a successful media relations or B2B PR campaign is appreciated, it seldom touches on what happens “behind-the-scenes” of a winning program.
The awards we’d really like to see (but are equally unlikely to) would recognize those endeavors for which we all toil but seldom reap anything beyond private satisfaction or a great war story. Or, they might wag a finger at those practitioners who fail to follow best practices. We think you’ll agree. Read on.
Pig Wearing Lipstick Award. Someone (the boss, perhaps?) has come up with a boneheaded, self-serving or just plain bad idea with no inherent earned media value. Despite thoughtful, fact-based protests, you have no recourse but to try. Miraculously, you manage to tweak it into a newsworthy concept and eke out some stellar coverage.
Stuffed Press Release Award. Earning this accolade will require at least 10 consecutive and utterly nonsensical, jargon-heavy sentences, a minimum of 6 links and at least five keywords in the first paragraph.
Best Link-Bait Headline Award. This recognition will be bestowed on the most alarmist, repulsive, or deceptive headline on a blog post or bylined article. Bonus points for body copy that is utterly irrelevant to the header.
Most Creative Campaign Under $20 Award. Okay, we’re exaggerating, but even awards that specify low-budget campaigns may not allow for a modestly budgeted one that had to compete with a splashy and overstuffed event with Kardashians at every turn. You had zero OOP budget, no paid media spend, hired spokesperson or charity partner, and the campaign still garnered recognition through good old-fashioned creativity, ingenuity and media acumen!
Blood, Sweat and Tears Award. Sabotage, psychological warfare and potential landmines at every turn? For this award, you managed to keep an even temper and achieve dazzling outcomes even though you had an egomaniac spokesperson, a committee of “direct reports” with different agendas, and a two-faced team member claiming credit for your efforts.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Award. Or, the Murphy’s Law Award. “Oh calamity!” To earn this recognition, you and your team were plagued by a combination of calamities and crises such as disastrous weather at an event, breaking news on the morning of the announcement, or a competitive assault. Yet you persevered and claimed victory with resounding media results.
Which is pretty much what we do everyday, isn’t it? Kudos to you!