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Awards Timeline
Entry Deadline: November 11, 2011
Late Entry Deadline: November 18, 2011
Enter Online Now
Entry Process is Open as of September 2011


Corporate social responsibility is an essential building block of organizations’ annual business plans. It enhances reputation and builds positive bridges to communities, customers and the public at large—and in so doing affects the bottom line.  The sweeping nature of social networking has only magnified the influence corporate social responsibility programs can have on brand reputation.

And the key to the success of CSR is effective communications—and each year PR News honors the most outstanding communications efforts powering corporate social responsibility and green initiatives.

PR News’ CSR Awards is the industry's best showcase for the most powerful, impactful social responsibility and green campaigns. The finalists in this awards program set new standards of excellence and point the way for other organizations to follow.

The winners of the CSR Awards represent corporations, agencies and nonprofits. They are the risk takers who have taken tremendous strides and understand the important role CSR contributes to an organization's success. Now, the hard work is over — enter PR News' CSR Awards to get recognized for your CSR efforts and to shine a spotlight on the people driving your CSR success. The winners and honorable mentions will be honored on April 17, 2012 during an awards luncheon. Enter Today!

Who Should Enter?

PR News’ CSR Awards are open to all individuals and teams worldwide at for-profit and nonprofit organizations including: corporations, PR firms, marketing firms, public affairs agencies, IR agencies, publicity firms, associations, government teams, NGOs and practitioners.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, the campaign or PR initiative must have taken place (either in part or in full) between November 1, 2010, and November 11, 2011. Some of the work must have occurred during this time, but it’s not necessary for it to be completed during the eligibility period, and it can be ongoing. Any communications team worldwide — corporate, agency, association, governmental agency or nonprofit — of any size is eligible to enter.

Winners will be awarded in the following categories:

Categories
  • Annual Report - This category recognizes outstanding annual reports for shareholders and other key constituents. Include 3 copies of your annual report along with your entry form. (Synopsis is not needed for this category.)

  • Blog - Recognizing an outstanding, influential business-related weblog or online journal written by a representative of the organization with the goal of espousing the brand or a certain message and written with flair and personality.

  • Cause Branding Campaign - This category recognizes a particular campaign in which the corporation’s brand is aligned with a cause, resulting in a nonprofit-corporate partnership that benefits the cause and raises awareness among consumers and other stakeholders. Entrants must show tangible results of campaign and year-over-year strategies to improve the cause branding campaign if this is an ongoing program.

  • Community Affairs - This category encompasses a wide variety of corporate citizenship efforts, from prominent support for local causes to outstanding partnerships with national and international cause-related organizations. Include a synopsis of the initiative with the entry form along with information on any pertinent partnerships.

  • Corporate-Community Partnership - This category comprises those campaigns whose primary focus is forming/promoting a partnership for a social or community cause, but which may also include promotion of your product and/or services and/or company and the advancement of your reputation as a corporate citizen.
  • CSR on a Shoestring - Recognizes success of CSR efforts while working with limited funds/budget, whether it's for a single campaign or for ongoing programs. "Shoestring" is subjective, so the emphasis should be on how more was done with less. 

  • Diversity Communications - The winning communications initiative in this category will reflect an organization’s commitment to racial, ethnic, religious and gender diversity.

  • Employee Relations - This category recognizes internal communications efforts and honors those organizations that are communicating CR commitments to employees and engaging them in helping to create positive change on important social and environmental issues.

  • Employee Volunteer Program - This category recognizes outstanding communications and volunteer efforts of a company to support a social or community cause.

  • Environmental Stewardship - This category recognizes a communications strategy with your organization’s environmental efforts as its focus. Along with your entry form, provide an explanation of your company’s environmental practices as well as a synopsis of the campaign or ongoing communications initiative.

  • Event: CSR/Green Focus - A live event that succeeds at both promoting a particular CSR/green campaign and enhancing the reputation of the sponsor organization. The event should be creative in its conception and execution, and should weave the particular cause into its structure.

  • Facebook Communications Campaign- the use of Facebook for a CSR initiative by either a PR firm on behalf of a client or clients or by an in-house organization's communications team; significant increase in "Likes" should be demonstrated, along with examples of useful comments and content that created engagement, should be included in the entry.

  • Green PR Campaign - This category recognizes a communications strategy with your organization’s "Go Green" efforts as its focus. Along with your entry form, provide an explanation of your company’s green practices as well as a synopsis of the campaign or ongoing communications initiatives.

  • Human Rights/Social Justice Communications - The winner in this category will have effectively communicated to its various stakeholders worldwide the social actions it has taken—whether proactively or reactively—to improve human rights and/or advance social justice in the geographic areas where it conducts business.

  • Media Relations - The winner in this category will have demonstrated outstanding media relations strategies resulting in positive coverage for a CSR program/campaign. Entrants must show measurable results from its media efforts and include samples of coverage that demonstrates consistent messaging and PR’s role in educating the media about the CSR program.

  • Nonprofit/Corporate Partnership - This category comprises corporations whose primary focus is forming/promoting/leveraging a partnership with a nonprofit, but which may also include promotion of your product and/or services and/or company and the advancement of your reputation as a corporate citizen.

  • Philanthropy Communications - Recognizing an organization with a successful charitable giving program(s) in which the communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the markets it serves.

  • Pro Bono Campaign - Recognizing an organization with a successful charitable giving program(s) in which the CSR communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the markets it serves.

  • Product Design/Redesign - Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding the a new product design or redesign of an existing product or service, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.

  • Recycling Program - Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a recycling program.  The program can be new or an on-going recycling effort and can be in the consumer or business-to-business arena.

  • Social Good - An agency or corporation that has integrated into its overall business model the desire to improve the common welfare of people (for instance, environment, health and educational issues) beyond immediate stakeholders. Entrants should demonstrate how the organization’s internal and external corporate responsibility efforts are designed to positively affect the bottom line and the larger economic sphere.

  • Social Media Campaign - These are campaigns that connect people and allow them to be integrated into a product or company. Social media campaigns can include: Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies such as blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, group creation and voice over IP.

  • Twitter Communications - the use of Twitter for a CSR initiative by either a PR firm on behalf of a client or clients or by an in-house organization's communications team; significant increase in "Likes" should be demonstrated, along with examples of useful comments and content that created engagement, should be included in the entry.
  • Stakeholder Engagement - The winner in this category will have demonstrated outstanding success in engaging its various stakeholders in the CSR program or campaign. The CSR program will have demonstrated that it heeded the needs of its stakeholders, be it employees, local citizens, investors, etc.

  • Sustainability/CSR Report - This category recognizes outstanding CSR-and-sustainability reports for shareholders and other key constituents. Include 3 copies of your Corporate Social Responsibility Report along with your entry form. (Synopsis is not needed for this category.)

  • Video Initiative - Creative use of video to advance a CSR/green campaign. Can be a stand-alone video campaign, or part of a larger effort, and should demonstrate high audience engagement. 

  • Volunteer Program - Either a new or ongoing volunteer program from an organization; entries should be clear in stated aim of program and in number of volunteers involved, as well as results of volunteer efforts.

  • Workplace Innovation - Recognizing a campaign or ongoing efforts within the organization which furthers achievement of the organization's CSR goals. 

SPECIAL CSR AWARDS CATEGORIES!

People Category:

  • CSR Professionals of the Year - Nominate the CSR leaders in your organization, whether they are in the PR or Marketing departments or in the C-Suite.

Agency Category:

  • Agency CSR A-List - To be considered for inclusion in the CSR Agency A-List, the entrant must be a PR agency with a proven track record in developing and managing corporate responsibility programs for clients. This A-List will include only those PR agencies that have established their expertise in CSR programs as part of their brand proposition. Entrants should include client testimonials, a summary of successfully executed CSR programs going back at least two years (clearly detailing campaign objectives and measures of success) and unique CSR best practices the agency applies to all its corporate responsibility initiatives.

Corporation Overall Leader Categories:

  • Overall Leader in CSR Practices - Corporation with between 1, 000 and 10,000 employees
  • Overall Leader in CSR Practices - Corporation with between 10,000 and 25,000 employees
  • Overall Leader in CSR Practices - Corporation with less than 1,000
  • Overall Leader in CSR Practices - Corporation with more than 25,000 employees
  • Supplier/Vendor Partner of the Year - This award recognizes outstanding communications of a vendor offering CSR-related products and services.
  • Hall of Fame - Enter your organization for its history of CSR communication success.

[Back to the Top]

How To Enter:

At the beginning of your 2-page synopsis, the following information must be listed:

  • Category entered
  • Title of entry (as it would appear on your award)
  • Key contact for entry
  • Organization submitting entry
  • Budget (where applicable) (All budget information is strictly confidential and will not be published w/o expressed permission.)

Within your 2-page synopsis, please describe your campaign or PR initiative including the following:

  • Objectives
  • Research
  • Strategy
  • Execution
  • Evaluation of Success/Results/ROI

“Overall Leader” Categories

When submitting an entry in this category, please outline (in 2 pages maximum) the CSR efforts of your organization, including but not limited to CSR best practices and CSR communications. Include specific initiatives that took place in the past 12 months that may still be ongoing.

Supporting Materials

Supporting materials should show evidence of the success of your work. It can be any of the following: Direct Web Addresses/URLs, Sales Figures, Brand Media Coverage, Clippings, Photos, Research Documents and Testimonials. Please send three copies of supporting materials per category entered.

Questions:
Contact Laura Berdichevsky at 301-354-1610; lberdichevsky@accessintel.com.

FAQs:

  • How are the entries judged?
    Entries are judged by a blue chip panel of corporate, agency and academic executives as well as by the staff of PR News. We evaluate your entry based on creativity, innovation, sound planning, implementation and outcomes. The most important criterion is proven success in aligning your strategic objectives with your end goals.
  • When will I be notified about the status of my entry?
    You will be contacted by PR News staff regarding your entry only if you are named a finalist in the award program. Finalists will be notified in late January 2012 and announced in PR News and www.prnewsonline.com.
  • Can I enter my campaign in more than one category?
    Yes. Please include separate written entries for each category. Also, there is no limit to number of campaigns you can enter.
  • How do I increase my chances of winning an award?
    Emphasize the goals of your campaign as well as your campaign’s achievements in your introduction. Provide as many concrete and specific examples of success as possible, and explain clearly and succinctly your research, planning, implementation and measurement of the campaign or ongoing initiative.
  • Must we include our campaign budget?
    It’s not a requirement, but it helps the judges to better compare your campaign against other entries. Include at least a reasonable budget range. The judges always take into account the campaign budget relative to the goals and outcome. All information is confidential and will not be published.
  • What is your Federal  tax ID number?
    52–2270063
  • W-9 Form

Deadlines/Entry Fees

Deadline: November 11, 2011
Late Deadline: November 18, 2011
All entries must be completed online by  November 18, 2011.

Entries completed online between November 12 and November 18, 2011, please add a $175 late fee per entry. Finalist will be notified in January 2012.

Entry Fees:
The price of each primary entry is $300.  If you are submitting a secondary entry of the same campaign into one or more categories the price will be $175.  Late entry surcharge of $175 per entry.  Payment in full must accompany the entry.  Entry fees are not refundable.

Receipts: Toyin Salau at tsalau@accessintel.com.

Questions:
Contact Laura Berdichevsky at 301-354-1610; lberdichevsky@accessintel.com.


Sponsorship Opportunities

For sponsorship of the PR News CSR Awards, please contact Diane Schwartz at 212-621-4964 or dschwartz@accessintel.com.


Previous Winners

2010 Winners
2009 Winners
2008 Winners | 2009 CSR Issue

2007 winners | 2008 CSR Issue
2006 winners
2005 winners

 

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