Each fall, PR News celebrates the top digital campaigns and initiatives of the last year at its Digital Awards luncheon. This year, the event will be held Nov. 8 at The Yale Club in New York City. Leveraging video, mobile apps, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more, this year's finalists have taken an unrivaled creative and tactical approach toward digital communications.
PR News' panel of judges took a 360-degree look at Digital Awards entrants, selecting finalists based on how well they laid out campaign objectives, strategy, tactics, execution and evaluation of ROI. Finalists come from a range of backgrounds and organizations, from boutique PR firms to tech companies like Cisco and Microsoft. Honorees span a wide number of industries including healthcare, the nonprofit sector, technology, consumer goods, automotive, finance and insurance.
Andy Cunningham, founder and president of Cunningham Collective, a marketing, brand and communication strategy firm, will keynote the Nov. 8 Digital Awards. Cunningham got her start in Silicon Valley, working with Steve Jobs to launch the original Apple Macintosh, and continuing to partner with Jobs as he transitioned to NeXT and Pixar. Cunningham recently published her first book, "Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition," a treatise on how to use positioning strategy for industry dominance.
At the luncheon, Cunningham will discuss the art and science of influencing public opinion since the practice was invented in the 1920s. She'll share how communicators can orchestrate a prodigious digital footprint using channels over which they have complete control—and put an end to the "smile and dial" press relations of yesteryear.
The full list of 2018 Digital Awards finalists is below.
Annual Report
- Aetna - The Aetna Story
- City of Baltimore - 2018 - 2023 Inclusive Digital Transformation Strategic Plan
- Hong Kong Tourism Board - We Make the Difference
- National Association of Manufacturers - The Year of the Manufacturer
- Priority Marketing - Guadalupe Center Impact Report 2017
- Share our Strength - No Kid Hungry Campaign
- u-blox
- Workiva - 2017 Sustainability Report
Blog
- John Guilfoil Public Relations - Rochester News Portal
- Microsoft - The AI blog
- Microsoft - Transform
Branding
- BrandExtract - Marathon Oil Company 2017 Rebrand
- PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies - Virtual Reality Valentines’ Date with Alden Richards
- Rogers & Cowan - DreamWorks Animation #LiveLifeAnimated
- Rogers & Cowan - Hostiles
- Rogers & Cowan - Moviebill
- Share our Strength
Cause Marketing/CSR
- 3rd Coast PR - Gift of Adoption Pro Bono Influencer Program: Raising Awareness for a Cause
- CB&A - TeenDrive365 In School
- HP Inc. - Reinvent Mindsets
- Marina Maher Communications - J&J Ignites Its Commitment to Gender Equality in Support of #TIMESUP
- NJI Media - DefeatDD: Take the Plunge Interactive Event
- Periscope - Enlisting Farm Families to Strengthen the Monarch Flyway
- Republica - Broken Crayons
Content Marketing
- APCO Worldwide - “Yatte Minahare” and How Suntory “Went for It” in the United States
- Cape Classics - Jam Jar #SummerOfSlushies
- GMMB - You Can: Choose You
- HP Inc. - The Wolf
- Northwell Health - The Well
- Microsoft - Plugged in: Making gaming accessible for people with disabilities
- Microsoft - ‘My God, it’s better’: Emma can write again thanks to a prototype watch
- Prudential Financial - Prudential Financial Wellness Interactive Guides
- Rasky Partners - The Weight Band: A Rockin’ Social & Digital Media Campaign
- Weber Shandwick - Taking on Sports Drinks at Their Own Game
Contest/Game
- M&C Saatchi Sport & Enterta - Natural Light College Loans Program
- WE Communications - #AzureTrivia
Digital Firm of the Year
- Marina Maher Communications
- PAN Communications
- Rogers & Cowan
- Tech Image
Digital Marketing Campaign (100K and Under)
- Circa Real Estate – It’s About You
- Cisco - #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork #Maythe4th
- Horizon Pharma - #RAREis
- Identity - ROSSETTI Inverted Bowl
- Marina Maher Communications - J&J Ignites Its Commitment to Gender Equality in Support of #TIMESUP
- Miami HEAT - Vice Campaign
- Newlink - The first-ever campaign filmed out of an iPhone
- Newlink - Paramount brings a dystopic future to Latin America with #HandmaidsEnParamount
- PAN Communications - Phononic Store of the Future
- Sallie Mae - Mission Finish Contest
Digital Marketing Campaign (100K-200K)
- M Booth - The Macallan: Gallery 12 AR/T Campaign
- IW Group, Inc - Anna Sui x McDonald's
- Solomon McCown & Company for Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Foster Massachusetts
Digital Marketing Campaign (200K-500K)
- WE Communications - #AzureTrivia
- Racepoint Global - MAIA “Live Boldly. Prepare Accordingly.”
- Argo - No Risk, No Reward Sponsorship Activation
- GumGum - 2018 GO RVing
- IW Group, Inc - Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails - Flavors of Pride
Digital Marketing Campaign (500K+)
- GMMB - You Can
- GumGum - Honda Odyssey National Campaign 2017
- Rogers & Cowan - Dear Basketball Digital Marketing Campaign
- Rpr Marketing Communications - RoC Skincare #ForYourAge
Digital PR Campaign
- Finsbury - UnitedHealthcare's Step Up For Better Health Sweepstakes
- CB&A - Discover Your Happy
- GE Healthcare - Lab Invaders LIVE: Inside the minds and machines shaping health and science
- HP Inc. - ENVY ISS
- HP Inc. - The Wolf
- IW Group, Inc - Anna Sui x McDonald's
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing - Nurses are Groundbreakers
- Nordstrom - Anniversary Sale
- Rogers & Cowan - Dear Basketball Digital PR Campaign
- Rpr Marketing Communications - Neutrogena SkinClearing Makeup
- Volvo Trucks North America - World's Largest Unboxing
Digital Team of the Year
- Dove Global Communications Team (Unilever)
- Hunter Public Relations
- IW Group, Inc
- Microsoft
- Northeastern University - News@Northeastern
Email Newsletter
- DEVENEY - Does Health Care
- Gallagher Bassett - The Way
- NewYork-Presbyterian - Health Matters News
- Prudential Financial - Wellness Email Newsletters
Employee Communications Online
- Aetna Powers Up their Content Marketing, Raises Brand Awareness & Empowers Employees and Leaders with LinkedIn Elevate
- Peraton Does That - Innovation Exchange Series
Facebook Communications
- Aflac - Advancing the National Discussion on Childhood Cancer
- Association of International Certified Professional Accountants - Human Intelligence
- Cisco - #WeAreCisco Facebook Live Culture Contributors
- GMMB - Legendary Scams
- RXMOSAIC - You Don't Know Jack About MS® Facebook Live Event
Influencer Communications
- Brinker International, Inc. - #ChilisRoyalWedding
- Marina Maher Communications - Her Life. Her Adventures.
- Jackson Spalding - #ShareaCokewithATL
- PAN Communications - SAP Leonardo and a Renaissance in Modern PR
- Periscope - Taking the Dirt Road to Engage with Farmers
- Rogers & Cowan - Dear Basketball Influencer Campaign
- Rpr Marketing Communications - Neutrogena® Sun 2017 #MimicMommy 2.0 (The Movement)
- Weber Shandwick - Beyond the brand: how MilkPEP built consumer confidence with trusted voices
Instagram Communications
- Hunter PR - Pompeian Olive Oil Climbs to Instagram Success
- IBM
Listening Campaign
- Hunter Public Relations - Outback Steakhouse Teaches Chrissy Teigen and John Legend How to Make a Bloomin’ Onion
Media Relations Campaign
- d exposito & Partners - Cada paso del camino (Every Step of the Way): An AARP Documentary on Latino Family Caregiving
- DeVries Global - Mucinex #SuperSickMonday
- HP Inc. - ENVY ISS
- Rx Mosaic Health - Accu-Chek® Guide SimplePay Program Addresses an Underserved Need to Diabetes Control
- Stanton - TD Ameritrade: LGBTQ, Millennials and Their Money: Survey
- Unum - 2018 Unum Caring Report
- Xcel Energy - Hurricane relief restores power while building brand
Microsite/Custom Site
- 3/Thirds - Customer Interconnection Tool
- Microsoft - Launch of Microsoft book: 'The Future Computed: Artificial Intelligence and its role in society'
- Microsoft - Marea Subsea Cable Online Press Kit
- National Association of Manufacturers - Creators Wanted
- Prudential Financial - Financial Wellness Portal
Mobile App
- M Booth - The Macallan: Gallery 12 AR/T Campaign
- Univision - Conecta App
Most Engaged Brand
- Cape Classics - Jam Jar Super Fans / Most Engaged Brand
- Circa Real Estate - Social Open Houses: Connecting Through Real Estate
- Entertainment Software Association - Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018
New Site
- BrandExtract - Marathon Oil 2017 Website
- CAF America - Diaspora Gives Bangladesh
- IW Group, Inc - Launching South China Morning Post in the US
- Microsoft - Explanimators Video Series
- Northwell Health - The Well
- Nuclear Energy Institute
- University of Chicago Medicine - The Forefront
Online Community
- M&C Saatchi Sport & Enterta - Natural Light College Loans Program
- YKK AP - I AM AN ARCHITECT Campaign
Online Newsroom
- Alibaba Group - Alizila by Alibaba Group
- Finsbury - UnitedHealthcare Newsroom
- Gallagher Bassett - The Network
- Microsoft Stories
- Northeastern University - News@Northeastern
- Samsung Electronics America - U.S. Newsroom
Public Affairs Campaign
- CB&A - Operation Prevention
- CLS Strategies - Medicare the Pod: CLS Strategies' Fight for Type 1 Diabetes Patients
- John Guilfoil Public Relations - Rochester News Portal
- Kivvit - ReachNJ
Redesign/Relaunch of Site
- BrandExtract - Marathon Oil 2017 Website
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- The Hoffman Agency - Rethinking and Refreshing the City of Fremont’s “Face” to the Outside World
- NJI Media - Financial Services Forum: FSForum.com
Snapchat Communications
- DEVENEY - Luxury Brand Makes Snapchat Debut
Social Networking Campaign
- Cisco - #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork #Maythe4th
- Entertainment Software Association - Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018
- Lambert, Edwards & Associates - North American International Auto Show 2018
- PAN Communications - Inspiring Purpose in People, Drives Business Performance
- PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies - Virtual Reality Valentines’ Date with Alden Richards
Twitter Communications
- DeVries Global - Mucinex #SuperSickMonday
- FleishmanHillard - Untold Stories brought to life by AT&T at Tribeca Film Festival
- IBM
Video
- Citrix – GDPR: What You Should Know
- Finsbury - "How to Distinguish Between a Cold and a Flu"
- Golin - Know Narcolepsy Mechanism of Disease
- HP Inc. - The Wolf
- Microsoft - Explanimators Video Series
- Porter Novelli - T-Mobile Brings Back the Sidekick(s) for April Fools
- Rogers & Cowan - Delta Silent Disco Social
- Rx Mosaic Health - Accu-Chek® Guide SimplePay Program Addresses an Underserved Need to Diabetes Control
- Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board - Monty the Fox Montco Mascot
- Volvo Trucks North America - World's Largest Unboxing
Viral Campaign
- Rogers & Cowan - Dear Basketball Influencer Launch
- Volvo Trucks North America - World's Largest Unboxing
WOW! Campaign
- Cisco - #WeAreCisco #LoveWhereYouWork #Maythe4th
- DeVries Global - Mucinex #SuperSickMonday
- Horizon Pharma - #RAREis
- HP Inc. - ENVY ISS
- IW Group, Inc - Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails: Flavors of Pride
- M Booth - The Macallan: Gallery 12 AR/T Campaign
- PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies - Virtual Reality Valentines’ Date with Alden Richards
- Rogers & Cowan - Dear Basketball Oscars Campaign
- Rogers & Cowan - Hostiles