Categories

This category recognises entries that deliver outstanding earned media coverage.

The entry will demonstrate thinking beyond the standard media release; it will show how powerful storytelling and strong content delivered exceptional results in a competitive and cluttered market.

Judges will need to understand the challenge and context, and will be looking for a clear strategy, the ‘hook’ and effective execution that resulted in outstanding media coverage.

This category rewards remarkable integrated PR, Experiential and/or Social campaigns that use media partnerships or sponsorships of events, content or charities to drive awareness and/or engagement.

The partnership should be a core component of the campaign, and demonstrate how it was critical to the success of the overall campaign.

This category recognises outstanding public affairs or stakeholder/community management campaigns.

Focusing on government relations, issues management, social responsibility, community management or a combination. Your campaign must influence public policy, build, maintain or manage a strong reputation, deliver a positive impact for the business or community and/or manage stakeholders.

Judges will be looking for clever use of insights and research, along with evidence of how and why stakeholders and/or communities were successfully influenced and impacted by the campaign.

This category recognises outstanding social media campaigns. We want to know how you brought all the pieces together to drive exceptional results.

Judges will be looking for evidence of what the business challenge was and how you approached it with insights and social media strategy. They will look for creativity, innovation, sound communication and, of course, data and metrics, showing how your campaign measured up against objectives.

This category recognises entries that deliver outstanding celebrity, influencer or content creator campaigns. We want to know how you utilised the influencer for the good of your brand and drove results, not just ‘likes’.

Judges will be looking for evidence of what the business challenge was and how you approached it using insights – from creative, innovative use of channel, content creation and influencer selection.

Judges will look for alignment between the brand and the selected celebrity, influencer or content creator and consider the strength of creativity, innovation, sound communication and, of course, data and metrics, showing how your campaign measured up against objectives.

In this category we are looking for an epic campaign that features a creative PR idea at its heart. This category is not about simply tacking on a PR element to an advertising idea or platform, it needs to be led with evidence showing how the idea or execution centred on a great PR idea that earned coverage, whether via traditional or social channels.

Judges are looking for strong insights and strategic thinking that enhanced the idea and pulled through to the resulting outcomes.

This category recognises entries that deliver outstanding experiential campaigns via live events, pop-ups, expos, product launches or large and small-scale publicity stunts and experiential campaigns. The campaign will be physical in its core but can have virtual elements around it.

Judges will be looking for evidence that the experience was the central component of the campaign, rather than campaigns with an experiential/event component. They will also need to understand how the campaign integrated into the wider marketing strategy and how it was leveraged to deliver outstanding campaign results.

In this category we are looking for a campaign that was implemented across a multitude of channels including PR, Experiential and/or Social. This category is not about simply listing multiple channels and executions.

Judges are looking for evidence that the campaign was seamlessly, and cleverly, integrated across a multitude of PRES channels. Entrants will need to show that each channel or activity was deliberately selected to enhance the idea and that the core strategic and creative thinking was adapted appropriately for each channel, that components were designed to coordinate with each other, and that each component played a significant role in delivering the results.

This category recognises campaigns that demonstrate extraordinary insights and strategic thinking.

The winning campaign will need to demonstrate the thinking process, highlight a clear strategic direction and how this directly contributed to the results. Judges will be looking for evidence of research, insight, quality of thinking and development of strategy.

This category applies to any campaigns, brand or non-profit, whose success was dependent on effectively and authentically connecting with specific cultural, ethnic, or under-served groups or communities (example: Māori, LGBTQIA+, disabled people, Pacific Peoples, etc.). If the entry had multiple audiences, it is necessary to demonstrate results for the specific audience detailed in the entry.

Judges will be interested in not only the direct results of the work, but also the broader impacts of the work including the process of developing the work (e.g. journey you took to ensure authentic and meaningful connection with the community), and the indirect impact of the work (e.g. how the work either challenged or reinforced existing narratives about the community to a broader audience).

Judges may not be familiar with your particular audience, so this is your opportunity to showcase the details that they may miss.

This category will recognise the most effective work for or by a charity, voluntary or not-for-profit organisation.

Particular attention should be paid to the cost-effectiveness of the campaign, and in the case of fundraising activities, to the monies received.

This award recognises an individual who has achieved incredible results in the past 18 months and is making a serious mark on the PR, social and/or experiential industry. We are looking for individuals on the rise who are ready to be acknowledged for their contribution today, and more importantly, are likely to be significant change makers and leaders for our industry in the future.

Nominees must be under the age of 30 and have less than five year’s total industry experience at the time of the entry deadline.

Free to enter

This category cannot be entered into. All Gold winners will be eligible for the Grand Prix. This award is given to the campaign that achieved the best results and is considered to be the best example of PRES by the panel of Executive Judges.