The IABC Canada Silver Leaf Awards divisions and categories mirror the IABC International Gold Quill Awards divisions and categories. If you entered in the recent Gold Quill Awards and were a winner or non-winner, you can simply enter in the similar division and category. You can also enter in a different category if it’s a better fit.
Choose your category carefully
When applying, be sure to select the division and category that best fits your entry. These divisions and categories help judges to assess whether your entry achieved its goals. If your entry is clearly submitted in the wrong category, you risk disqualification and your entry will not be returned. The judges recognize that some entries fit in several categories, and, in such cases, may be more lenient.
Multiple categories
The same project, or parts of a project, may be submitted in different category. Create a tailored work plan for each entry. Do not write one work plan and submit it to more than one category. You may submit as many entries as you wish, but separate fees apply for each entry.
Please clearly label the division and category on the submission.
The communication management division includes projects, programs and campaigns defined by a communication plan. Entries in these categories might include a combination of communication materials or may focus on a single communication tool within a larger campaign. Entrants must demonstrate how their project applied a full range of planning and management skills. The work plan must address how the entry relates to and affects the organization’s overall business strategies.
Category 1: Government Relations:
Programs targeted to government bodies and government agencies.
Category 2: Community Relations:
Programs targeted to community audiences, including not-for-profit and volunteer organizations.
Category 3: Customer Relations:
Programs targeted at customer audiences including customer relationship management and customer research.
Category 4: International Communication: Programs targeted at international audiences, including multi-national customers and international organizations, as well as program undertaken by multinational bodies.
Category 5: Media Relations: Programs focusing on the news media as the main channel used to reach target audiences.
Category 6: Multi-Audience Communication: Programs targeted at more than one internal and/or external audience.
Category 7: Marketing Communications: Programs aimed at marketing products and/or services to an external audience.
Category 8: Issues Management and Crisis Communication: Programs whose objectives, strategies and tactics address trends, issues and/or stakeholder attitudes that have a significant positive or negative impact on an organization. These could include programs or projects surrounding issues such as: labour relations, mergers/acquisitions, crises, change management, environmental or public affairs.
Category 9: Employee/Member Communications: Programs targeted primarily to internal employee or member audiences that create awareness and influence opinion or behavioural change, and those focused on management communication, ethics, morale, internal culture or change management.
Category 10: Human Resources and Benefits Communication: Programs targeted at employee or member audiences that deal with health and welfare, savings and pension, stock and compensation, or recruitment and retention.
Category 11: Strategic Communication Processes: Communication methodologies and processes that enhance or determine effectiveness of an organization’s strategic direction, idea generation, business or service delivery process, market position, communication audits and plan, or the training and preparation of those involved with communication. They may include brand and culture audits, employee and market research, competitive benchmarking, and audience analysis.
Category 12: Brand Communication: This category includes brand strategies for new brands and those that reposition existing ones. Winners in this category demonstrate the research underlying brand changes. Programs include brand architecture, changes to corporate identities and design solutions that address the challenges of brand communication.
Category 13: Special Events – Internal or External: This category includes any event that marks a significant occasion that supports the goals of an organization. Entries developed and implemented using major events as the pivotal communications tool. Large fundraisers, cause-related marketing events, an anniversary, official opening, product launch, road show, conference, customer event, employee appreciation event and large, marketing-driven sponsorships would be eligible.
Category 14: Economic, Social and Environmental/Third World Development: Projects or programs targeted to community audiences, government and/or funding agencies that focuses on sustainable development and economic, social and environmental issues. These may include developed, developing or third world countries or programs where the primary objective is to address and enhance the long-term well being of specific communities and/or the environment. Entries may include international aid, economic revitalization projects and cause-related issues in cultural preservation, education, literacy, health, poverty reduction, employment, and the environment, including indigenous and heritage protection programs.
Category 15: Multilingual Communication: Programs targeted at bilingual and/or multilingual audiences, including non-native language speakers.
Category 16: Electronic and Digital Communication: These programs are computer-based communication projects produced for internal or external audiences that primarily use electronic production and/or delivery tools. These tools would include electronic newsletters, electronic annual reports, websites, intranets, blogs and wikis.
This category looks at communications pieces that highlight technical skills and expertise such as editing, writing, design and photography. They recognize the importance of a communication project’s goals, demonstrate measurable results and strategic alignment with their organization’s business goals emphasize the creative process of project execution.
Category 17: Electronic and Interactive Communication: This category includes computer-based communications projects. Entries in this division use electronic production and/or delivery mechanisms to provide audiences with information. Interactive programs should allow substantial user control over the environment. This category includes: electronic newsletters, electronic annual reports, Internet (www) sites, intranet (internal web) sites, wikis, podcasts, blogs, interactive communication programs–internal audience, interactive communication programs–external audience and interactive presentations.
Category 18: Audiovisual: Programs in this category use sound, video, film, slides, CDs or a combination of these elements. This includes projects such as video programs, audio-only programs, slide and sound programs, and films.
Category 19: Publications: This includes external or internal publications in all formats except electronic, including one to four-colour magazines, newspapers, magapapers, tabloids, newsletters, annual reports and special purpose publications.
Category 20: Writing: This category encompasses original material written for a particular communications project including personality profiles, recurring features or columns, other features, editorials and advertorial, or original writing of a news, news articles, marketing or interpretive/expository articles, news writing, speeches, scripts, news releases, sales promotion and marketing, writing for online distribution, and technical writing.
The communication creative division includes elements that showcase creative talent and design through an essentially communicative function. Entrants must demonstrate innovation, creativity, strategic alignment with an organization’s business goals and effective visual communication.
Category 21: Publication Design: Design of internal or external publications in all formats, except electronic. These publications include magazines, newspapers, tabloids/magapapers, newsletters, annual reports, brochures and leaflets.
Category 22: Other Graphic Design: Projects involve the design of an organizational brand identity or other graphic project where design is the primary communication function. This includes cartoons, drawings, paintings, collages, montages, posters, displays, bulletin boards, mobiles, invitations, special signs, etc. that appear in book and magazine covers, posters, organizational identity (logos etc), product labels and packaging, direct marketing materials (direct mailings, branded gifts etc), 3D materials
(t-shirts, etc), and illustrations.
Category 23: Interactive Media Design: Design of electronic and interactive media elements that are used with a computer. This includes web site design, intranet site design, CD-ROM or DVD, E-cards, banner ads, buttons, pop-ups, etc.
Category 24: Outdoor/3-D: These products are intended for a public audience and must be located outdoors. Examples include billboards, murals and public sculpture, outdoor and transport posters (for use at bus shelters, airport terminals, “wrapped” buildings and cars, etc.), decorations, neon signs, awnings, street furniture, etc.
Category 25: Photography: Original photography created or commissioned for a particular communication project.
Category 26: Advertising (Traditional Media): Creative and innovative use of traditional advertising media for film/tv, radio, print.
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