NEED TO KNOW FOR 2017

Entrants may submit a unique campaign in up to three applicable categories (Categories 1 – 25); discounts apply for multiple-entry submissions of the same campaign..

Entrants may submit a stand-alone item or part(s) of a larger campaign as a Spotlight Award entry in Categories 26 through 37; multiple-category submissions are not applicable in these categories.
 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Entrants are encouraged to keep a copy of any and all system-generated online payment confirmations.  Duplicate receipts may only include total fees paid rather than a detailed line-by-line description of each entry submission.  This is a technical issue that PRSA-NY staff is continuing to explore with the online system vendor.

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AWARD CATEGORY UPDATES

The scopes of our 100+ award categories were all carefully reviewed, more carefully defined, and in many cases expanded to better represent the work of communications professionals across the Tri-State region. 
 

View a complete list of the 2017 Big Apple Award Categories and Subcategories 
 

Twenty new awards have been introduced for 2017.

The new CAMPAIGN AWARD categories are:

• 3: Brand Engagement
  Programs that effectively and consistently communicate a brand's message while engaging audiences across multiple media channels.
  Includes three subcategories for Business; Government Associations and Non-Profit Organizations; and Campaigns with budgets of $150,000 or less
   
• 8: Marketing Consumer Products
  New Subcategories for Beauty and Fashion
   
• 9: Marketing Consumer Services
  New Subcategories for Restaurant/Bar and Retail, Real Estate, Sports, and Arts, Culture and Media
   
• 23. Content Marketing Campaign
  Programs that effectively leverage articles, videos, infographics, and other types of relevant and valuable narrative content to introduce and/or promote a brand or organization.
  Includes three subcategories for Business; Government Associations and Non-Profit Organizations; and Campaigns with budgets of $150,000 or less
   
• 25. Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
  Programs that demonstrate diversity and inclusion through work on either an internal or external communications campaign. 
  Includes three subcategories for Business; Government Associations and Non-Profit Organizations; and Campaigns with budgets of $150,000 or less

• 27. Blogs
• 28. Podcasts
• 30. Brand Engagement
• 31. Experiential Marketing
• 32. Media Relations
• 33.  Diversity and Inclusion  
• 34.  Influencers

• 24. Digital Media
• 29. Video
• 37. The Next Big Tech Thing:  Innovative Technological Approaches to Execution 

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JUDGING

• PRSA-NY reserves the right to exclude any entry for any reason.  Refunds will not be given should an entry be reviewed and subsequently rejected.
• Judges reserve the right to move entries to alternative categories they believe to be more appropriate.  
• The decision of the judges is final.
• The judges' online score sheets are the property of PRSA-NY; these score sheets will NOT be shared with entrants.

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NOTIFICATION TIMELINE

• Finalists will be notified during the week of April 10^th, 2017.
• Every campaign or single item entry selected as a Big Apple Award finalist must be represented by either the nominator or his/her designee during the awards presentation ceremony on Monday evening, June 12^th, 2017.
• Ticket sales will launch in mid-March on the PRSA-NY website.

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ELIGIBILITY

• Each entry must have been produced with at least the majority of the public relations campaign and its results having occurred in 2016.
  Multi-year campaigns may be entered in successive years only if the elements submitted for consideration meet the above criteria.
• Each entry must have been a geographic relationship to the New York metropolitan area (either development or implementation).
  Entries may be submitted by communications and public relations professionals in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for programs created in 2016 and implemented anywhere in the world. Most or all of the strategic work on the programs should have been performed by professionals in this tri-state area. Professionals outside the tri-state area are eligible to submit programs if, and only if, their program was implemented primarily in New York, New Jersey and/or Connecticut.

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• Once submitted, entries become the property of PRSA-NY. 
• Entries are not confidential. However, during the submission process only, entrants may request that access to budget information be restricted to Big Apple judges.
• With the exception of the budget exclusion option noted above, PRSA-NY reserves the right to use entries or a reproduction of entries in part or in full. This may include posting on the PRSA-NY and/or Institute for Public Relations (IPR) web sites, use at the PRSA-NY Big Apple Event, promotion of future Awards, and/or to provide a resource of successful programs for educational purposes.
• PRSA-NY recommends that submitters secure approval from clients and/or employers prior to submitting an entry. PRSA-NY accepts all award entries with the understanding this permission has been granted. Disputes involving clients, employers and submitters must be addressed by the parties involved. PRSA-NY will not mediate.
• A complaint that an entry was submitted without authorization may cause an entry to be disqualified; consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis.  
• No refunds will be given to entries that have been submitted and subsequently withdrawn or disqualified.

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 TIPS FOR HOW TO WIN A BIG APPLE AWARD

LEARN FROM THE JUDGES
We asked industry experts, former judges, and recent award winners to share their tips for writing an award-winning entry (and mistakes to avoid along the way). Emmanuel Tchividjian, PRSA-NY’s chief ethics officer and a SVP at Ruder Finn compiled the guidance we received into a great “How To” presentation that will help entrants communicate program goals, describe tactics, highlight measureable results and maximize your chances of winning one of the most prestigious awards in the communications industry. 

• View the “How to Win a Big Apple Award” presentation (updated for 2017)

LEARN FROM THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY WON
Take a quick look at the top award-winning entries from 2016 and pick up a few insights from their presentations:

• 2016 BEST OF THE BEST
  Ketchum and Michelin for Beyond the Driving Test
• 2016 BEST BUSINESS/CAMPAIGN OUTCOMES
  Butler Associates and the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York for A Win for New York’s Bravest:  Disability Protections Restored for New York City Firefighters
• 2016 BEST USE OF RESEARCH, MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION (sponsored by the Institute for Public Relations)
  Coyne PR and Just Born Quality Confections/PEEPS® for How PEEPS® Hopped Beyond Easter and into Other Holiday Celebrations

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Please contact BigAppleAwards@prsany.org with suggested additions or updates to this page.

Who can enter?
The 2017 Big Apple Awards competition is open to all public relations professionals in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for programs created in 2016 and implemented anywhere in the world.  Most or all of the strategic work on the programs should have been performed by professionals in this tri-state area. Professionals outside the tri-state area are eligible to submit programs if, and only if, their program was implemented primarily in New York, New Jersey and/or Connecticut. Certification of the geographic area of focus for your campaign will be required during the entry process.

Where can I find the entry forms?
The entry process is 100% online. The entry form can be found on the ADD ENTRY page of this website.  Draft entries can be updated before submittal using the toolbar on the MANAGE ENTRIES page.

What does it cost to enter and when are entries due?
Deadlines and rates for the 2017 Big Apple Awards can be found above on this NEED TO KNOW FOR 2017 page.  

Why is there an Early Bird and Final Entry Deadline?
We want to give you every opportunity to prepare your entry in a way that meets your high standards. We also want to give you the opportunity to save money on entry fees if you get your entry in early. Either way, the online submission process lets you focus on creating the best possibly content rather than worrying about copying, collating, packing, shipping and mailing (or hand-delivering!) your entry.

How can I pay for my award entries?
Payments are made online via a secure server.  We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.  Click the Pay Online button above the toolbar on the MANAGE ENTRIES page.

How do I pick the proper category?
With nearly 80 categories to choose from there may be multiple areas of interest.  A Campaign may be submitted in up to three applicable categories (Categories 1 – 25); a Spotlight Award can be submitted once in Categories 26-37.  Entrants are responsible for review the descriptions and picking the category/ies that are most appropriate.  Judges may (but are not required to) move an entry to another category they believe is more appropriate. A full list of categories is available on the ABOUT page.

Do I need permission from my client or employer to submit an entry?
PRSA-NY strongly recommends that you secure approval from your client and/or employer prior to submitting an entry. PRSA-NY accepts all award entries as if permission has been granted. An entry MAY be disqualified if there is a complaint that it was submitted without authorization, but no refunds will be given. Disputes involving clients, employers and submitters must be addressed by the parties. PRSA-NY will not mediate.

Does submitting an entry guarantee an award win?
No. Entries are judged on the basis of research, planning, execution and results.  Consideration is also given to the creative use of limited funds and to entries that have impressive media results and clearly articulate direct business or other campaign outcomes. The judges may award multiple winners as they see fit. However, they will not designate a winner in a category they feel contains no entries of award-winning caliber.

When will winners be notified?
Finalists in each category will be notified following the judging of the Big Apple entries (expected during the week of April 10^th, 2017). From these finalists, the Big Apple Award winners and runners-up (if selected) will be announced on Monday, June 12th at the 2017 Big Apple Awards Gala at the Grand Hyatt New York hotel.

What is the prize?
All finalists will be presented with an award at the 2017 Big Apple Awards gala.  Winners will receive a crystal award; Honorable Mention winners will receive a plaque.  A Big Apple Award is recognized as one of the highest honors in public relations.

What information is required to enter?
Each campaign and single item entry must include a 100 Word Synopsis and two-page summary document detailing key public relations objectives, tactics and results.  This includes: Research/Situation Analysis, Planning, Execution, and Results/Evaluation.  This information - along with additional information about budget (see below for related info) shall be repeated in the correspoding "Pillar" fields of the online form; space is available for supplemental information and additional supporting materials you think could give your entry a competitive edge when being reviewed by the judges.

What are the qualifications of the judges?
Judges are selected by the PRSA-NY Board. The judging panel comprises dozens of experienced, senior-level PR professions representing a wide range of disciplines and expertise. Special care is taken to assure that all judges remain impartial and are not assigned to review the nomination(s) of a competitor. PRSA-NY provides judges with criteria and score sheets, along with training on our standards and best practices.

What if the entry must remain confidential?
The nature of the Big Apple Award process cannot preserve confidentiality. If you have confidential work that cannot be shared, it should not be submitted. Entries become the property of PRSA-NY. The organization reserves the right to use entries or a reproduction of entries in part or in full.  This may include posting on the PRSA-NY and/or IPR web sites, use at the PRSA-NY Big Apple Event, to promote future Awards and/or to provide a resource of successful programs for educational purposes.

Entrants in Category 16 (Crisis Communications) and Category 17 (Issues Management) – may request that sensitive information be kept private for access by judges only; these requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis (contact BigAppleAwards@prsany.org for more information).

Entrants in all categories have the opportunity during the entry submission process to indicate whether budget figures are to be kept private for access only by our judges.

Does PRSA-NY release program budgets?
Budget figures are requested for all entries; failure to include budget information may result in lower scoring. If the campaign or single item budget can’t be disclosed due to confidentiality, entrants may indicate that the budget is to be kept private among our judges.

Will entrants receive the judges' score sheets?
No.  The judges' online score sheets are the property of PRSA-NY.

Is there a dispute process?
No. PRSA-NY and its Big Apple Awards program is a volunteer-driven program. Judging is based on criteria set out on the various pages of this website.  All scores and decisions are final.

How can I become involved in the Big Apple planning process?
PRSA-NY encourages members who are interested in volunteering to participate in the Big Apple Awards. If you are interested in volunteering on the awards committee, which manages the entry and judging process, or on the Big Apple Awards gala planning committee, contact the PRSA-NY office at BigAppleAwards@prsany.org or call 212-228-7228.

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