14th Annual National President's Awards for Marketing Excellence
The National Council will be accepting entries for the 14th Annual National President's Awards for Marketing Excellence from January 23, 2012 to March 2, 2012.
Submission Instructions
These awards recognize councils for their excellence in marketing on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America.
Effective marketing can impact every aspect of council operations, from fundraising to recruiting. To emphasize the importance of marketing and to recognize the many outstanding marketing efforts produced by local councils, the National Council created the National President's Awards for Marketing Excellence.
Councils may enter in 10 categories:
- Marketing Campaign
- Positive Public Relations
- Finance Support Material
- Friends of Scouting Brochure
- Newsletter
- Collateral Material
- Annual Report
- Website
- E-newsletter
- Multicultural Marketing
Award Category Descriptions
Marketing Campaign — This award recognizes councils for their efforts in promoting a one-time or annual event, be it related to membership, fundraising, camping, or other subject matter. A campaign may include the use of billboards, print advertisements, brochures, radio and television appearances, and other promotional materials.
Positive Public Relations — This award recognizes the best stories that appeared in print or broadcast media and reflected well on Scouting. Stories submitted must have been initiated by the local council or its volunteer personnel.
Finance Support Material—This award recognizes the most appealing and creative pieces associated with a finance campaign (excludes FOS brochures).
Friends of Scouting Brochure — This award recognizes excellence in design and creativity of FOS brochures.
Newsletter — Newsletters are one of the most common ways councils communicate with their target audiences. This category recognizes newsletters that effectively communicate with target audiences and exhibit excellence in design and content.
Collateral Material — This award is given for the most creative and appealing communication piece associated with a major marketing campaign (membership, fundraising, program, etc.). Collateral pieces can include, but are not limited to, brochures, fliers, mailers, and videos.
Annual Report — One of the most dynamic and competitive categories, this award recognizes outstanding efforts in the area of annual reports.
Website — This award recognizes innovative use of the Internet as a communication tool, while displaying usability and adhering to website guidelines set by the National Council.
E-Newsletter — This award is given for e-newsletters that effectively communicate with target audiences and exhibit excellence in design and content.
Multicultural Marketing — This award is given to councils for the most creative and appealing marketing piece targeted at a multicultural community. This can include any material used to promote an event, recruit Scouts or volunteers, or conduct fundraising.
Requirements
To be considered for an award, an entry must have been formulated and executed by your council or volunteer personnel during the 2011 calendar year, and must follow brand positioning and guidelines that have been set out by the National Council.
Each entry must be entered online. Instructions for submitting an entry will be posted here on January 23rd. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form and a summary that includes the following information:
- Objectives established for the marketing effort.
- Planning process involved in the effort.
- Impact and result of the marketing effort.
- What the council learned.
Entries will be judged by marketing, advertising, and communication professionals. Each submission will be judged on a variety of criteria based on the category, including creativity, design, attention to brand standards, technical quality, professionalism, and how well the entry met its stated objectives.
Recognition
Award winners will be recognized in BSA publications, online, and at the 2012 National Annual Meeting.
If you have questions regarding the National President's Awards for Marketing Excellence, please e-mail Sarah Counts at sarah.counts@scouting.org.
The submission link and instructions will be located here on January 23, 2012.