Recognizing the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations for economic development and innovative/best practices
This year’s FEDC Innovation in Marketing Awards have a new look, new logo and new categories to celebrate original, creative ideas and campaigns. FEDC Members of all types, sizes, and budgets are encouraged to apply as FEDC seeks to recognize organizations and professionals that find innovative ways to communicate with and attract key audiences from stakeholders to talent to new and existing businesses.
Overview
Category 1: Marketing/Public Relations Campaign (organic)
This award recognizes the marketing/public relations campaign or activity that was generated by organic efforts internally or in collaboration with a vendor with the common goal of promoting your community or organization to key audiences. Examples may include earned media, e-newsletters, member or partner communications, letter-writing campaigns, advocacy, etc.
Category 2: Advertising Campaign (paid)
This category is for all paid advertising campaigns – including digital, print, broadcast and beyond. Showcase how your organization utilized your advertising budget to advance community messaging, perception and overall priorities.
Category 3: Website
Your website is your front door to your community – what does yours say about you and more importantly, how does it function? This award will recognize websites that are not only appealing from a design perspective but also websites that work.
Category 4: Innovative Partnership Award Public/Private
How are you getting more bang for your buck? This award recognizes a new* partnership or collaboration that aims to leverage the strength of more than one community organization to advance a common goal. Examples may include partnerships among economic, workforce & community development organizations, private and public sector partners, or academia.
*partnership must have been established 2018 or later
Category 5: The “Pivot and Persist” Award
Florida communities regularly navigate external circumstances to overcome negative economic impacts. However, with crisis comes opportunity to innovate and pivot, staying true to goals under unprecedented circumstances. This award is to recognize those EDOs who rose to the occasion and persisted, demonstrating dedication and commitment to the local economy and proved to be a critical resource during crisis and into recovery or successful alternatives. Examples may include crisis communications efforts, recovery campaigns, attraction campaigns and support of local employers and/or partners.
Best in Show: The Melissa Medley Creativity Award
In honor of our dear friend, Melissa Medley, who inspired so many of us to promote the state with enthusiasm and grace, this award recognizes a marketing activity or campaign that was unpredictable, effective, and meaningful.
This award will be chosen from all the submissions from category one through four as a “best in show” award.
Benefits
Members benefit significantly from the FEDC Promotional Materials Awards Competition and award winners receive favorable publicity that generates increased public support for their organizations. Used correctly, an FEDC Promotional Materials Award can be a great tool when targeting increased funding.
The awards also serve to emphasize outstanding marketing strategies and encourage the development of more effective marketing tools. Judging criteria include creativity, impact, quality, originality, and substance of each item submitted.
Award Competition Rules
- Applicants must be current members of FEDC.
- Entries are limited to materials not previously entered into the FEDC competition and must have been published within twelve months of the conference, unless otherwise noted in the category description.
- Please note the different categories of competition and enter your material under the appropriate category. The judges reserve the right to assigning an entry to another category if they are of the opinion that the entry belongs under a different category.
- Each organization may submit only one entry in each category. A sample of the item being submitted must accompany each entry.
- Applicants are responsible for submitting entries as stipulated in the rules. Any deviation from the rules will automatically result in a disqualified entry.
If the judges do not select an entry and there are no other entries for that category, no awards for the category will be given.
The FEDC Innovation In Marketing Awards will be presented at the FEDC Annual Conference – Awards Luncheon on Day 2.
Innovation in Marketing Payment
Payment for FEDC Innovation in Marketing Awards application(s)
$95.00
